Here's the latest Argus column by Plaid Cymru South Wales East AM Delyth Jewell:

IN POLITICS, it’s often easy to focus on the here-and-now, and the concerns we have about today.

But the decisions we make now will affect not just our own lives, but those of our children, grandchildren, and generations to come.

In Plaid Cymru, we’ve decided to give more prominence to the long-term view, and in my party’s spring conference last week, our leader Adam Price announced that I will be the shadow minister for the future.

MORE NEWS:

Family of Scott Bessant, who was left unable to walk or talk after mystery incident, open up over having him home for special visit

Millions of pounds worth of supercars set to feature at new Celtic Manor event this summer

Tributes paid to 33-year-old father-of-eight David Lerwill whose body was recovered from Pen y Fan pond in Blackwood

What this means in practice is that, in a Plaid Cymru government in 2021, there will be a minister at the heart of government tasked with ensuring that we think about the impact of our work on the future, and that this will be a central plank of how we govern: all too often, at present, considerations about far-off dates and targets are relegated to the margins of debate.

That will all have to change if we are to meet ambitious targets in the field of equality, ensuring sustainable public services and protecting our beautiful natural environment for future generations.

What does this mean in practice? It means thinking about the sort of country we want Wales to be in the future then mapping out a route on how to get there.

Some of the policies we’re currently considering include:

- A basic income for 18-24 year olds which would provide them with the space and security to set up new innovative businesses.

- Establishing a National Centre for Innovation to assist both the public and private sectors with planning for the future, with special consideration to making workspaces friendly places for women and young people.

- Aiming for a carbon-neutral Wales by 2035 in accordance with the recommendations of the recent Institute of Welsh Affairs report Re-Energising Wales.

Plaid Cymru is a grassroots-up rather than a top-down party however, and when Adam Price said he wanted us to build a new Wales together, he meant this quite literally.

This is why I’m looking forward to involving members of the public, of all ages, in policy formation as part of my new role, and I’d really like to hear from Argus readers who have thoughts on what we should be looking at as part of this work.

I did not enter the world of politics in order to mitigate the damage of Westminster rule.

We should aim higher than that. I want to enact new policies based on new ways of thinking in order to make people happier in their private and working lives, so that we can create a future that is brighter than the past.