Hundreds attended a national rally in Machynlleth last weekend to declare that ‘Wales is not for sale’.

The annual rally organised by Cymdeithas yr Iaith (Welsh Language Society) on 14 September called for Welsh Government to introduce a Property Act addressing the housing crisis and ‘securing the survival of Welsh-speaking communities’.

Their Property Act would establish legal right for Welsh people to have a home, ensure houses are treated as a ‘community need rather than financial assets’, and facilitate local ownership and community enterprises.

The rally marched through the town with banners, Welsh flags and a samba band before congregating outside Y Plas by an Owain Glyndŵr monument.

Speakers included Plaid Cymru deputy leader Delyth Jewell MS, Machynlleth Councillor Alwyn Evans and local author Mike Parker.

MS Jewell said to the crowd: "'Wales is not for sale' are the words of our call.

“To unite, to challenge, to persevere: a call that shows we will not give up.

"Without intervention, there will be no future for our communities.

“Without intervention, there will be an end to that thread connecting us with those who have gone before.

“The Welsh language has sustained us for centuries.

“The language is still alive today.

"'Wales is not for sale' is the call and we shout those words until every syllable is echoed in our Senedd today.”

Dafydd Morgan Lewis from Cymdeithas yr Iaith said on the day: “We are facing a crisis.

“Our young people are exiled from their communities and unable to find affordable homes to live in.

"There was a promise of a White Paper from the government over the summer but we're still waiting for it.

“If it comes before the end of the year, I hope it will be a radical one.

“One that will ensure the statutory right of people to a home in their community at a price that is affordable and that reflects local wages.

"The government is committed to securing one million Welsh speakers by 2050 - what chance do we have of achieving that if young people cannot afford to live in their communities?

"I have no doubt that Owain Glyndŵr would approve of our rally and join us in the call for a Property Act!"

A recent Cymdeithas yr Iaith commissioned YouGov survey found 74 per cent of respondents believed the right to housing should be established in Welsh law.