Leanne Wood takes a big step.

Leanne Wood's speech to Plaid Conference was impressive Speaking plainlyshe  pledged Plaid 

would spent the next decade developing and implementing policies to raise Welsh economic performance to a level equal to the rest of the UK.

"Wales needs jobs, it's as simple as that. And there's plenty of work that needs doing.

Concentrating above all on economic matters, she said a new generation 

have a right to believe that life can be better".People are thirsting for something new," she said, "and I'm determined that we are going to give it to them"."One of the first acts of a Plaid Cymru government will be to establish our own national powerhouse, a Glas Cymru for green energy, investing in national infrastructure from tidal energy to community-owned wind and hydro power, focused on our own energy needs and yes, where appropriate, exporting this valuable commodity but here's the difference, repatriating the profits and reinvesting them for the benefit of the people of Wales."

ts nice to see some positive ideas coming from an opposition and not merely condemning the Government whether in Wales or Westminster nor moaning about our plight but seeking solutions  something missing from the  Labour not only  Government in Cardiff in opposition  Westminster. 

I would have liked to seen her emphasise  more on the creation of cooperatives within this "New Green Deal"  but as Cibwr commented on  the Syniadu Blog (where you can see the speech in full)

"often wondered why the cooperative party is affiliated to Labour, given that speech you would have thought its home would be in Plaid"

Leanne speech however did not touch on Independence which was a pity but lets face it much of the argument depends on what will happen in the Scottish referendum in 2014 which will  what ever the result will be a game changer.

And Plaid need to show the Welsh Electorate a vision of what a Independent Wales will be like   and particularly that it will not be run by the same Old faces with the same old solutions. Sp this was hopefully a step towards this.

Wales need action now and Plaid can't simply say "Wait for Independence" . Nevertheless Plaid needs to blend the ideas that Leanne gave us a taste of this Weekend with the vision of a Independent Wales free from the  failed economic policies  of the Union. and in that we have only the beginning of Leanne's vision.