THIS policy document is based on an extensive list of progressive policies we sent to the two candidates.

We were impressed that they both responded, but we were less impressed with the detail of their responses.

Politicians usually speak in vague terms and even when they do commit, as in the notorious 10 pledges of Sir Keir Starmer, whether we trust them or not to follow through is another matter.

With the resignation of Mark Drakeford as leader of Welsh Labour and the election of his replacement imminent it is important to ask “What is next?”

The ongoing conflict and humanitarian disasters in the Middle East, the worsening housing and cost-of-living crisis, and the overwhelming issue of climate change are issues faced by all, but in Wales, there are some unique issues that compound this.

The continual attack on devolution by the Tories, media, and some in the Labour Party, the debate regarding Senedd expansion and democracy, and 14 years of Tory underfunding and cuts.

Welsh Labour Grassroots is presenting a manifesto of socialist ideas in the run-up to the election of the new leader of Welsh Labour and Prif Weinidog Cymru.

Focusing on housing, the environment, health, the economy, poverty, and our place in the world, our manifesto is less a shopping list of policies than a serious proposition for a vision for government that will hopefully take us beyond the next Senedd election in 2026 to a new Cymru, proud of a radical government.

Our vision for housing is focused on legislating for those who require it most: homeless people, renters, and workers in insecure living arrangements.

Ending homelessness is a political choice, and we hope that the next leader will continue the work started under Drakeford to ensure homelessness is a thing of the past by 2026.

Council housing stock must be replenished at the fastest possible rate, and occupation contracts (the new tenancy agreements) must be strengthened and guaranteed.

We must be brave enough to consider policies such as rent controls and be ready to further interfere in the marketised system of housing in order to guarantee every person in Wales the right and access to a safe, suitable, affordable home.

The NHS was born in Wales and we must show the way to its future.

Committing to keep all parts of the NHS in public hands and extending the free-at-the-point-of-need model to social care are essential big-ticket items. But we must also work to bring dentistry and palliative care fully within the NHS to ensure a whole cradle-to-grave approach to health and social care.

We in Cymru were once the leaders in animal welfare — but we have slipped. Banning greyhound racing, the trail hunting that is used as an excuse for fox hunting must also go, and outlawing intensive farming practices will bring Cymru back to being a leader in this field.

Intensive farming is not just an animal welfare but a wider environmental issue, contributing to water pollution alongside private profiteering and lax regulations. Wales is a beautiful nation with our waterways at its heart. We must restore them to full health.

Locally owned and operated energy co-operatives provide the vision for the energy future of Cymru. Divesting our pension funds from fossil fuels and ploughing that money into local enterprises, properly funding National Resources Wales, ensuring access to nature via a Welsh Right to Roam, and abandoning the false dream of nuclear power guarantees a future where we live in harmony with the beautiful land around us.

Our economic vision for Cymru is inseparable from our social vision; at its heart is the working class and our communities. Cymunedoli (communitisation) must be expanded and pursued to rebuild the wealth of our communities in a sustainable way.

The Barnett formula has always structurally and systematically disadvantaged Cymru. It should, and must, be reformed to guarantee a fairer, needs-based grant to Wales.

A full devolution of the welfare system and the money to back it up will allow us the levers we need to ensure a basic standard of living for all in Cymru.

Moving to a Universal Free School Meals model with a right to food for all, alongside increased funding for disadvantaged and rural areas will create lasting change for the future, unlocking and guaranteeing the potential of future generations.

Working to influence the British Labour Party to abandon austerity politics and work with Cymru can and will ensure the best outcome for all.

As socialists, we are, fundamentally, internationalists. Recognising our commitment to people everywhere, not just in our own borders, requires a commitment to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, Yemen, Myanmar and all other conflict zones and respecting the rights of the working class to self-determination.

We must build on our commitment to be a Nation of Sanctuary and transform ourselves into a Nation of Peace.

We must ensure that Senedd reform is done in a way that ensures democratic selections and elections, with the choice given to voters, not party insiders.

We expect and demand the next leader of Welsh Labour to uphold the near-unanimous decision of the Welsh conference last year and work to ensure the devolution of the rulebook and the eventual establishment of a true Welsh Labour Party.

This is not an exhaustive or complete review of our vision, but it is the beginning of the conversations we must all have to guarantee a better, safer, and fairer future for Cymru.