PLAID CYMRU members in Aberystwyth were told today by the party’s economy spokesman that his biggest hope for years was standing shoulder to shoulder with workers on the picket lines across Wales.

Luke Fletcher made the comments in his keynote address to delegates at Plaid Cymru’s annual conference.

He said: “All those who went on strike wanted a few simple things. They wanted to be paid what they were worth, to heat their home, put food on the table, go for a pint and take their families away on holidays.”

Mr Fletcher explained he joined Plaid Cymru in 2017 because of the party’s commitment to a socialist Wales.

He detailed the wave of job losses announced across Wales in recent months and lambasted the Welsh government for describing them as “regrettable, but never planning ahead or thinking proactively.

“I believe, when dealing with the economy there are two fundamental questions you must consider and answer: what is the economy, and who does it work for?”

Mr Fletcher blasted Sir Keir Starmer for being a “Labour leader who has taken more corporate freebies over the past two years than every other Labour leader since 1997.

“We shouldn’t be willing to cosy up to corporate interests through compromising on workers rights like Starmer has,” he said.

He was clear that the economy of Wales should serve its people and not the other way around.

“What we can and should do is ensure that our economy provides everything that everyone needs to be comfortable and that the basics are guaranteed,” Mr Fletcher said.

“I’ll always stand with the workers of this country, the people who really make the profit. In solidarity we win.”