Welsh Liberal blogs

  Responding to the release of the Sue Gray update, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “This watered-down update is hugely disappointing. Everyone knows Boris Johnson broke the rules and then lied to the country. It’s time Welsh Conservative Members of Parliament stood by their duty to their constituents and stood up for decency by sacking Boris Johnson. He must go before he does our country any more harm. “Welsh Members of the Senedd should also call for Johnson to resign. “Many of the Welsh Conservative MPs and MSs stated they will wait to see what is in Sue Gray’s report, now it is here, albeit, in redacted form, it is time for them to take action. “The Prime Minister cannot continue to lead with any creditability amongst the population should he decide to struggle on.”

  A protest was held this Saturday in front of the Senedd steps in Cardiff Bay to demand action by the Welsh Government on the cladding scandal. The meeting was organised by the Welsh Liberal Democrats and is the first hosted by a political party in Wales. Groups attending included: the Welsh Cladiators, Ripped Off by Redrow and Cymru Cladding Crisis. Victims of Cardiff’s cladding scandal, unveiled during the wake of the Grenfell disaster are facing bills up to £60,000 each for safety work to fix their unsellable, fire defective homes. Although the Welsh Government have agreed to fund the recladding of social housing, many private leaseholders are still facing both the costs of recladding and interim safety costs themselves.   The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to introduce a Welsh Building Safety Fund to deal with all fire safety defects as quickly as possible and ensure no tenant or leaseholder is left out of pocket. Commenting Welsh Li...

Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity to "reflect upon the tragedies and horrors of the past", Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS has said ahead of commemorations on January 27. She added that the commemorative day was a chance to "think about our responsibilities as individuals, citizens and nations to be tolerant of one another and respect others". Holocaust Memorial Day marks 77 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp and serves as a time of remembrance and reflection of the unspeakable things Jewish people and others experienced in Nazi death camps and ghettos, from the torture to the mass exterminations. It is also now used to commemorate all those lost in genocides since World War Two, including Rwanda, Cambodia, Bosnia and many more. Jane Dodds stated: "In the last few years, we have seen a rise in the politics of division that is reminiscent of an old and ugly Europe. In this environment, we must continue to champion ...

Responding to reports that Holyhead and Fishguard ports saw a 30 per cent drop in traffic in 2021, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have accused the Conservatives of “doing half a job” with the UK’s Brexit deal and stated that failures in the agreement are continuing to risk Welsh jobs.   Ian Davies, the boss of Stena's UK ports has stated that he thinks it is now clear the impact on Welsh ports is down to the new post-Brexit trading relationship with the European Union rather than the pandemic.   At the start of January, new customs regulations came into effect requiring greater checks on goods coming into the UK, with the industry warning that even stricter checks due to come in over summer 2022 could prove even more disruptive.   The extra red-tape has led to numerous hauliers deciding to bypass the UK and Wales all-together, with direct ferry routes between France and Ireland increasing from less than 12 in 2020, to 44 as of October 2021.   Welsh p...

 Responding to ambulance response times figures published today, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated ambulance waiting times are unacceptable and dangerous and stated that addressing the issue must be at the forefront of the Welsh Government’s priorities. According to the figures, just 51% of red calls are being met within their 8-minute target time. Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS stated: “ These figures are a tragedy. Targets aren’t even close to being met and ambulance response times have deteriorated further. We all understand the severe pressure the pandemic has placed on NHS, but these problems are not new.  “If we are to reduce pressures on our ambulance services and A&Es, we must invest more in community healthcare and GPs. If people could get a GP appointment in reasonable time there would be far less pressure on emergency services. “We also need action on social care, both to prevent high numbers entering emergency departments an...

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called for Wales’ vaccine passport system to be scrapped at the next Welsh Government review. The Party states no evidence of their effectiveness has ever been provided to show the scheme works and that they are not providing a public health benefit. Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “With the collapse in cases of Omicron over the last two weeks, the Welsh Government should urgently consider scrapping the COVID passport scheme. “Throughout the period of the schemes operation, we never received any evidence the passes were effective at reducing transmissions and the vast majority of businesses required to operate the scheme were forced to close. “Businesses urgently need support and less red tape as they look to recover, we should not be continuing with a failed scheme that has no proven public health benefit, but does negatively impact Welsh businesses. “If civil liberties are to be infringed upon, it is vi...

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling for the introduction of free public transport for all under 25s in Wales in a move that they say will help fight climate change and boost social mobility. The Party has also launched a petition   to gather public support for the move. Ahead of her debate in the Senedd later today (scheduled for 18:15), Party Leader Jane Dodds has stated that Wales needs radical solutions to shift large sections of the public towards sustainable transport and in order to cut poverty levels. The Party argues that public transport is being neglected by both the Conservative Government in Westminster and the Labour-Plaid Cymru Administration in Wales and that the policy would help those groups reliant on public transport get ahead, provide an uplift to young people as we come out the pandemic and cut CO2 emissions and dangerous levels of air pollution. Between 2009 and 2019 (pre-pandemic) there was a 22 per cent decline in the number of journeys by b...

 The Welsh Liberal Democrats have accused Welsh Conservative MPs of being “hideously out of touch” with the public on the cost-of-living crisis, including the rapid rise in energy bills.   The accusation comes as polling from Savanta ComRes has found 75 per cent of Conservative Party voters would back a new windfall tax on oil and gas companies to fund households struggling to afford rising energy prices Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS   Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:   “With the general public and Conservative Party voters both heavily in favour of Liberal Democrat plans for a Robin Hood Tax on global oil and gas companies to fund support programmes for those struggling to pay their energy bills this winter, it is astonishing Welsh Conservative MPs continue to be so hideously out-of-touch with the public.   “Many of the areas set to be worst hit by rising energy bills have Conservative MPs including Mo...

Former Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Cardiff Central and Deputy First Minister of Wales Jenny Randerson has slammed the Conservatives for trying to push through the “dangerous & draconian” Police Bill.   The 300 page Bill would see sweeping powers given to the Home Office to restrict the right to protest, giving police new powers to disrupt protests, marches and assemblies, make it easier to criminalise organisers and participants and increase prison sentences for them. This morning Baroness Camilla Cavendish, Crossbench Peer and Former Head of Policy for Number 10 under David Cameron warned that if the House of Lords does not amend the Police Bill today, “we will be sleepwalking into a police state”. Commenting Baroness Randerson said: “These new Conservative laws to crackdown on protests are dangerous and draconian. The right to peaceful assembly and protest is a fundamental human right. It has always been a crucial part of our democra...

  Janes Dodd's MS Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds has today challenged Welsh Secretary of State and def-facto Welsh Conservative Leader in Westminster, Simon Hart MP, to submit a letter of no-confidence in his party leader after fresh revelations of a Downing Street garden party undermined the Prime Minister’s claim to have no knowledge of parties taking place in his official residence during lockdown.   Jane Dodds MS said: “While my constituents and people all across Wales said goodbye to their loved ones via Zoom, Boris Johnson’s private secretary was telling staff to bring their own booze for a garden party knees up. “It’s one rule for them and one rule for everyone else. “It is now clear that the Prime Minister has repeatedly lied to the public and massively disrespected the Welsh public. Surely Simon Hart must submit his letter of no confidence because this Prime Minister needs to be removed.”  

  Commenting on the budget, Party Leader Jane Dodds MS said:   “It can only be a good thing when politicians work together to find areas of common ground. That is when we can deliver tangible change to people’s lives.\\   “The Welsh Liberal Democrats’ priority at the election was a fair and green recovery after the pandemic. Ensuring our NHS and care services were supported, providing opportunities for children and young people, supporting workers and small business, and putting the climate crisis at the heart of our economy.   “I will continue to hold the Welsh Labour Government and Plaid Cymru to account on their record of delivery for people and our communities.”   Commenting on priority issues for budget discussions, Dodds said:   “The pandemic has been difficult for young people the length and breadth of Wales. That is why the Welsh Liberal Democrats used our influence in the Senedd to champion children and young people.   ...

  Powys Liberal Democrats have accused the Powys Conservative council group of descending into chaos over its school closure programme. The accusation comes after the Conservative group lost both cabinet member and councillor Iain McIntosh; and Cllr (also MS) James Evans in shock resignations over the Administrations school closures. The events have left the Conservative group on 13 councillors, meaning the Welsh Liberal Democrats are now the largest political party (and second largest group) in the council with 14 councillors. Powys Council as of January 2, 2022 (The ruling administration is an Independent-Conservative Coalition) The Powys Conservative Group has now lost four members in the last year, with Cllr Gwilym Williams and Cllr Les Skilton defecting over the council tax rise supported by the party earlier this year. The group also lost Cllr Claire Mills in May 2020 when she defected to the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party and lost a by-election in North Llandrindod t...