Plaid Cymru has said that an increased state pension, more Treasury funding for Wales and a withdrawal of UK troops from Afghanistan would be among the demands it would put to Labour and the Conservatives in a hung Parliament.

They were included in the Welsh nationalists' seven key policies when they published their General Election manifesto.

Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones, Wales's Deputy First Minister, said his party wanted to defend the most vulnerable in society from cuts in public spending.

At the manifesto launch in Cardiff, Mr Jones said: "These priorities are determined by the values we hold in the party to protect the communities of Wales against the London cuts.

"The choice between Labour cuts or Tory cuts is no choice at all."

Plaid is aiming to increase its tally of three MPs and plans to create a "Celtic bloc" in Westminster with the SNP that would negotiate a better deal for Wales and Scotland if no party wins an outright majority on May 6.