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Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood's call to 'reclaim politics' | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood has urged Wales to "reclaim politics" claiming racist language is becoming the norm. | Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood has urged Wales to "reclaim politics" claiming racist language is becoming the norm. |
The party leader and AM for Rhondda warned of a "dangerous situation" after politicians opened a "can of worms" over immigration. | The party leader and AM for Rhondda warned of a "dangerous situation" after politicians opened a "can of worms" over immigration. |
She also called for a tolerance in the wake of what she claimed to be the "ugly" politics of the Conservatives. | She also called for a tolerance in the wake of what she claimed to be the "ugly" politics of the Conservatives. |
Ms Wood spoke ahead of the start of her party's conference on Friday. | Ms Wood spoke ahead of the start of her party's conference on Friday. |
"I'm very concerned about the direction which political rhetoric is going," Ms Wood said. | "I'm very concerned about the direction which political rhetoric is going," Ms Wood said. |
"More and more we hear racist language becoming the norm." | "More and more we hear racist language becoming the norm." |
She said there was an increase in hate crime, as well as anti-immigration and anti-refugee sentiment coming from some UK newspapers. | She said there was an increase in hate crime, as well as anti-immigration and anti-refugee sentiment coming from some UK newspapers. |
"I want people in Wales to reclaim politics," she said. "It must be up to people here in this country to decide upon our national future." | "I want people in Wales to reclaim politics," she said. "It must be up to people here in this country to decide upon our national future." |
'Irresponsible politicians' | 'Irresponsible politicians' |
Ms Wood said people who voted to Leave in the EU referendum voted for a "whole range of different reasons". | Ms Wood said people who voted to Leave in the EU referendum voted for a "whole range of different reasons". |
"A lot of it was a protest against austerity," she said. | "A lot of it was a protest against austerity," she said. |
"In with that there's a feeling that immigration has contributed to cuts in public services, but I would contest that argument, because the facts don't actually show that to be true". | "In with that there's a feeling that immigration has contributed to cuts in public services, but I would contest that argument, because the facts don't actually show that to be true". |
"I fear we've ended up in this situation because of irresponsible politicians trying to use rhetoric against immigration in order to make political points, for example for Brexit. | "I fear we've ended up in this situation because of irresponsible politicians trying to use rhetoric against immigration in order to make political points, for example for Brexit. |
"But we've opened a can of worms now and we are potentially in quite a dangerous situation", she said. | "But we've opened a can of worms now and we are potentially in quite a dangerous situation", she said. |
Plaid had backed Remain in the June poll. | Plaid had backed Remain in the June poll. |
'More positive' | 'More positive' |
She added: "We have an opportunity". | She added: "We have an opportunity". |
"We saw from the Tory party conference, the language, the attempts to try to take UKIP's base back is developing an ugly divisive nationalistic politics," she said. | "We saw from the Tory party conference, the language, the attempts to try to take UKIP's base back is developing an ugly divisive nationalistic politics," she said. |
"We can be much more positive, much more global in our thinking and more tolerant than politics has been in the recent past". | "We can be much more positive, much more global in our thinking and more tolerant than politics has been in the recent past". |
Ms Wood is due to speak at her party's conference in Llangollen on Saturday. | Ms Wood is due to speak at her party's conference in Llangollen on Saturday. |