While scenic, the location chosen for /u/NicolasBroaddus’ rally in Holyhead does have an ongoing stiff wind, being at the foot of the small lighthouse at the very end of the Holyhead Breakwater. He seems to enjoy making attending journalists or staffers walk long distances, as the breakwater is closed to vehicle traffic and nearly two miles long. The expanses of the Irish Sea stretch out in all directions, the call of seabirds always audible. Once enough of the attendants making the trek have reached the end, he makes use of the intercom system designed for other educational events at the lighthouse.

“Thank you to all of you who have humoured my choice in location, but I always enjoy setting the scene for a topic, particularly one as important to the people of Holyhead as this. So many people over generations have worked at this port or out of it on the sea, it has been the lifeblood and passion of so many for hundreds of years. Yet with the disruptions of recent years, between the sharp decline in trade with the Republic of Ireland caused by the implementation of Brexit and the worldwide supply chain crisis, there has been a halving of ships coming in and out of this port. This has cost many jobs here, lorry drivers in particular were hit hard. This used to be the second biggest ferry port for lorries in the entire UK behind only Dover.

Plaid wants to make sure all these workers and their families aren’t abandoned, and while we can’t determine EU membership or trade deals ourselves, at least not without being independent, we can work to expand and build a new sea tradition for Holyhead, and Angelsey, and all of Wales.

Plaid worked at the beginning of this year, alongside the now defunct Volt Cymru, to ensure Crown Estate devolution to Wales. This was based off Scottish efforts to do the same, taking advantage of one very fundamental point about the Crown Estates that some do not know: this is all part of it.”

He gestures out at the seas around the lighthouse.

“While much attention is paid to the noble estates, the coastal seas are themselves property of the crown, and development rights were reserved to them. The waters out to twelve nautical miles from the coast are property of the Crown, the horizon itself belonged to the English monarchy. With devolution of the Crown Estate accomplished, we can use our funding and powers to begin the largest offshore wind developments in Europe, which we have already joined Scotland in doing. We began by auctioning off lots through contracts to complete a turbine within that lot within the timeframe, mirroring ScotWind. This brought in needed revenue during the budget contractions caused by the Clean Slate Project. This preparation, in combination with the decision of a Solidarity Government in Westminster to purchase and finish a wind turbine blade factory in Teesside, the domestic supply has risen to meet our ambitions here and with our friends in Scotland.

In doing this we can also start to repair the historical connection of these islands with the Republic of Ireland, as they are a power importer in need of assistance to finish their transition to carbon neutrality. By connecting our energy grids further, building that bond, we can make jobs for people on both sides and bring back something that you lost here in Holyhead. The proposed current plans would bring over 2 gigawatts of power online in under a decade, enough to power two million homes. Yet these are only the start of the potential output of the lands in question, which is estimated to be at least three times that. Wales is on the cusp of being a leading wind energy exporter in Europe, and Plaid has been fighting for that for years.

Wales stands at a crossroads, of stagnation and slow decline under a centrist and conservative government, or of a bright new future under a progressive and nationalist government. I know you’ll vote with your heart in the polls, and I trust you all, and the people of Wales, to make the right choice.”