Welsh Liberal blogs

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have accused the Welsh Conservatives of failing to use their influence in Westminster to protect Welsh farmers in the wake the of Conservative Government’s post-Brexit trade policy. The Welsh Liberal Democrats comments come after the UK Government announced that it will not publish a Wales-specific impact assessment of the Australian trade deal. Critics of the deal, and the subsequent deal with New Zealand claim the trade agreements will disproportionately hit Welsh farmers and rural communities in Wales. Both the Australia and New Zealand trade deals have sparked concerns among farmers, unions such as NFU Cymru and FUW and those in the food processing industry. Concerns have focused on the risk that the zero-tariff and zero-quota access deals will allow lower standard and cheap meat to flood UK markets and push Welsh farmers out of business. Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “The news that the Conservative Governme...

Ahead of today’s Senedd debate on a cladding safety Bill, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have reiterated their calls that the Welsh Government must protect people first and pursue developers later when it comes to tackling the cladding crisis.   Under current plans, the Welsh Government is pursuing developers to force them to pay for the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding, but the Welsh Liberal Democrats have argued that citizens cannot continue to live in unsafe accommodation or front up the bill while the Welsh Government wrangles in legal loopholes with developers.   The Party is calling on the Welsh Government to front the cost of the changes as soon as possible and pursue the developers for costs at a later date in order to ensure no one is living in unsafe accommodation.   Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “The cladding scandal has been a long and drawn-out nightmare for leaseholders. I cannot imagine what it feels like ...

  Responding to the news that Labour and Plaid Cymru have signed a 3-year cooperation deal in the Senedd, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS responded by reiterating that the Welsh Liberal Democrats will remain an independent opposition party, working with the Government to achieve common goals, but also holding them to account in areas in which they are failing or not achieving enough in. Jane Dodds MS - Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS responded to the deal saying:   “ Now more than ever it is important that parties are able to work together to confront the big issues affecting Wales. I look forward to seeing the detail but be assured that as leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats I will continue to demand better people across Wales and hold both Labour and Plaid Cymru to account.   “On the surface, there are a number of issues which have been covered in the announcement that were part of our manif...

  Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS has claimed that “the stench of sleaze coming from the Conservative Party is overwhelming.” after reports that Alun Cairns was hired by a company just weeks before it secured a major UK Government contract. Responding to reports by  The Times  that Alun Cairns MP was hired as a consultant for a company just weeks before it secured a major contract for the UK Government without competition, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS has claimed that “the stench of sleaze coming from the Conservative Party is overwhelming .”   It was revealed by  the Times  that Alun Cairns, MP for the Vale of Glamorgan and former Secretary of State for Wales, was hired as a paid advisor by the Welsh-based company BBI Solutions in July 2020. A month after his appointment, the company won a major contract with the UK Government worth £75 million without competition. The contract had already been subject to criticism aft...

   The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to commit to reinstating the Hydro Power Grant Scheme as the COP26 Climate Conference takes place in Glasgow, stating it is a vital scheme in both fighting climate change and boosting investment in rural communities.   The Hydro Power Grant was introduced by the Welsh Government in 2018, but subsequently cancelled last November amid ‘budgetary pressures’. The scheme supported small-scale hydropower plants across Wales by exempting them from paying business rates. Small-scall hydro schemes had been particularly hard hit after a 2017 review of business rates left many making no or next to no profit from generated electricity. Of the 120 small hydro plants in Wales, around 60 of them were thought to be benefiting from the scheme.   Hydropower is mentioned only once in the Welsh Government’s ‘Net Zero Wales’ plans published last Wednesday, where hydro projects from the previous Government was ou...

Commenting on the decision by the Conservative Party to impose a three-line whip to stop MP Owen Paterson being suspended for 30 days and potentially being subject to a recall petition Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS stated:   “ While I understand Owen Paterson MP has faced a difficult few years, publicly elected members of the UK’s political system must be held to the highest of standards in order to maintain trust with the public and protect the integrity of our democracy.   “Today’s developments mark a shameful move by Conservative MPs to rewrite the rules to look after one of their own. It’s also sheer hypocrisy after ministers claimed they couldn’t change the rules retrospectively to allow Rob Roberts MP to be voted out by his constituents.   “This Conservative Government is continuously marred by sleaze and now is watering down the independent scrutiny we need to prevent more scandals dragging our politics through the mud.   “The p...