Plaid Cymru urges voters: 'Don't hand Tories a blank cheque'

"Don't hand the Tories a blank cheque" was Leanne Wood's message as she launched Plaid Cymru's manifesto for the General Election.

Speaking in Penygraig in the Rhondda Valleys, south Wales, the Plaid leader announced plans to fix Wales' "creaking infrastructure" and defend the country's interests as Britain leaves the EU.

The nationalist party, which has also announced a £7.5bn infrastructure investment plan, is putting up candidates in all 40 of Wales' constituencies.

Ms Wood warned of threats posed to Wales by the "London-based" parties, before laying out Plaid's "action plan" for the future.

She said: "We face grave risks ahead of this election; our economy, our communities, even our very identity as a nation is under threat from a Tory party which can only be described as cruel and reckless.

"After June the 8th, the Tories will be handed a blank cheque which they will use to rob Wales of millions of pounds.

"Jobs will be jeopardised, our tourism and farming industries plunged into uncertainty and our public services will be targeted.

"Responsibilities currently under Welsh control will be at risk from a Westminster power grab.

"Labour is broken, too weak and too divided to stop them. They have abandoned ship and they are now fighting over who gets the life raft."

Ms Wood said only her party could "thrust Wales on to the political landscape when it comes to the economy" and pledged to put "Wales at the heart of the negotiations to leave the EU so that the final deal reflects the needs of the Welsh economy".

She put forward plans to build new schools, hospitals, roads and railways, and added: "We will deal, once and for all, with the creaking infrastructure that has been bestowed upon this country.

"Our £7.5bn investment programme of infrastructure will take advantage of these low interest rates to borrow and invest."

Ms Wood added that her MPs would press the UK Government to introduce a comprehensive plan for the steel industry to guarantee its future outside the EU.

In its manifesto Plaid Cymru has pledged to:

:: Ensure Wales can continue to buy and sell to Europe without costly barriers
:: Secure the money promised to Wales by the Leave campaign and "not accept a penny less"
:: Guarantee the rights of all Europeans currently living and working in Wales
:: Grant 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote
:: Oppose any attempt to downgrade the powers of the National Assembly
:: Introduce a #7.5bn investment programme to fund infrastructure projects
:: Train and recruit 1,000 extra doctors and 5,000 extra nurses for the Welsh NHS
:: Fight to guarantee the triple lock on pensions