‘If Wales goes down the independence road, it’ll be a disaster’

Just last week, Plaid Cymru separatists and Labour formed another deal. 

Following her party’s Caerphilly by-election loss, it looked like Eluned Morgan would struggle to get her damaging budget plans through the Senedd. 

But once again, the separatists stepped up to help. 

This isn’t a surprise. Following the last Senedd election, Plaid Cymru separatists formed a coalition with Labour. Plaid prefer to call it a “co-operation agreement”. But they’re one and the same. 

As with all such deals, parties go into them with policy asks. Plaid had theirs. And what was top of the list? Thirty-six more Senedd members.

 That’s right, the reason we’re being lumbered with more politicians at a cost of £120 million is because it was a key Plaid ask.

Not more money for our NHS. Or for schools. Or for badly needed infrastructure.

Plaid Cymru separatists insisted that money went on Senedd expansion for one reason. It’s part of their salami slice strategy to break up Britain. This is why the 36 more Senedd members must be scrapped.

 The separatists have tried to talk down their goal of Welsh independence of late. But we mustn’t fall for it.

 In recent years, we’ve seen more and more conflict between the Senedd and the government in Westminster.

Only recently, several Senedd members wrote to Keir Starmer, demanding more powers. They want the Senedd in charge of policing. Starmer must say no.

 This is what I mean when I talk about salami slicing.

 Piece by piece, brick by brick, their aim is to create further separation from the rest of Britain.

 Make no mistake, that’s what putting the Senedd in charge of policing and justice would do.

 It would result in a separate legal system, something Senedd minister Julie James claimed is inevitably developing.

 Plaid Cymru separatists know that, with a bigger Senedd, this sort of conflict with the British government will only increase.

 That’s why they prioritise more Senedd members over more doctors and nurses.

 Wales may have the longest NHS waiting lists of any part of mainland Britain. But to separatists, this is of little concern.

 If it comes down to a choice between better public services or pursuing their dream, Plaid will always pick Welsh independence.

 It’s what separatists do.

 Plaid only offer change from Labour in one way: all their energies will go into their goal of breaking Britain apart.

 There’s already a blueprint for this. Plaid’s sister party is Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP.

 When the SNP first formed an administration in the Scottish Parliament, they pretended independence wasn’t on the agenda.

 But what happened? They used their election victory to argue it was a mandate for independence.

 Plaid will do the same.

 If Wales goes down that road, it’ll be a disaster. We don’t need separatist stoked division. We need functioning public services.

 That’s where my priorities lie.

Andrew RT Davies is MS for South Wales Central