Welsh Liberal blogs

On behalf of the Liberal Democrats, I would like to send best wishes to all Muslims celebrating Eid al- Adha .    Eid al- Adha  commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim's test of faith. It also marks the end of Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.   The voyage to Mecca is one of the most significant moments in a Muslim’s life but, with the continuing need for social distancing, I know that many British Muslims had to cancel their plans to make the journey this year. Many other customs and traditions will also be suspended as the battle against the coronavirus continues.   But although so much remains uncertain, I am confident we will get through these challenging times together.    I hope that all of us, regardless of our background, will take this opportunity to reflect on those values of selflessness, charity and community which are both at the heart of Islam and also so relevant to those of us of other faiths, or no faith.    This is also an important opportunity to  honour  the contr

Our priority should be on getting police tackling crime on our streets.     The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called for Police and Crime Commissioners to be scrapped, after FOI requests reveal PCCs have spent almost £9million on PR and staffing costs in the last four years.   The FOIs reveal that the PCC for Dyfed  Powys  increased their PR spend by over 280% in one year and the PCC for South Wales has nearly doubled their staffing budget over five years.   With Gwent Police unable to provide staffing costs for the four-year period and North Wales Police unable to provide the costs for the 2016-2018 period, it means the overall expenditure will well exceed the current £8.9 million total.   In response, the Welsh Lib Dems have said the priority should instead be on police tackling crime on the streets and called for scrapping the role of Police and Crime Commissioners and for the full devolution of justice and policing to Wales.   Jane  Dodds , Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, sai

    The support is part of the Welsh Government’s actions to support students and Wales’ major education institutions and provide the skills and learning in response to the economic impact of the coronavirus.   £27 million will be provided to higher education institutions, with £23 million to support students in FE colleges and sixth forms.   Higher education   £27 million will be provided to universities through a Higher Education Investment and Recovery Fund for Wales, to maintain teaching and research in the 2020 to 2021 academic year.     The Recovery Fund will be established to support universities to maintain jobs in teaching, research and student services, invest in projects to support the wider economic recovery, and support students suffering from financial hardship.   Although the latest UCAS figures on university applications showed an increase in applications to Welsh universities from  18 year  olds, the coronavirus may lead to some students deferring their applications un