Despite all the promises and opportunities of devolution, it is inexcusable that Wales, after 24 years of a Welsh Labor Government in Cardiff Bay, still has the lowest economic output of anywhere in Britain. We feel this strongly across north Wales and in communities throughout Aberconwy.
I, like many of you, am discouraged by the lack of highly skilled jobs that pay well for our young people, and by our over-reliance on tourism. For far too many of our young people, the tragic reality is that they have to leave their communities to pursue their careers. This is a pattern that has been very detrimental to the viability of our precious language in the future - a language that I would like to see flourish.
I share this despair because, like so many people from Wales and, particularly from north-west Wales, I had to move away to pursue my career – initially as an engineer.
Throughout the United Kingdom, talents are evenly distributed, but that is not the case for opportunities. Creating opportunity in communities across Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland is at the heart of this Government's Level Up Agenda, which is why I welcome the highest amounts of funding and investment coming to Wales by the United Kingdom Government. Last week, I spoke in the Senedd about the economic legacy of Welsh Labor and, more importantly, about how the United Kingdom Government is determined to unlock our huge economic potential here in Aberconwy.
Er gwaethaf holl addewidion a chyfleoedd datganoli, mae’n anfaddeuol bod Cymru, ar ôl 24 mlynedd o Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru ym Mae Caerdydd, yn dal i fod â’r cynnyrch economaidd isaf o unrhyw le ym Mhrydain. Teimlwn hyn yn gryf ar draws gogledd Cymru ac mewn cymunedau ledled Aberconwy.
Rwyf innau, fel llawer ohonoch, yn digalonni oherwydd y diffyg swyddi medrus iawn sy’n talu’n dda i’n pobl ifanc, ac am ein gorddibyniaeth ar dwristiaeth. I lawer gormod o’n pobl ifanc, y realiti trasig yw bod yn rhaid iddynt adael eu cymunedau i ddilyn eu gyrfaoedd. Dyma batrwm sydd wedi bod yn andwyol iawn i hyfywedd ein hiaith werthfawr yn y dyfodol – iaith yr hoffwn ei gweld yn ffynnu.
Rwy’n rhannu’r anobaith hwn oherwydd, fel cynifer o bobl o Gymru ac, yn enwedig o ogledd-orllewin Cymru, bu’n rhaid i mi symud i ffwrdd i ddilyn fy ngyrfa – fel peiriannydd i ddechrau.
Ledled y Deyrnas Unedig, mae doniau wedi eu dosbarthu’n gyfartal, ond nid yw hynny’n wir am gyfleoedd. Mae creu cyfle mewn cymunedau ym mhob cwr o Gymru, Lloegr, yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon wrth galon Agenda Codi’r Gwastad y Llywodraeth hon, a dyna pam rwy’n croesawu’r symiau uchaf o gyllid a buddsoddiad sy’n dod i Gymru gan Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig. Yr wythnos diwethaf, siaradais yn y Senedd am waddol economaidd Llafur Cymru ac, yn bwysicach, am sut mae Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig yn benderfynol o ddatgloi ein potensial economaidd enfawr yma yn Aberconwy.