Plaid Cymru pledge free school meals for every primary pupil and 60,000 new 'green jobs' in Senedd election campaign

  • Watch the report by ITV Wales Political Correspondent Owain Phillips

Plaid Cymru have pledged to extend the free school meals scheme to all primary schools and recruit thousands more NHS staff, should they win in May's Senedd election.

The party launched their election campaign on Friday, in which they promise to train 6,000 more frontline healthcare staff and create 60,000 new "green jobs".

Adam Price MS, the leader of Plaid Cymru, claimed his party is the only one offering a programme for government “with economic dynamism and social justice at its heart".

Plaid previously confirmed that they would offer a referendum on Welsh independence within their first term of office, should they form the next government.

The Welsh Conservatives and Welsh Labour also set out their election campaigns earlier this month.

Adam Price said the next Welsh Government faces "a huge challenge...getting our schools and NHS back on track". Credit: PA Images

Mr Price said that Plaid Cymru would "build a new economy" in order to root out inequality. On Friday, he will set out some of his party's key election pledges that aim to do this.

Plaid Cymru's key 2021 Senedd election pledges:

  • Delivering 50,000 social and affordable homes

  • A Green Economic Stimulus creating 60,000 jobs

  • Extending free school meals to every child in primary school

  • Training and recruiting 1,000 doctors, 4,000 nurses and 1,000 allied health professionals

  • Good quality green space within a five-minute walk of all households

  • Reforming council tax and cutting the average bill

Speaking ahead of the Plaid Cymru campaign launch, Mr Price said: “The past year has highlighted the interdependence between our economy and public services.

“The next Welsh Government will face a huge challenge in tackling unemployment, supporting businesses, and getting our schools and NHS back on track.

 “Plaid Cymru is the only party offering a programme for government with economic dynamism and social justice at its heart.

 “With ambitious but fully costed policies ranging from creating 60,000 green jobs to training and recruiting 6,000 frontline staff in the NHS, and reforming council tax in order to cut the average bill, Plaid Cymru will build a new economy that will form the foundations of a new and independent Wales.

“Putting Wales’ future in Wales’ hands is the only way to put and end to the poverty of ambition under Labour and to thwart the Tory threat to wipe our country off the political map.

“Wales cannot wait for Labour to find courage or for the Tories to find a conscience – we need new energy and new ideas now. That is precisely what a vote for Plaid Cymru - a vote for Wales - offers on May 6th."