For several weeks I have been raising the issue of dangerous pay day loans in the Assembly. Today an independent report backed up my fears. In these difficult economic times an increasing number of us are trying to find new ways to make ends meet. With more traditional avenues of credit being difficult to come by, more and more people in Wales are forced to turn to “pay-day” or short-term lenders. These opportunistic loan companies have become a common sight on the TV, in newspapers and even on our high streets. They unscrupulously prey on vulnerable people who need supporting through a difficult time. Some of them tell their story here.
Their latest move is to promote heavily smartphone apps which make no mention of the rates of interest paid as you download them.
After only a few minutes I was able to obtain quotes from two of well known lenders; Wonga and QuickQuid, at rates of 4,214% and 1,734% APR respectively. This means, without taking into account fees and charges, if I had taken up Wonga on their offer and taken a £100 loan, in one month I would have had to repay £351.17 in interest alone. It is clear from these figures alone that these interest rates have spiralled out of control.
In addition, the lack of checks carried out by these companies has led to many people falling victim to identity theft. There have been multiple cases where constituents have spoke to their AM’s after pay-day loan companies have contacted them demanding huge payments, even though the individual has had no contact with any such company.
At the moment there is no legislation to place a cap on these outrageous interest rates and to govern the way the companies operate and promote themselves. I am particularly concerned that the increasing omnipresence of such advertising, apps and sponsorship (Wonga sponsored the Liberal Democrats) normalises such irresponsible borrowing and lending.
Westminster has clearly failed to govern these immoral practices. With many of these lenders based outside of Wales we must pressurise the Con-Dem government to act swiftly to ensure that the most vulnerable people in our community are protected from these wholly unfair lenders.
Though Westminster should regulate the market, we can do something in the Assembly and Wales to better publicise these exploitation. I have asked the First Minster twice to lead the debate in Wales and for better life skills education in our schools on APR, which research shows many people do not understand.
We must also support feasible alternatives in Wales such as credit unions and Moneyline Cymru, which offers support to many social housing tenants. I am very proud of Wales’ 22 credit unions, which currently offers support to 42,000 people. Plaid Cymru is the only party with its own credit union. However, we must do more to ensure these ridiculous interest rates are capped and the people who are in need of help are not exploited, but treated fairly.
For further information about credit unions, contact the credit unions in Wales Helpline on 0800 4960865 or email creditunions@wales.gsi.gov.uk.
Wednesday 7 December 2011
Thursday 1 December 2011
Datganiad o fwriad i sefyll fel arweinydd Plaid Cymru
Rwy’n cyhoeddi heddiw fy mod am gynnig fy hunan fel ymgeisydd i fod yn arweinydd Plaid Cymru.
Rwy’n gwneud hynny gan gredu y gallaf gynnig rhywbeth gwahanol a ffres i’r Blaid a chan anelu i ennill y ras, wrth obeithio hefyd bod yn rhan o adfywio’r Blaid a gwleidyddiaeth Cymru.
Credaf fod gan Blaid Cymru y polisïau cywir yn y bôn. Ni yw’r blaid sydd yn symud Cymru ymlaen. Ein syniadau ni sydd yn blodeuo ac yn egino mwya amlwg yn yr ardd wleidyddol. Hebom ni, er enghraifft, ni fyddai cwestiwn sylfaenol cyllido Cymru wedi gweld golau dydd.
Ac eto, nid ydym yn gweld y llwyddiant y byddwch chi’n ei ddisgwyl wrth weld cyrhaeddiad ein syniadau a’n polisïau.
Rydym wedi caniatáu i bleidiau eraill ddwyn ein dillad ni a’u gwisgo yn fwy ffasiynol.
O dro i dro, rydym yn debycach i glwb sydd ond yn siarad ymysg ein gilydd. Weithiau yn llythrennol mewn iaith nad yw’r rhan fwyaf o bobl Cymru yn ei deal; weithiau mewn ffordd astrus, megis am annibyniaeth, nad yw’r rhan fwyaf o bobl yn ei chlywed.
Efallai fod gan Siambr y Cynulliad waliau gwydr, ond yn rhy aml rydym yn fodlon fel plaid i’r etholwyr yn ein gweld, heb sylweddoli nad ydynt yn gwrando arnom.
Byddaf am fynd a’r Blaid mas i’r genedl gyfan o flwch y Cynulliad a hawlio yn ôl y tir gwleidyddol o roi Cymru’n gyntaf.
Felly rwy am gynnig arweinyddiaeth o’r Cynulliad, ond nid yn unig yn y Cynulliad.
A pha fath ar arweinyddiaeth?
Credaf fod gwerth yn yr hen ddywediad o “primus inter pares”. Mae gan Blaid Cymru dalent ar draws y cenedlaethau ac ar sawl lefel llywodraeth. Nid yw pawb yn gymwys i sefyll ac rwy am arwain mewn ffordd gydweithredol, gan annog y blaid i ddisgwyl i mi fel arweinydd i ddod a’r gorau allan o’r blaid gyfan.
Cafodd Plaid Cymru ei eni i fod mewn llywodraeth. Does dim pwrpas credu mewn hunanlywodraeth neu annibyniaeth os na chredwch mewn arwain eich gwlad.
Fel arweinydd byddwn am i’r Blaid weithio ar strategaeth dros 10 mlynedd a thros ddau etholiad i fynd a ni i mewn i lywodraeth.
A rhaid bod mewn llywodraeth hefyd am bwrpas. A phwrpas Plaid Cymru i mi yw adeiladu cenedl fwy gwar a chyfiawn. Mae uno ein gofal am ein planed gyda’n dyhead am ddatblygu ein cenedl yn hanfodol. Dyma pam mae sicrhau rheolaeth a meddiant dros ein hadnoddau naturiol, megis dŵr ac ynni adnewyddol mor bwysig i mi.
Credaf ei bod hi’n bryd clywed neges Plaid Cymru mewn ffyrdd newydd a chydag acen newydd. Gwleidyddiaeth y dosbarth gwaith Saesneg oedd fy magwraeth i. Erbyn hyn, mae fy annel ar adeiladu cenedl. Rydym wedi gweld canrif o oruchafiaeth Llafur yn arwain at ddiwylliant o ddibyniaeth yn ein gwlad; diwylliant o anobaith a diffyg menter. Dyna etifeddiaeth y mae’n ddyletswydd ar Blaid Cymru a’i harweinydd newydd i chwalu.
Rwy’n gwneud hynny gan gredu y gallaf gynnig rhywbeth gwahanol a ffres i’r Blaid a chan anelu i ennill y ras, wrth obeithio hefyd bod yn rhan o adfywio’r Blaid a gwleidyddiaeth Cymru.
Credaf fod gan Blaid Cymru y polisïau cywir yn y bôn. Ni yw’r blaid sydd yn symud Cymru ymlaen. Ein syniadau ni sydd yn blodeuo ac yn egino mwya amlwg yn yr ardd wleidyddol. Hebom ni, er enghraifft, ni fyddai cwestiwn sylfaenol cyllido Cymru wedi gweld golau dydd.
Ac eto, nid ydym yn gweld y llwyddiant y byddwch chi’n ei ddisgwyl wrth weld cyrhaeddiad ein syniadau a’n polisïau.
Rydym wedi caniatáu i bleidiau eraill ddwyn ein dillad ni a’u gwisgo yn fwy ffasiynol.
O dro i dro, rydym yn debycach i glwb sydd ond yn siarad ymysg ein gilydd. Weithiau yn llythrennol mewn iaith nad yw’r rhan fwyaf o bobl Cymru yn ei deal; weithiau mewn ffordd astrus, megis am annibyniaeth, nad yw’r rhan fwyaf o bobl yn ei chlywed.
Efallai fod gan Siambr y Cynulliad waliau gwydr, ond yn rhy aml rydym yn fodlon fel plaid i’r etholwyr yn ein gweld, heb sylweddoli nad ydynt yn gwrando arnom.
Byddaf am fynd a’r Blaid mas i’r genedl gyfan o flwch y Cynulliad a hawlio yn ôl y tir gwleidyddol o roi Cymru’n gyntaf.
Felly rwy am gynnig arweinyddiaeth o’r Cynulliad, ond nid yn unig yn y Cynulliad.
A pha fath ar arweinyddiaeth?
Credaf fod gwerth yn yr hen ddywediad o “primus inter pares”. Mae gan Blaid Cymru dalent ar draws y cenedlaethau ac ar sawl lefel llywodraeth. Nid yw pawb yn gymwys i sefyll ac rwy am arwain mewn ffordd gydweithredol, gan annog y blaid i ddisgwyl i mi fel arweinydd i ddod a’r gorau allan o’r blaid gyfan.
Cafodd Plaid Cymru ei eni i fod mewn llywodraeth. Does dim pwrpas credu mewn hunanlywodraeth neu annibyniaeth os na chredwch mewn arwain eich gwlad.
Fel arweinydd byddwn am i’r Blaid weithio ar strategaeth dros 10 mlynedd a thros ddau etholiad i fynd a ni i mewn i lywodraeth.
A rhaid bod mewn llywodraeth hefyd am bwrpas. A phwrpas Plaid Cymru i mi yw adeiladu cenedl fwy gwar a chyfiawn. Mae uno ein gofal am ein planed gyda’n dyhead am ddatblygu ein cenedl yn hanfodol. Dyma pam mae sicrhau rheolaeth a meddiant dros ein hadnoddau naturiol, megis dŵr ac ynni adnewyddol mor bwysig i mi.
Credaf ei bod hi’n bryd clywed neges Plaid Cymru mewn ffyrdd newydd a chydag acen newydd. Gwleidyddiaeth y dosbarth gwaith Saesneg oedd fy magwraeth i. Erbyn hyn, mae fy annel ar adeiladu cenedl. Rydym wedi gweld canrif o oruchafiaeth Llafur yn arwain at ddiwylliant o ddibyniaeth yn ein gwlad; diwylliant o anobaith a diffyg menter. Dyna etifeddiaeth y mae’n ddyletswydd ar Blaid Cymru a’i harweinydd newydd i chwalu.
Statement of intention to stand as Plaid Cymru leader
I have said I would consult with party members, friends and family over the past few months on standing for Leader of Plaid Cymru.
I believe on the basis of those conversations that I can offer something positive and exciting for the future of Plaid Cymru. I believe the best way to explain and set out the ideas and vision I have for the party is by entering the race to become party Leader. I do this with the intention of winning, but also knowing that such debates and contests reinvigorate parties and politics in themselves.
I believe Plaid’s current policies are broadly right. We are widely seen as the party that brings forward the ideas that shape Welsh politics and whose ambition and urgency moves the political process along. Without Plaid we would not have seen the referendum, or the Holtham Commission setting the groundwork for the Silk Commission. Plaid has set the pace since the election on demanding a Plan B for the Welsh economy and our views on capital spending – and our Build for Wales idea – are now mainstream.
Yet, we don’t get the credit for this, and we lost our second party status in the last election.
Clearly, our message is not getting through. Sometimes it is confused: I support independence as the constitutional aim for Plaid Cymru and our nation. But independence in not the answer to today’s immediate problems and focusing on arguing about it only encourages the voters to assume we are not addressing their daily difficulties.
Sometimes we have allowed other parties to steal and wear the clothes we first designed and fashioned.
More than anything, however, we have become a party of the Assembly, rather than the national party of Wales. One of my key tasks as Leader will be to take the leadership out to the nation as a whole as much as possible and recapture the high ground of putting Wales first. Lately, other parties have claimed those heights, but the reality is that both Labour and the Tories have increasingly bowed to their Westminster party demands; revealing their claims to be empty positioning.
So leadership from the Assembly but for the nation as a whole.
But what sort of leadership? I believe there is great value in being the first among equals. Plaid Cymru has a tremendous team of talent across the generations. Not all can stand for this particular post at this time. I will work in collaboration with all parts of the party to lead from the front, yes, but to bring people with me at the same time. I will urge the party to look at the widest range of talent and not focus its hopes and ambitions on one individual but rather expect that individual to bring out the best in the party as a whole.
I believe Plaid Cymru was born for government. We exist to bring about ever increasing self-government. We must shoulder the responsibility that comes with that. In the last decade or so we have helped create a Welsh state. But our ambition cannot end there. We have seen in the last few months that allowing one party to drift along in government is not healthy for the Welsh economy. Progressive politics in Wales will not be delivered by Labour. An athlete never gives of his or her best if they train or run on their own. Wales needs and deserves another radical, progressive party breathing down the neck of Labour and challenging its supremacy. As Leader I would want Plaid to plan for a two elections, ten year strategy and maintain the conditioning and fitness building that a party needs for that long haul.
But Plaid doesn’t just exist for the sake of Wales’ constitutional future. We exist to fight for and deliver fairness in social and economic policy. I believe in a mixed economy - I think Plaid Cymru should be concerned that the private sector is not as strong or successful as it could be. But Plaid Cymru should never be laissez faire about the impact of global capital on our communities. Regulating business for environmental and social benefit is a core value of the party I want to lead. The prize for Plaid is to marry our national ambition with a proper concern for the long term future of our planet. We live in a comparably well off society. But we don’t do enough to exploit our natural resources for the benefit of our people and our planet. Fighting for regulation, control and ownership of our wind, water, wave and solar resources will be a key aim of Plaid under my leadership.
Finally, I believe Plaid’s message needs to be heard afresh, in a different accent and in a different way. I am the product of a one parent family from Aberdar; I was raised in an English only home at a time when Welsh was seen as a curious remnant of the past . My politics were forged in class consciousness - my shoulders may even still bear some of the chips. My destination, however, was the politics of nation-building, as time after time I saw Labour sell out Wales for the hope of power in London.
100 years of Labour domination in Wales has only made us more dependent; less resilient; less resourceful. That culture of dependency is the last great barrier between Wales today and a better future for our nation. In all its myriad ways, shattering that is now Plaid’s historic task.
I believe on the basis of those conversations that I can offer something positive and exciting for the future of Plaid Cymru. I believe the best way to explain and set out the ideas and vision I have for the party is by entering the race to become party Leader. I do this with the intention of winning, but also knowing that such debates and contests reinvigorate parties and politics in themselves.
I believe Plaid’s current policies are broadly right. We are widely seen as the party that brings forward the ideas that shape Welsh politics and whose ambition and urgency moves the political process along. Without Plaid we would not have seen the referendum, or the Holtham Commission setting the groundwork for the Silk Commission. Plaid has set the pace since the election on demanding a Plan B for the Welsh economy and our views on capital spending – and our Build for Wales idea – are now mainstream.
Yet, we don’t get the credit for this, and we lost our second party status in the last election.
Clearly, our message is not getting through. Sometimes it is confused: I support independence as the constitutional aim for Plaid Cymru and our nation. But independence in not the answer to today’s immediate problems and focusing on arguing about it only encourages the voters to assume we are not addressing their daily difficulties.
Sometimes we have allowed other parties to steal and wear the clothes we first designed and fashioned.
More than anything, however, we have become a party of the Assembly, rather than the national party of Wales. One of my key tasks as Leader will be to take the leadership out to the nation as a whole as much as possible and recapture the high ground of putting Wales first. Lately, other parties have claimed those heights, but the reality is that both Labour and the Tories have increasingly bowed to their Westminster party demands; revealing their claims to be empty positioning.
So leadership from the Assembly but for the nation as a whole.
But what sort of leadership? I believe there is great value in being the first among equals. Plaid Cymru has a tremendous team of talent across the generations. Not all can stand for this particular post at this time. I will work in collaboration with all parts of the party to lead from the front, yes, but to bring people with me at the same time. I will urge the party to look at the widest range of talent and not focus its hopes and ambitions on one individual but rather expect that individual to bring out the best in the party as a whole.
I believe Plaid Cymru was born for government. We exist to bring about ever increasing self-government. We must shoulder the responsibility that comes with that. In the last decade or so we have helped create a Welsh state. But our ambition cannot end there. We have seen in the last few months that allowing one party to drift along in government is not healthy for the Welsh economy. Progressive politics in Wales will not be delivered by Labour. An athlete never gives of his or her best if they train or run on their own. Wales needs and deserves another radical, progressive party breathing down the neck of Labour and challenging its supremacy. As Leader I would want Plaid to plan for a two elections, ten year strategy and maintain the conditioning and fitness building that a party needs for that long haul.
But Plaid doesn’t just exist for the sake of Wales’ constitutional future. We exist to fight for and deliver fairness in social and economic policy. I believe in a mixed economy - I think Plaid Cymru should be concerned that the private sector is not as strong or successful as it could be. But Plaid Cymru should never be laissez faire about the impact of global capital on our communities. Regulating business for environmental and social benefit is a core value of the party I want to lead. The prize for Plaid is to marry our national ambition with a proper concern for the long term future of our planet. We live in a comparably well off society. But we don’t do enough to exploit our natural resources for the benefit of our people and our planet. Fighting for regulation, control and ownership of our wind, water, wave and solar resources will be a key aim of Plaid under my leadership.
Finally, I believe Plaid’s message needs to be heard afresh, in a different accent and in a different way. I am the product of a one parent family from Aberdar; I was raised in an English only home at a time when Welsh was seen as a curious remnant of the past . My politics were forged in class consciousness - my shoulders may even still bear some of the chips. My destination, however, was the politics of nation-building, as time after time I saw Labour sell out Wales for the hope of power in London.
100 years of Labour domination in Wales has only made us more dependent; less resilient; less resourceful. That culture of dependency is the last great barrier between Wales today and a better future for our nation. In all its myriad ways, shattering that is now Plaid’s historic task.
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