Plaid Cymru
“I am asking you to put your trust in us as we prepare to take this next step in our journey as a nation.”
Wales-first social democrats — and the only party seeking independence.
- Hire 100+ new salaried GPs and invest in surgical hubs
- Hold a referendum on Welsh independence within this term
- Strengthen the Welsh language and protect rural communities
- Welsh-speaking communities in west and north Wales
- Voters who want left-of-Labour public services
- Anyone who wants Wales to govern itself fully
Polling neck-and-neck with Reform for first place — but their independence pitch divides voters who like the rest of their offer.
From Rhun ap Iorwerth
The foreword frames the 2026 election as a historic opportunity to break with Labour's record of managed decline and to stop Reform's divisive appeal, positioning Plaid Cymru as the party of renewal with a focused, costed programme centred on five immediate priorities. The leader presents cutting waiting lists, expanding childcare, growing the economy, raising school standards, and tackling child poverty as the pillars of a government that will be more determined and united than any before it. The tone is confident and patriotic, rooted in a belief that Wales's values of community, justice, hard work, and fair play are inseparable from Plaid Cymru's own.
How they speak
Wales is presented as a nation of immense untapped potential and natural wealth, held back by Labour's managed decline and Westminster underfunding, whose people and communities are ready for the new leadership, energy and ideas that only Plaid Cymru can provide.
The election is framed as a once-in-a-generation historic opportunity to choose genuine renewal and national self-confidence over Labour's failed status quo and Reform's empty, divisive soundbites.
What they say is most important.
- 01
Cut NHS waiting lists and build a health and care service fit for the future, including 10 new surgical hubs and up to 100 new GPs
- 02
Deliver a transformational universal childcare offer worth more than £30,000 per child from age 9 months to 4 years
- 03
Create a new business-led National Development Agency to unleash the Welsh economy and create good, well-paid jobs
- 04
Raise standards in schools through a bold new Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Plan
- 05
Tackle child poverty through a new targeted plan including the Cynnal Welsh Child Payment pilot of £10 per week
Positions other parties haven't matched.
A Cynnal Welsh Child Payment of £10 per week for children aged 0–6 in low-income households, piloted before a Wales-wide rollout modelled on Scotland's Scottish Child Payment — the first direct cash transfer of this kind in Welsh devolved history and a commitment to devolve welfare powers to enable full implementation.
A requirement for a minimum 15–25% community ownership stake (or equivalent local benefit model or Wales Wealth Fund payment) as a mandatory condition of consent for all energy projects over 10 MW — making community benefit legally required rather than voluntarily negotiated.
Immediate day-one negotiations to devolve the Crown Estate to Wales, with profits channelled into a new Wales Wealth Fund — a more operationally urgent and constitutionally specific commitment than any other party's position on the issue.
A formal request to devolve the right to hold an independence referendum, backed by a National Commission tasked with laying the foundations for a White Paper on Welsh independence — the only party to make this a governing commitment for the next Senedd term.
An immediate prohibition on large steel lattice pylons for new 11–132 kV lines in Wales, with a presumption in favour of undergrounding — a uniquely specific landscape protection measure directly tied to the renewable energy infrastructure transition.
A Human Rights Act for Wales incorporating five UN conventions — UNCRDP, CEDAW, ICESCR, CERD and the UNCRC — into Welsh law, creating justiciable rights that go beyond existing soft-law Welsh Government commitments and would make Wales the first part of the UK to enshrine all five treaties domestically.
Legislating for a right to adequate housing and establishing Unnos as a dedicated national social housing enabler body, combining a constitutional housing right with a purpose-built delivery vehicle — a more structurally ambitious approach to housing than other parties' programmes.
The full pledge breakdown
Health & Care
Plaid Cymru prioritises cutting the approximately 600,000-person NHS waiting list through surgical hubs, new salaried GPs, and ring-fenced planned care resources, while simultaneously shifting focus towards prevention, integrated health and social care, and improved governance of chronically underperforming health boards.
19 pledges
Hire up to 100 additional salaried GPs for out-of-hours care
Up to 100 new salaried GPs will be recruited with a focus on improving out-of-hours access to primary care, alleviating pressure on A&E departments and other frontline hospital services.
Create 10 new surgical hubs to cut waiting times
Implementing recommendations from the Royal College of Surgeons, 10 new surgical hubs will be established dedicated to high-volume procedures such as hip and knee replacements, hernia operations and cataract removals, developing into centres of excellence for orthopaedics and ophthalmology.
Invest in digitisation and telehealth to improve GP access
Investment in digitisation and telehealth services will increase access to GP and related health services through remote and online appointments as part of the wider waiting list reduction plan.
Tackle corridor care by increasing hospital ward beds
The number of beds on Welsh hospital wards will be increased following successive years of reductions, directly tackling corridor care and relieving pressure on inpatient services.
Economy & Jobs
Plaid Cymru's economic plan centres on a new business-led National Development Agency to support Welsh-owned SMEs, grow inward investment, and unlock untapped economic potential, underpinned by progressive public procurement, a national skills audit, community wealth-building, and a new Fiscal and Economic Commission.
12 pledges
Create a new business-led National Development Agency for Wales
A new arms-length National Development Agency will serve as a one-stop shop for business support, prioritise Welsh-owned SMEs, coordinate regional business growth, secure inward investment, and provide expertise in growth sectors including renewables, digital and AI, medical technologies, food systems and the creative industries.
Establish a new Fiscal and Economic Commission
A new Fiscal and Economic Commission will help set economic targets, collect and process relevant data, and measure progress on Welsh business ownership, job quality, well-being, and regional prosperity, making a Plaid Cymru government more accountable for its economic decision-making.
Increase procurement from Welsh-based suppliers from 55% to at least 70%
A renewed approach to progressive public procurement will aim to increase the level spent on goods and services from Wales-based suppliers from the current 55% to at least 70% of total Welsh public procurement expenditure, creating upwards of 35,000 jobs.
Conduct a comprehensive national skills audit for Wales
A comprehensive national skills audit will be undertaken as the basis for a new skills, training and workforce development strategy, giving clearer understanding of future skills needs to guide vocational qualifications, apprenticeships, and training programme design.
Education & Skills
Plaid Cymru will deliver a transformational universal childcare offer from 9 months of age, raise literacy and numeracy standards through a new national plan with phonics-based teaching, significantly improve teacher pay and conditions to match England, and target at least 50% of pupils in Welsh-medium education by 2050.
14 pledges
Deliver universal 20-hour childcare offer for all children aged 9 months to 4 years
A universal childcare offer will be built progressively to 20 hours per week for all children aged 9 months to 4 years, for 48 weeks a year, while honouring the existing 30-hour offer for 3- and 4-year-olds whose parents are in work, education or training. At full rollout this will be worth more than £30,000 per child in the first four years of life, making it the most generous government-funded childcare programme anywhere in the UK.
Introduce new Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Plan with national benchmarks
A new Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Plan will establish national and school-level targets, provide clarity on what children need to learn and when, track individual student progress, and direct support to those falling behind, with all children taught to read using systematic synthetic phonics.
Ensure a library space in every primary school in Wales by 2030
By 2030, every primary school in Wales will have a dedicated library space, giving every child access to a setting that fosters a lifelong love of reading in both Welsh and English.
Expand free school meals in secondary schools to all Universal Credit households
Free school meals in secondary schools will be expanded, starting by ensuring all students in Years 7–11 from households claiming Universal Credit are eligible with no income limit, and extending access to secondary students with No Recourse to Public Funds living in households with incomes at or below equivalent Universal Credit thresholds.
Housing
Plaid Cymru will legislate for a right to adequate housing, deliver at least 20,000 new social homes by 2030 through a new national enabler body called Unnos, introduce rent controls and end no-fault evictions, and pursue a nationwide area-based retrofit programme to make Welsh housing stock warmer and cheaper to run.
10 pledges
Legislate for a right to adequate housing in Wales
A right to adequate housing will be enshrined in Welsh law as a strong foundation for housing policy, driving action on homelessness, affordability, community ownership, the Welsh language, and young people's ability to remain in their communities.
Deliver at least 20,000 new social homes by 2030
Working with local authorities and social landlords, at least 20,000 new high-quality social homes will be delivered by 2030, including through bringing empty properties back into use as social housing.
Establish Unnos as a new national social housing enabler
A new national development body called Unnos will be established to accelerate social housing delivery, responsible for land assembly and site identification, planning and project management assistance, facilitating investment, supporting procurement, and encouraging innovation in construction methods.
End no-fault evictions and restrict rental bidding
No-fault evictions will be ended, rental bidding restricted by requiring properties to be let at the advertised price, and limits placed on rent payable in advance, giving renters greater security of tenure.
Transport
Plaid Cymru commits to an integrated, passenger-focused transport network — fighting for £4bn in HS2 consequential rail funding, advancing a pipeline of rail improvements across all regions, maintaining cheap fares for young people and over-60s, delivering a new express North-South bus service, and renewing the EV charging strategy.
12 pledges
Continue £1 single bus fares and £3 day tickets for children and young people aged 5–21
£1 single bus fares and £3 day tickets for children and young people aged 5–21 will be continued. Bus passes for over-60s and disabled people will also be retained.
Fight for £4 billion in HS2 consequential rail funding for Wales
Plaid Cymru will fight for the rail funding owed to Wales, including £4bn in consequential funding from HS2, to invest in Welsh rail and wider transport network, while also pressing for rail to be devolved.
Deliver Cardiff Crossrail Phase 2 with electrification and tram-trains
Cardiff Crossrail Phase 2 will be delivered, including enabling 4 trains per hour on the Cardiff City and Coryton Lines, electrification and tram-trains for Penarth, a Station Link, and additional stations.
Increase South East Wales service frequencies to 4 trains per hour into Cardiff
Service frequencies in South East Wales will be increased to 4 trains per hour to and from Cardiff to the Heads of the Valleys via Pontypridd and Caerphilly, and 2 trains per hour on the Maesteg branch and Vale of Glamorgan Line beyond Barry.
Climate & Environment
Plaid Cymru will pursue net zero by 2040 through a new National Energy Strategy, urgent devolution of the Crown Estate, a Wales Wealth Fund, mandatory community ownership stakes in large energy projects, full devolution of water powers with a new Welsh water regulator, and a comprehensive programme tackling flooding, pollution, and coal tip remediation.
13 pledges
Develop a National Energy Strategy mapping Wales's path to net zero by 2040
A National Energy Strategy will be developed as an immediate priority, mapping Wales's current and future energy needs, setting a clear long-term infrastructure plan, and providing greater certainty for developers and communities including on emerging green technologies such as green hydrogen.
Open negotiations on Crown Estate devolution from day one in government
Devolution of the Crown Estate will be made a key priority, with negotiations opened with the UK Government from day one so that revenues generated from Welsh land and waters — including from offshore renewable energy — are retained in Wales rather than returned to the Treasury, as is already the case in Scotland.
Establish a Wales Wealth Fund from Crown Estate and renewable energy profits
A new Wales Wealth Fund will capture a fair share of profits from Welsh renewables and the devolved Crown Estate to invest in community energy, affordable and energy-efficient housing, and essential national infrastructure.
Require minimum 15–25% community ownership stake for energy projects over 10 MW
A minimum community-ownership stake of between 15 and 25%, equivalent local-benefit model, Wales Wealth Fund payment, or corresponding means of capturing community benefits will be required for all energy projects over 10 MW as a key condition of consent. Business rates on wind and solar farms will be retained by those local authorities in which they are located.
Farming & Rural
Plaid Cymru will support Welsh family farming through a multi-year Sustainable Farming Scheme funding cycle, a science-led approach to bovine TB, protection of high-quality agricultural land, and a new national Food Strategy to build food security and significantly increase the proportion of Welsh produce in public procurement.
9 pledges
Establish a multi-year funding cycle for the Sustainable Farming Scheme
A multi-year funding cycle for the SFS will be established, giving farmers long-term stability and certainty and taking the first one-year budget as the baseline, while continuing to maintain robust collaboration with the farming community as the scheme evolves.
Commission independent review of bureaucratic burden on family farms
An independent review of the bureaucratic burden on family farms in Wales will be commissioned, with a view to streamlining on-farm requirements and reducing duplication and unnecessary paperwork.
Implement new science-led approach to managing bovine TB
A new approach to managing bovine TB will be implemented, drawing on the TB Technical Advisory Group's advice, recognising wildlife as a source of infection and enabling scientifically validated control methods.
Protect high-quality agricultural land from corporate carbon offsetting plantations
High-quality agricultural land will be protected from being lost to large-scale corporate carbon-offsetting plantations or excessive solar developments, while making it easier for farmers and rural communities to invest in their own renewable energy projects.
Crime & Justice
Plaid Cymru will pursue devolution of justice and policing as an immediate priority, establish a National Crime Prevention Agency in the interim, introduce a Welsh Tribunals Bill early in the Senedd term, and lay foundations for a joined-up Welsh justice system that is preventative, trauma-informed, and rights-based.
7 pledges
Pursue devolution of justice and policing as an immediate priority
Devolution of justice and policing to Wales will be pursued as an immediate priority, with the UK Government's scrapping of Police and Crime Commissioners providing new impetus for these powers to be transferred as already recommended by the Silk, Thomas and Independent Constitutional Future Commissions.
Establish a National Crime Prevention Agency for Wales
A National Crime Prevention Agency will be established to coordinate crime prevention and diversion across police forces, the NHS, local authorities, schools and third-sector partners, sharing best practice and addressing root causes of crime through early intervention, restorative justice, and diversion strategies.
Introduce a Welsh Tribunals Bill early in the Senedd term
A Welsh Tribunals Bill will be brought forward early in the Senedd term to create a clearer, more coherent and more independent tribunals system with modernised procedures, stronger accountability and a sharper focus on users.
Expand the Cardiff Model of violence prevention nationwide
The Cardiff Model will be expanded nationwide, using anonymised hospital data on violent injuries to target prevention in violent crime hotspots, and examining how this and other innovative approaches can be applied to a wider range of crimes.
Cymraeg & Culture
Plaid Cymru will strengthen Welsh as a living language through a 50%-by-2050 Welsh-medium education target, extended Welsh Language Standards to the private sector and UK Government bodies, a new properly funded cultural strategy with year-on-year budget increases, and a major national school swimming programme and daily physical activity offer.
12 pledges
Extend Welsh Language Standards to UK Government bodies and the private sector
Welsh Language Standards will be strengthened and extended to UK Government bodies and agencies operating in Wales and to the private sector, including communications, utilities, banks, car parks and supermarkets.
Replace current cultural priorities with a real, targeted cultural strategy with year-on-year budget increases
The current vague 'Priorities for Culture' will be replaced with a real cultural strategy following root-and-branch reassessment in full collaboration with artists and cultural organisations, with the budget for culture, heritage, arts and sport increased year-on-year over the next Senedd term and tied to a wider shift towards preventative spending.
Establish a Shadow Broadcasting and Communications Authority for Wales
As an interim step ahead of seeking devolution of powers over broadcasting, a Shadow Broadcasting and Communications Authority for Wales will be established to protect and strengthen local and national public service media platforms in Wales.
Legislate to protect areas of higher Welsh linguistic density
New legislation will protect areas of higher linguistic density, working with local authorities to determine how and where these areas should be designated, acting on the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities.
Devolution & the Union
Plaid Cymru presents itself as a party on a journey towards Welsh independence, committing from day one to a National Commission, Crown Estate devolution negotiations, Barnett replacement, greater tax powers, and a formal request to devolve the right to hold an independence referendum, framed as responsible nation-building.
10 pledges
Establish a National Commission for Wales overseeing devolution and constitutional future
A new National Commission for Wales will bring forward processes for devolving the Crown Estate, rail infrastructure, and justice and policing; engage citizens in a national conversation about Wales's constitutional future; research key political and economic questions; and lay the foundations for a future White Paper on Welsh independence.
Formally request devolution of the right to hold an independence referendum
The right to decide on the timeline, question and process for an independence referendum will be formally requested to be devolved, reflecting the party's belief that the decision on Wales's constitutional future belongs to the people of Wales.
Open negotiations on Crown Estate devolution from day one
Securing the devolution of the Crown Estate will be made a key priority, with negotiations opened with the UK Government from day one — supported by every Welsh local authority — so revenues from Welsh land and waters are retained in Wales and reinvested through a new Wales Wealth Fund.
Replace the Barnett formula with a needs-based funding settlement for Wales
The outdated and unfair Barnett formula will be replaced to ensure Wales receives its fair share of public investment, and Wales receiving consequential funding owed from HS2 and other England-only rail projects will be fought for.
Equality & Communities
Plaid Cymru will make tackling child poverty a defining mission through Cynnal, a new Human Rights Act for Wales incorporating five UN conventions, and targeted action on gender equality, anti-racism, disability rights, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and neurodiversity, using every available lever and pressing for devolution of welfare powers.
11 pledges
Pilot Cynnal, a £10 per week Welsh Child Payment for children aged 0–6 in low-income households
Cynnal, a Welsh Child Payment of £10 a week for children aged 0–6 in households claiming Universal Credit, will be piloted initially in a limited number of local authority areas selected using objective criteria, to build a robust evidence base for a Wales-wide rollout and the case for devolving the powers needed for full implementation.
Develop a new targeted child poverty strategy with clear targets and milestones
As an immediate priority, a new plan to tackle child poverty will be developed with partners, setting clear targets, benchmarks and milestones, learning from international best practice and delivering targeted interventions whose impact can be clearly measured.
Press UK Government to scrap the two-child benefit limit and lift the overall cap
The UK Government will be pressed to ensure that scrapping the two-child limit on benefits delivers real change for children living in poverty, including by lifting the overall benefit cap.
Introduce a Human Rights Act for Wales incorporating five key UN treaties into Welsh law
A new Human Rights Act for Wales will fully incorporate key international treaties into Welsh law, including the UNCRDP, CEDAW, ICESCR, CERD and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensuring public services are delivered through a robust rights-based approach with disabled people, women, racialised communities, children and people with lived experience of poverty playing a central role in policy design.
Immigration
While acknowledging immigration as a non-devolved matter, Plaid Cymru commits to treating those who arrive with decency, opposing the asylum hotel system, championing a Wales-specific visa and shortage occupation list as a first step towards immigration devolution, and actively combating misinformation about migrants.
5 pledges
Champion a Wales-specific visa and shortage occupation list
A Wales-specific visa and shortage occupation list will be championed as the first steps towards full devolution of powers over immigration to Wales.
Combat misinformation about asylum seekers and embed Nations of Sanctuary principles
Mis- and disinformation about asylum seekers, refugees and migrants will be actively combated, protecting the nations of sanctuary vision and ensuring its principles are embedded across government policy and practice in ways that promote integration and community cohesion.
Press UK Government to use 2026 break clause to replace the asylum hotel model
The UK Government will be pressed to use the 2026 break clause in its current asylum hotel management contracts to replace this failed system, advocating for a fair dispersal policy that promotes integration, recognises local housing need and properly supports public services.
Develop a joined-up NRPF strategy to end destitution among migrants
A joined-up strategy will be developed to support migrants and sanctuary seekers with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), working closely with local government and third-sector partners to end destitution.
Local Government
Plaid Cymru will renew the partnership between Welsh Government and local authorities with fairer, less fragmented funding, a new National Development Framework to cut through overlapping regional initiatives, and greater freedom for councils to collaborate on joint projects and determine local priorities.
6 pledges
Review local government funding formula to reflect real service delivery costs
The funding formula for local government will be reviewed so that it better reflects the real cost of delivering services in different parts of Wales, and a funding floor will be introduced to ensure no local authority is disadvantaged.
Shift from competitive grant funding to core local authority funding
More core funding will be provided for local authorities to allocate to services and locally-determined priorities, reducing the amount of funding allocated through fragmented and competitive grant streams that create bureaucracy without guaranteed outcomes.
Produce a new National Development Framework with a new regional map
A new National Development Framework will be produced to overhaul spatial planning and regional development in Wales, providing real strategic vision and oversight, agreeing a more effective council-led approach to regional collaboration, and creating a new regional map to reduce duplication and overlap between existing bodies such as CJCs, RPBs and PSBs.
Review and end regional initiatives that are not delivering against the new Framework
All regional initiatives — including Investment Zones, Freeports, City and Regional Growth Deals, and Trailblazer Neighbourhoods — will be reviewed against their own aims and the new National Development Framework, with programmes that are not delivering ended or replaced to ensure the best use of public money.