Over the past decade as a high school teacher, I’ve seen first-hand the damage that cuts have done to our communities and to family life.

Full statement

I’ve heard politicians repeatedly defend austerity and privatisation as necessary choices, but time and again those choices have failed to deliver. Each year, more people seem to be struggling to make ends meet, despite working harder than ever. That isn’t right. The status quo is not working. Green politics is about building a better, fairer alternative.

We need to start thinking for the long term, rather than lurching from crisis to crisis. That means properly investing in infrastructure so our transport systems and public services actually function, so our rivers and seas are no longer polluted with sewage, and so we are less exposed to the volatility of global energy markets. It also means an education system that prepares people for the changes ahead and enables us to make the most of Wales’s natural strengths.

Wales is well placed to thrive in the 21st century. We have the space to build genuinely affordable housing. We are already a net exporter of energy and water. What we need now is sustained investment and smart policy that ensure these advantages benefit the people of Wales—creating secure jobs, decent homes, and a more resilient future for all.