Welsh Liberal blogs

Liberal Democrats will vote against Boris Johnson’s threadbare deal because it is bad for jobs, business, security, and our environment. is clear that this is a bad deal that will make people’s lives poorer. Liberal Democrats will vote against this deal So the Liberal Democrats will vote against it. This  botched deal  leaves the services sector in limbo and is the only ‘free’ trade deal in history to put up barriers and increase red tape, bringing long delays and higher costs. We all are desperate to move forward, to see our country united again, to restore our economy and our communities after a terrible year.

Yesterday (Mon 14th Dec) in The House of Lords, The Labour Party failed to stand up for Wales and devolution when the abstained in a key vote regarding the State Aid in the Internal Market Bill.The key amendment which had the support of the Welsh and Scottish Governments was defeated by 99 votes - after 170 of Labour’s 177 peers, including all Welsh Labour Peers failed to vote Speaking following the defeat Lord German said: “With just 16 days until the end of the transition period the Labour Party has abandoned Wales and other devolved governments. This amendment was designed to continue discussions with Devolved Governments on the application of State Aid rules across the UK for 18 months. This is important since it gives the power to the Welsh Government to provide help by paying for support to companies and providing skills training, in the way it does now under EU spending rules.  “EU money doesn't count as State Aid - who knows what rules we will now be stuck w...

Welsh Liberal Democrats have today called for an upfront premium grant to small and micro-businesses in Wales, as well as to freelancers, to help them through the next few months  in light of  the latest lockdown measures.   Small and family-owned businesses are set to suffer significantly with the double whammy of Brexit and the new  Covid  lockdown, with experts are predicting closures could extend into the spring.   Many small and micro-businesses in Wales are either ineligible for Welsh Government support or are receiving so little it prevents them from becoming financially stable in these uncertain times.   Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said:   “Each successive lockdown hits business harder, with few having recovered their resilience from the last lockdown. The effect is cumulative - recovery from each closure takes longer. Much of the support business receives has so far been in the form of loans, which will need to be repaid even...

Government’s failure to secure land at Holyhead for border checks is a shocking show of unpreparedness With just 16 days until the end of the transition period the UK Government has admitted it has failed to secure land at Holyhead to carry out the extra checks on vehicles entering the country leading to fears of gridlock in the area. In answer to a question from Lib Dem Peer Roger Roberts the UK Government admitted that  “No land has yet been purchased [and that] two potential sites have been identified in partnership with the Welsh Government and commercial discussions are under way.” Speaking following his parliamentary question Lord Roger Roberts said: “This just shows how unprepared the United Kingdom is for Brexit and how little most Ministers in London care about the impact. “The government need to admit that they’ve messed up here. They are actively pursuing a course that is utterly at odds with the wellbeing of the nation.”   Welsh Liberal Democrats cand...

The Brecon & Radnorshire Liberal Democrats have selected William Powell as their candidate to contest the Brecon & Radnorshire constituency at the Senedd Election due to be held on 6 th  May 2021 Cllr Powell, who grew up and lives in the constituency, has served as the Welsh Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Talgarth since 2004 and was Assembly Member for the Mid and West Wales region from 2011-2016. During this period, he was the Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on the Environment, Sustainable Development and Rural Affairs and chaired the Assembly Petitions Committee. Before entering politics, he was a secondary modern languages teacher and has been a partner in the family farm in the Black Mountains for over 30 years, where he still lives with his wife and sons today. His selection as Senedd candidate marks a remarkable end to a year which he may not have survived, having spent several weeks unconscious and on a ventilator in Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenn...

  On Human Rights Day, we must redouble our efforts to save the Human Rights Act from the Tories. Conservatives are at it again.  Trying to strip away the protections that stop governments from trampling on people’s rights. First, they launched their review of judicial review in the summer. And now – before that one’s even finished – they’ve launched a second review, this time of the Human Rights Act. Liberal Democrats are committed to promoting justice and human rights and building a free, fair and open society. The Human Rights Act protects everyone’s rights to a fair trial, to keep your private life private, to marry the person you love.  And not to be tortured, discriminated against or forced to work against your will. It was thanks to the Human Rights Act that the families of those who died because of poor care at Stafford Hospital secured an inquiry, which led to major improvements in accountability and patient safety. It was thanks to the Human Rights A...

“Arts and Culture in Wales must survive this pandemic” says Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism. Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund is providing essential support to theatres, music venues, heritage sites, libraries, museums, galleries, archive services and independent cinemas, right across Wales - which have all experienced a dramatic loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To date more than £30 million has been distributed through the Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund, with the Arts Council of Wales allocating a £20 million package for the sector in October. Welsh Government launched the first Freelancer Fund in the UK, deciding to include freelancers as a key part of the Cultural Recovery Fund recognising the essential role they play in the economy and in creating and delivering cultural experiences. It has so far supported 2,800 freelancers with £7 million, new applications through phase 3 will be approved soon. The Freelancer Fund has suppor...

  Welsh Liberal Democrats have condemned the decision by the Conservative UK Government to scale back rural broadband connectivity targets. In last week’s Spending Review, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak backtracked on the Tory’s previous commitment to make broadband internet available to “every home” by 2025, instead promising 85% coverage by that date. Furthermore, only £1.2 billion of the £5 billion support to operators, such as Openreach, for bringing gigagbit connectivity to rural homes will now be made available before 2021. Commenting, Jane Dodds said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into sharp relief the disadvantages that households and families with limited or no access to the internet face in accessing education, economic opportunities, public services and vital support at times of crisis. “I’ve seen first-hand the challenges that a lack of high-quality broadband causes for our rural communities and this pandemic has brought this issue to the foref...