“A Winning Wales”

Leanne Wood AM

The Institute of Welsh Politics is delighted to welcome Leanne Wood AM, Leader of Plaid Cymru, to deliver its 13th Annual Lecture on Monday 12th November 2012.

The lecture, entitled ‘Cymru ar ei Hennill/A Winning Wales’, takes place at 7.00 pm in the Main Hall of the Department of International Politics on the Penglais Campus of Aberystwyth University.

Leanne Wood was born in the Rhondda where she continues to live today.  She was educated at Tonypandy Comprehensive School, the University of Glamorgan and Cardiff University.  Before her election to the National Assembly in 2003, Leanne worked as a professional tutor and lectured in social policy at Cardiff University.  

She also worked as a probation officer and a support worker for Cwm Cynon Women's Aid during 2001 and 2002.  She remains involved with Cwm Cynon Women’s Aid through her role as chair of their Board of Trustees. She has been heavily involved in the trade union movement and was, until recently, the chair of the all-party PCS Union group in the Assembly.   

During her tenure as AM, she has been responsible for the Sustainability, Environment, Social Justice, and Housing portfolios for Plaid Cymru.

Leanne has produced two major policy documents for Plaid Cymru. In 2008, she published Making Our Communities Safer which argued for the criminal justice system in Wales to be devolved.  

In 2011, A Greenprint for the Valleys was published, in which Leanne argued for a green job creation programme aimed at regenerating the former coalfield areas of the valleys. It contains initiatives including: a Green Construction Skills College; implementing an integrated transport plan for the valleys; creating a land bank for renewable energy and food production; and a programme to renovate heritage buildings.

It also advocates providing loan-based financial support for home energy efficiency measures and for the setting up of green co-operatives.

On 15 March 2012, Leanne was elected as leader of Plaid Cymru, becoming the first woman to lead the party.  Outside of politics, her interests include learning Welsh and gardening.

Speaking ahead of the lecture, Dr Anwen Elias, Director of the Institute of Welsh Politics, said that she was “delighted to welcome Leanne Wood to deliver the 2012 Institute of Welsh Politics’ Annual Lecture. As the relatively new leader of Plaid Cymru, we look forward to hearing her vision for a Winning Wales”.

The Institute of Welsh Politics is an independent and non-partisan research centre established within the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University in 1997, the oldest department of its kind in the world.  It was established to promote the academic study and analysis of all aspects of Welsh politics and the IWP is now internationally recognised as an important research centre on political regionalism and sub-state nationalism.

This is the thirteenth Institute of Welsh Politics Annual Lecture.  Previous speakers include three First Ministers of the National Assembly of Wales, Alun Michael MP, Rhodri Morgan AM, and Carwyn Jones Amm as well as Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach, Sir Simon Jenkins, Professor Tom Nairn, Professor Robert Hazell, Professor Michael Keating, Kirsty Williams AM, Huw Lewis AM., and Adam Price MP.

AU38912

Share