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| Plaid Cymru: Transform economy from bottom - Leanne Wood | Plaid Cymru: Transform economy from bottom - Leanne Wood |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| By Adrian Browne BBC Wales political reporter | By Adrian Browne BBC Wales political reporter |
| Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood is to stress the need to transform the Welsh economy and create more jobs | Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood is to stress the need to transform the Welsh economy and create more jobs |
| She will tell the party's spring conference later on Friday that poor decisions by the UK government and Welsh ministers' "inertia" have left Wales "lagging behind" economically. | She will tell the party's spring conference later on Friday that poor decisions by the UK government and Welsh ministers' "inertia" have left Wales "lagging behind" economically. |
| A Plaid Welsh government would seek to build the economy "from the bottom up" by helping small businesses. | A Plaid Welsh government would seek to build the economy "from the bottom up" by helping small businesses. |
| The conference started in Beaumaris, Anglesey, on Friday. | |
| Plaid will use the two-day event as a campaigning platform for local elections on the island in May. | Plaid will use the two-day event as a campaigning platform for local elections on the island in May. |
| The poll was postponed by 12 months after the Welsh government appointed commissioners to run Anglesey council, following years of political in-fighting. | The poll was postponed by 12 months after the Welsh government appointed commissioners to run Anglesey council, following years of political in-fighting. |
| Ms Wood became the first woman to lead Plaid Cymru a year ago. | Ms Wood became the first woman to lead Plaid Cymru a year ago. |
| She told the party's annual conference in Brecon last September that economic underdevelopment was "the single biggest hurdle to our progress as a nation". | She told the party's annual conference in Brecon last September that economic underdevelopment was "the single biggest hurdle to our progress as a nation". |
| In her third conference speech as leader on Friday, she will say the party wants to help small shops, cafes, builders and trades people. | In her third conference speech as leader on Friday, she will say the party wants to help small shops, cafes, builders and trades people. |
| She told BBC Radio Wales on Friday morning that Plaid Cymru would help firms by making it easier for them to win public sector contracts, offering more business rate relief and a new investment bank to help them borrow funds, she will say. | She told BBC Radio Wales on Friday morning that Plaid Cymru would help firms by making it easier for them to win public sector contracts, offering more business rate relief and a new investment bank to help them borrow funds, she will say. |
| "We have got big ambitions for our nation," she said. "We need to build our communities from the bottom up. | "We have got big ambitions for our nation," she said. "We need to build our communities from the bottom up. |
| "Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities. If each one can taken on one extra worker we could solve our employment problems." | "Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities. If each one can taken on one extra worker we could solve our employment problems." |
| She talked about giving them more investment opportunities "which they so badly need". | She talked about giving them more investment opportunities "which they so badly need". |
| However, she would not be drawn on the party's policy on taxation, saying it would be premature as it could be several years before such powers are devolved to the Welsh assembly. | However, she would not be drawn on the party's policy on taxation, saying it would be premature as it could be several years before such powers are devolved to the Welsh assembly. |
| Ms Wood will talk at the conference about the need to make Wales a "more connected country" with transport improvements and for all businesses to have access to broadband and 4G mobile services "not just the lucky few". | Ms Wood will talk at the conference about the need to make Wales a "more connected country" with transport improvements and for all businesses to have access to broadband and 4G mobile services "not just the lucky few". |
| Friday's agenda also includes discussion sessions on the next steps for devolution in Wales, the UK government's welfare reforms and who should run Welsh public services. | Friday's agenda also includes discussion sessions on the next steps for devolution in Wales, the UK government's welfare reforms and who should run Welsh public services. |
| During a morning discussion session on the next steps for devolution, Plaid's parliamentary leader, Elfyn Llwyd, argued a separate Welsh legal system would both save taxpayers money and bring extra investment into Wales. | |
| He told delegates evidence from Scotland, which has its own system, demonstrated the legal process could be run more cheaply closer to home, and he hoped it would work better it it was not "slanted" by the "noise from the tabloids in England". |