There was nothing short of a bombshell political in Wales in the last week when the findings of a political poll were released. The Barn Cymru poll, conducted by YouGov for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University, Put Plaid Cymru as the biggest party in Wales on 30 per cent of the vote. Labour – who have been winning elections in Wales for more than a century – were relegated to third place on 18 per cent of the vote behind Reform.

Polls are not election results so there will be no complacency in the ranks of Plaid Cymru. However, this is the starkest example yet that people are ready to ditch the ballot booth habit of a lifetime and shun the Labour Party in Wales. I believe this is a combination of issues closer to home but also further afield in Westminster. The UK Labour Government has overplayed its hand after landslide electoral victory that flattered to deceive. That result was more about the sheer ineptitude of the Tories in Government and 15 years of brutal cuts to public services and continued shrinking household incomes. By copying the Tories with brutal austerity with cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance and by turning their backs on the 1950s women they promised to help over lost state pension income, Labour has left a bad taste in many people’s mouths.

Closer to home, we have had a Labour Party that has been in power since the dawn of devolution in 1999. In that time, there has never been anything other than a Labour Health Minister and it looks like they are being brought to account by the electorate for their failings regarding patients and dedicated NHS staff. They have also failed to stand up for Wales on HS2, fair funding and the Crown Estates. By way of contrast, Plaid Cymru has been putting forward bold and ambitious policies to transform our health service, our education system and our economy. I hold the Transport brief for the party and will be putting forward ideas to improve our public transport network. Whilst further details will be forthcoming, I make no secret about my wish to see an emphasis on buses which is the most popular mode of public transport. Between now and the election in a year’s time, we will be going flat out to ensure that all these transformational policies have the best chance of being implemented.