Welsh Liberal Democrats are questioning the Labour First Minister’s actions in entering into an exclusive relationship to buy Cardiff Airport for the nation with no prior consultation of the Assembly and without publishing any clear idea of how it will be run.

Eluned Parrott, Liberal Democrat Shadow Economy and Transport Minister has written an article on this over at Freedom Central. She said:

This is of course without consulting the Assembly, without revealing the price he’s offered, without revealing a business plan for the airports future, or without even stating what his government is planning on doing with it or who he plans to let run it.

She added that she had no philosophical objection to the airport being in state hands, but that Mr Jones may have brought its problems on himself:

Over the past year, the First Minister of Wales has used every opportunity to run down Cardiff Airport and its management.  While he may feel this was a clever move, driving the potential price of the airport down, it will also have acted to scare away any airlines interested in running flights from Cardiff (after all, even the local politicians think it’s a terrible airport) and to scare off any potential private investors.  What private investor would want to buy an airport that is humiliated in public and subject to so much political interference?

I was quite surprised to read this as my only experience, just a few months ago, of Cardiff Airport was very positive, both at arrival and departure. The worst part of the journey was the appalling Arriva train between Rhoose and the centre of Cardiff.

You can read the full article here.

* Caron Lindsay is Co-Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings