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Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood's call to 'reclaim politics' 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. She warned of a "dangerous situation" as 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. As her party conference began, Ms Wood claimed the Tories were developing "an ugly, divisive, nationalistic politics" and called for tolerance.
Ms Wood spoke ahead of the start of her party's conference on Friday. The Welsh Conservatives said she was "hypocritical" to make such comments as the leader of a nationalist party.
"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 Leave in the EU referendum did so 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 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. A spokesman for the Welsh Conservatives rejected the criticism and claimed they were an "inclusive" party.
"Leanne Wood should think twice before bandying around words like 'divisive' and 'nationalistic' when describing other parties," he said.
"After all, let's not forget that she herself presides over a nationalist party whose ultimate aim is to separate Wales from the United Kingdom."
Ms Wood is due to speak at the Plaid Cymru conference in Llangollen on Saturday.
Members observed a minute's silence on Friday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster.