Welsh Liberal blogs

  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...

  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...

  Nick Ramsay, former Conservative Shadow Finance Minister in the Senedd has joined the Welsh Liberal Democrats.   He will be a candidate for the Party in the Monmouthshire Council elections this coming May. Nick Ramsay Nick says: “I have thought long and hard about the future of politics in Wales and the UK.  The Conservative Party is not the party I once joined.  They have lost the trust of the people, and are unable to manage our country.  They have failed the fundamental test of competence.  I can think of little of them with which I agree.”   “I have spent a long time examining the Liberal Democrats, and I find their underpinning values of fairness, community, and internationalism match my own.   The Welsh Liberal Democrats are the best way to achieve a new village hall for Raglan ,  support for struggling local businesses   and sustainable development for Monmouthshire, and I am pleased to be able to join them in their...

Responding to First Minister Mark Drakeford’s comments on the potential for employees to be fined £60 for not working from home if they are able to, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS has stated that explanations remain unclear and that the rule should be immediately dropped. Responding Jane Dodds stated: “It is inaccurate to state the system of fines is the same as in the past. Regulation 18B, which covers the fines referred to was introduced in a different context and while it was voted for by the Senedd, we voted for it under very different circumstances. “At the time all of Wales was under a stay at home mandate, while at the present time the guidance only applies to certain employers and employees. “Concern over these fine is not down to “unhelpful reporting”, but rather a serious concern the Government is not recognising the power dynamics between workers and employers. It is not a relationship of equals and a great many people will not feel comfortable having to...

  Small and medium-sized businesses across Wales, from tech start-ups to hairdressers and cafes, will pay an extra £99.4 million a year due to the rise in national insurance, research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has found.  Boris Johnson broke his 2019 manifesto promise by raising employer National Insurance Contributions by 1.25 per cent, impacting thousands of small businesses. House of Commons Library research has detailed the impact of this tax rise on small businesses across the country. It is estimated that the average micro-business employing up to 9 people will pay more than £1,000 extra a year as a result of the tax hike.  The top 10 most impacted areas of Wales include the country’s business hubs in major cities and local authorities with a high number of small businesses, including rural regions. As well as the capital, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Powys and Pembrokeshire are all expected to hundreds of thousands extra in tax following the broken p...

    The Welsh Liberal Democrats have accused Welsh Conservative MP’s of ‘blatantly ignoring’ the issue of river pollution. The accusation comes as MPs voted for legalisation designed to tackle river pollution on October 20. The Lords Amendment 45 to the Environment Bill would have placed a legal duty on water companies in England and Wales “to make improvements to their sewerage systems and demonstrate progressive reductions in the harm caused by discharges of untreated sewage.”   The Amendment was rejected after 265 Conservative MPs voted against it, including ten Welsh Conservative MPs, including David T C Davies, despite the fact the River Wye, which has reported serious pollution problems in recent years, travels through his Constituency. Likewise, Brecon and Radnorshire’s MP Fay Jones did not register a vote, meaning she either abstained or did not attend the vote. Again despite the fact that the River Wye originates and travels through her Constituency. ...

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to deliver on its long promised Clean Air Act for Wales, stating that the “health of Welsh people cannot wait any longer for its introduction” and that Welsh Labour had “not acted fast enough” to secure the Bill’s introduction. The Welsh Labour Government has consistently promised a clean air act for Wales, but its introduction has faced repeated delays. Such an act would likely contain measures such as implementing World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, mandating the Welsh Government to produce an air-quality strategy every five years, introduce a “right to breathe” and require local authorities to monitor and assess air pollution and take action to reduce it.   Poor air quality currently costs Wales considerably, with an estimated 2,000 people dying a year in Wales and many more having their average life expectancy cut short. The cost of air-quality related health conditions for the Welsh NHS appr...

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...

  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...

Welsh Liberal Democrat MS Kirsty Williams has announced after careful consideration that she will stand down at next year’s Senedd election. Kirsty has served as the member for Brecon and Radnorshire since 1999, served as Chair of the Health Committee in the first Assembly from 1999-2003, as leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats from 2008 until 2016 and has been the Welsh Government’s Education Minister since her appointment in 2016. Commenting Kirsty said: “After a great deal of thought and reflection, I have decided not to stand as a candidate at the next Senedd election. “There is, of course, sadness in making this decision, but also with a sense of achievement and pride. “I am looking forward to spending more time with my family and I remain committed to my role in Brecon and Radnorshire and look forward to continuing to campaign with my successor to ensure Brecon and Radnorshire returns a Welsh Liberal Democrat voice.” Paula Yates, President of the Welsh Liberal Democr...

The  Clwyd  West Liberal Democrats have announced that David Wilkins has been selected to contest the  Clwyd  West constituency at the Senedd election next year.   David, who lives with his wife and young family in  Rhos -on-Sea, stood in the December General Election where he over doubled the Lib Dem vote.   He teaches full time at a local secondary school and this first-hand experience has shown him just how important it is that we invest and support children’s education.   David is also a keen environmentalist and views tackling the climate emergency as the biggest issue we face. He wants to help create a society that supports everyone to fulfil their potential and succeed.   Commenting on his selection David Wilkins said:   “I am  honoured  to be standing once for more  Clwyd  West. I am standing because I’m fed up with inequality our communities are facing.   “It simply isn’t fair that our health services in...