Welsh Liberal blogs

  Commenting on Jeremy Hunt’s shock economic intervention Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:   “Hunt’s statement points to the despicable damage that the Conservatives continue to wreck on households, businesses and individuals. All his statement today has done is cause wider uncertainty for households and the businesses sector.   “The Conservatives are trashing the economy with every day that passes and creating havoc for peoples’ mortgages. Now they are planning to inflict even more suffering by raising energy bills, hiking taxes and slashing crucial public services. These service cuts will see knock-on effects to the Welsh Government as budgets for key departments like education and health may be squeezed even tighter.   “What’s worst is they are still determined to protect oil and gas giants from a proper windfall tax and they are still cutting taxes for the big banks.     “Truss and Kwarteng are symptoms of a wider problem....

  Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS. "While we will of course always welcome more export opportunities for our fantastic Welsh produce, Liz Truss and the Conservatives are trying to plaster over the cracks regarding the damage they have already done to the Welsh farming sector.   "That is that they sold out Welsh farmers for cheap trade deals with Australia and New Zealand for nothing in return. This was spearheaded by Liz Truss despite Australian commentators even being in disbelief about how lopsided the deals were.   “Tariff free access by New Zealand in particular poses a direct threat to the survival of the Welsh lamb industry and the communities it supports, including Welsh language communities.   "If Liz Truss was supportive of such poor trade deals already, it does beg the question how much more damage she could do to the sector as the UK seeks revised trading arrangements with the likes of the US, Argentina and Brazil.   “This ...

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have welcomed progress announced today in the Welsh Government’s building safety announcement but have warned significant gaps remain. Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS and Cardiff Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Rhys Taylor addressing building saftey campaigners.   The announcement given by Environment Minister Julie James MS confirmed that 9 property developers have now signed up to the Welsh Government’s “Developers Pact” agreeing in theory their responsibility to remediate buildings they constructed with safety defects.   The announcement follows a lengthy campaign by leaseholders in the five years since the Grenfell Tower Disaster.   However, three major developers are still yet to reply.   The Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated that due to the Welsh Government’s failure to work with the UK Government on the Building Safety Act, they are left with little to no options to deal with the property de...

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on Welsh Labour to be more ambitious in its war on plastic and introduce a bottle deposit scheme in Wales. While welcoming the long-delayed plans to ban single-use carrier bags and plastic drinking straws in Wales, the Welsh Liberal Democrats said there was more to be done.   Under legislation introduced today, single-use carrier bags, plastic drinking straws, plastic plates, cutlery, stirrers and cotton buds would all be banned under the proposed new law.   Research from Wrap Cymru estimates that 400,000 tonnes of plastic waste are generated in Wales each year, with 67 per cent of that waste being packaging. Another report by the Marine Conservation Society found that there were 29 drinks containers for every 100 meters of beach in Wales.   A Deposit Return Scheme, also known as a bottle deposit scheme, encourages people to recycle drinks containers such as plastic or glass bottles. People pay a small deposit f...

 Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, paid tribute to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Parliament. The deep mourning across the country now – just like the celebrations of her Jubilee a few months ago – comes not from a sense of duty, but from genuine and heartfelt affection, love and admiration of Her Majesty. It's not because we were her subjects, but because she was truly our Queen. What she meant to us is perhaps best summed up by a phrase on so many people’s lips over the last twenty-four hours:   “I can’t imagine our country without her.”   For almost everyone in the country, she has been there our whole lives. At times of national grief and national jubilation, she has never not been there for us. So it is hard to accept that she is gone. And hard to see how we go on without her.   But we will. Our great United Kingdom has a great future – because The Queen’s spirit of strength, grace and resolve lives on in her people. One of the great...

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have paid tribute to former Welsh Assembly Member Mick Bates following the news that he has passed away following a battle with cancer. Mick Bates was elected as the Liberal Democrat member for Montgomeryshire constituency in the inaugural Welsh Assembly elections in 1999 and continued to serve as its member until 2011.   Prior to becoming the Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire Mick had worked as a teacher, as a farmer and as a Liberal Democrat County Councillor.   Mick was well known for being a tireless campaigner for rural communities, but also for being decades ahead of his time on the need to tackle climate change advocating for action to save the environment years before it entered the political mainstream.   As a County Councillor, he started a community regeneration scheme as Chairman of the Llanfair Town Forum, which successfully obtained Market Towns Initiative status. He also produced and presented the Radio Maldwyn ...

Following the news that people in some areas of Wales could face a hosepipe ban this summer, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised Welsh Water for paying large bonuses to its bosses while infrastructure creaks. Data from Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, showed that 169.9 megalitres/day were being wasted through leakage in Welsh Water’s network during 2020-21. The company also failed to meet its Per capita consumption (PCC) targets which are designed to push for less water to be taken from the environment.   The Welsh Liberal Democrats say that their analysis of Company House data shows that executives at Dŵr Cymru were paid £2.6 million in 2020 and 2021 including £931,000 in bonuses, benefits and inc entives.   Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said:   " We cannot control the hot and dry weather, but we can control wastage through outdated or poorly-maintained infrastructure.   “Welsh Water brands itself as “no...

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on Deputy Minister Lee Waters to offer the public assurances that public transport and air services across Wales will operate smoothly during this weekend’s Queen's Platinum Jubilee bank holiday. The concerns come as Transport for Wales warned of potential disruption to services due to high demand. Cardiff airport has also reported large delays over recent days with some passengers having to wait more than 40 hours to board their flight.   A number of large events are taking place over the weekend in addition to local street parties and celebrations including the “In It Together” music festival in Port Talbot, concerts in Swansea and Cardiff, Joe Cordina’s world title fight at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff and the Wales men’s football team’s crucial World Cup play-off match at the Cardiff City Stadium.   Warm weather on the Saturday is also expected to bring visitors to the coast placing pressure on the Cambrian Line a...

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 ...

rresponding to the news that Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has declared a ‘black alert’, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated the Welsh Government must make getting to grips with the crisis in Welsh healthcare its top priority. Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:   “This news is extremely concerning, black alerts are always serious but this has happened on a weekday night, typically a time of lower demand.   “Our NHS staff are working their absolute hardest to provide the care people deserve, but the Welsh Labour Government has so far failed to get to grips with this crisis.   “We know COVID has added sustained pressure to the healthcare system in recent years, not least with large backlogs but A&E services have been struggling for the best part of a decade.   “Labour must make reforming and fixing A&E services their absolute priority and of course, improve health care services at a local level which would g...

  Welsh Liberal Democrats Leaders Jane Dodd's  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated that questions still remain after the Welsh Government’s announcement that it will deliver a programme to address building safety issues. Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “I welcome the fact Labour finally seem to be paying attention to this issue and it is good to finally get some indication of the number of buildings affected and the level of failure from property developers in Wales.   “However, we still need clarity from Labour on a number of issues. Most importantly the legal leaseholder protections in England need to be extended to Wales immediately. Based on the announcement today that will not be the case.   “While funding for remediation work and surveys are of course welcome, many leaseholders have already had to contribute to surveying out of their own pocket, we need to know if these leaseholders are now entitled to be reimburse...

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have hit out at the UK Government after it emerged that Wales will not receive any of the UK's ‘Innovation Accelerator’ investment funding, despite the fact regions in both England and Scotland are set to receive funding. Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS The ‘Innovation Accelerator programme, outlined in the UK Government‘s Levelling Up’ White Paper is designed to catalyse innovation clusters and spread the wealth and new industry outside the South East of England. The UK Government confirmed Wales would not be part of the innovation accelerator programme following a question to Lord Callanan by Welsh Liberal Democrat Peer Baroness Jenny Randerson.                                                              Baroness Jenny Randerson The scheme will see £100 million of investment fr...

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have continued to call on Priti Patel to withdraw the Nationality and Borders Bill in light of the war in Ukraine and the ensuing refugee crisis.   MPs are set to debate some of the Bill’s most controversial aspects in the House of Commons today [Tuesday 22nd March], including Government plans to:   Criminalise refugees simply for coming to the UK to seek asylum. “Offshore” asylum seekers by sending them to another country while their claims are processed. Create a second class of refugees with fewer rights and only temporary protection. The Liberal Democrats worked with others in the House of Lords to pass amendments that would remove these laws from the Bill, highlighting that they would criminalise people fleeing Ukraine who come to the UK seeking asylum.   So far, 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Vladimir Putin unleashed his war, according to the UNHCR. More than 150,000 people across the UK have offered to hos...

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Conservatives to drop planned tax rises as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite. According to the Welsh Lib Dems, the Conservatives have become the party of high tax and are unfairly targeting working people at precisely the moment they are struggling the most. Liberal Democrats have hit out at the Chancellor after he refused to scrap planned increases to national insurance tax, despite the ongoing cost of living crisis.   People across Wales will now be facing a 1.25 per cent increase in their national insurance contributions. This decision makes Rishi Sunak the only Finance Minister in the G7 to raise taxes this year.   Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:   “It is totally ridiculous that the Conservatives are plowing forward with this tax increase at a time where so many families are struggling just to make ends meet.     “The national insurance tax isn’...

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have hit out at Priti Patel and the Conservatives after it has emerged that up to half of Welsh trainee GPs this year could be lost due to what they describe as the Home Office’s “archaic immigration policies”. As reported by the Welsh BMA GPs committee today, it takes three years for trainee GPs to achieve their Certificate of Completion of training (CCT). But current Home Office rules implemented by Priti Patel and the Conservatives mean that individuals must have worked for 5 years under a Skilled Workers Visa in order to be able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILTR).   As a result of this rule, 80 out of this year’s 160 GP trainees in Wales will not be eligible to stay in the country under (ILTR) because of limited work opportunities at Welsh GP practices that serve as established Skilled Worker visa sponsors.   Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:   “It is unbelievable that the Conserva...

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds has urged the Welsh and UK Governments to work together to turn Wales into a “renewable powerhouse” that could help allies in Europe reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas imports. The Mid & West Wales Senedd Member describes the outcome of doing so as a “win-win” not only helping to reduce UK and EU dependence on Russian hydrocarbons but boosting Welsh jobs and helping save the environment and has called on projects under construction or in the planning phase to be fast tracked. Wales currently exports over twice the amount of power it consumes and around 48% of electricity generation in Wales already comes from renewables. But with vast reserves of tidal power in the North and South of Wales, wind power in the West, the potential for Green Hydrogen facilities in former mining areas and hydropower potential throughout the country; Wales has some of the greatest potential for a green economy in all of Europe. Commenting Jane Do...

  he Welsh Liberal Democrats have reiterated their opposition to the expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine in Neath Port Talbot Council. Addressing a protest in front of the Senedd Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds stated that if we are to stand any hope of tackling climate change before it’s too late, the coal must be left in the ground.   The protest in front of the Senedd in Cardiff saw multiple Welsh climate groups attend.   The expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine has been at the centre of a row between the UK and Welsh Governments, with the Welsh Government claiming it does not have the legal authority to block the mine’s expansion, while the UK Coal Authority has insisted that the Welsh Government could in fact stop the development.   The new license, which was approved by the Coal Authority in January will allow Aberpergwm Mine to extract another forty million tonnes of coal. The development could release up to 1.17 million tonnes of very strong g...

    Leader of  Liberal Democrats  Ed Davey MP Speech   Conference, we meet today under the heavy cloud of war, on our continent.   European skies raining death.   We’ve all watched in horror as Putin has unleashed his missiles on innocent Ukrainians.   As Russian bombs rip through schools and hospitals.   As children huddle in bomb shelters, hearing their homes shatter above them.   As millions of families are forced to flee for their lives, leaving everything behind.   Fathers hugging their children goodbye, not knowing when they will hold them again – or if they ever will.   Our hearts ache with the horrors being inflicted on the people of Ukraine.   But our hearts have also swelled for the incredible heroism we’ve witnessed.   The soldiers, bravely fighting for their homeland.   The unarmed civilians, boldly facing down Putin’s tanks.   President Zelenskyy, ...