Welsh Liberal blogs

Welsh Lib Dems call for rescue package for struggling families in rural areas Conservatives are accused of leaving rural communities “out in the cold” after refusing to cap the price of heating oil. 10/13 of the seats the Welsh Conservatives hold at a Westminster level are rural in nature alongside 7/8 of the constituency Senedd seats they hold. Ceredigion, Powys, Ynys Mon, Gwynedd, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Monmouthshire are most reliant on heating oil. The Welsh Liberal Democrats have demanded a rural cost of living rescue package, including a cap on heating oil prices to help struggling families off the gas grid. The party warned that the Conservatives are leaving rural communities “out in the cold” by refusing to help with soaring bills.   The rural cost of living rescue package would include a cap on heating oil costs to support the estimated 243,100 Welsh properties off the gas grid and bring in an emergency tax cut slashing VAT from 20% to 17.5%, savin...

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have objected to calls for Wales to have a single police force, stating it has had a negative impact on policing in Scotland and will see policing further removed from the community. ommenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:   “We need our public services brought closer to the communities they serve, not the opposite. Police centralisation in Scotland has caused huge problems over recent years, proving expensive and ineffective.   “The different regions of Wales face very different challenges when it comes to policing, they have different needs and expectations and require varying types of support. While Dyfed Powys police has a specialisation in rural crime, South Wales police does not.   “Centralising our police forces will only further remove them from the communities they serve. Again in Scotland, the number of special constables dropped by two thirds following centralisation.   “Policing must be kept ...