Jane Dodds, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, spoke to Conference today at 10.30am.

Here is the text of her speech:

Conference, for too long politicians in both Westminster and Cardiff have asked people across Wales to simply settle.

Settle for our once-great nation’s decline,

Settle for a life that is less prosperous than that of our parents,

Settle for worse schools, hospitals and public services.

Although they don’t say it in these words, wherever I go in Wales I hear the same message loud and clear: people are tired of being told that they are powerless to create a brighter future.

Like the Welsh Liberal Democrats, the people I meet don’t accept that the way things are, are the way things have to be.

It’s easy to see why there is so much anger from people when are being told:

• that if they want a good job which gives them pride and purpose, they must move away from their friends and family,
• that if they want to be cancer-free they must wait months for treatment,
• and that if they want to swim in their local river or at the beach they must do so alongside sewage.

And the sad truth is, things are getting worse.

Under Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, child poverty in Wales has risen to 29%.

That’s right – under Labour governments in both Westminster and Cardiff, nearly a third of children in Wales are living in poverty.

As many of you will know, I was a child protection social worker for 25 years before entering politics.

I am proud of the work my team and I did to help families, but too many of those families were trapped on the terrible treadmill of poverty.

I went into politics because I wanted to fix the system for all children, and to ensure they had the opportunity to lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.

So for me, nothing demonstrates the need for real change more starkly than Labour’s record on child poverty.

In the Senedd, Welsh Labour have too often blamed Westminster politicians for their failings.

“If only we had a Labour Government in Westminster,” was the constant cry of ministers and backbenchers alike.

But after 15 months of a Labour government in Westminster, it’s clear that people don’t like what they see. Despite their 2024 election slogan, change hasn’t come to Wales.

You don’t need to be an obsessive poll-watcher to know that:

• no amount of talk about a “Welsh Red Way”,
• or mock fights with colleagues in Westminster,

can save Welsh Labour from the truth: a century of Labour dominance in Wales is coming to an end in May 2026.

Since being elected to the Senedd, I’ve been amazed at just how out of touch Welsh Labour are with the people of Wales.

For me, the creation of the Welsh Assembly was a huge opportunity to cast off the dust of the Thatcher and Major years, which damaged our country so deeply, and to set about creating our own destiny in Wales.

Wales was entering a new dawn, where power was taken from the corridors of Westminster and given to the people of Wales.

But Welsh Labour have wasted the opportunity devolution gave us.

Twenty-six years on, the optimism and opportunity of 1999 has been replaced by a lethargic crawl towards further decline.

Today Welsh Labour have:

• no ambition,
• no vision,
• and no sense of urgency to create a fairer and more prosperous Wales.

As people turn their backs on Welsh Labour, many are rightly asking: who can give them and their families a better life, while restoring a sense of pride and purpose to Wales?

It doesn’t take Danny Kruger or Laura Anne Jones to tell you that the answer cannot be the Tories.

From Margaret Thatcher to Boris Johnson, from David Cameron to Liz Truss, the Conservative legacy in Wales is crystal clear.

And to make matters worse, they are now heading into the Senedd elections claiming they can fix our broken public services by cutting taxes.

I have no doubt that people in Wales have seen the Conservative Party’s true colours in recent years – which is why more and more are saying they’ll never vote Labour or Tory again.

In Wales, we also have the unique challenge of Plaid Cymru: a party hoping voters will forget that they struck a confidence-and-supply deal with Welsh Labour for most of this Senedd.

A deal which failed to fix our NHS and social care system, failed to clean up our rivers, and failed to help our economy thrive.

And now Plaid Cymru are going into the next Senedd elections claiming they won’t pursue independence.

Imagine my amazement when I read that.

They are saying this because they know how damaging their pro-independence agenda would be for Wales.

For me, asking people to believe that Plaid Cymru won’t push independence, if they get into power, is about as honest as a Conservative telling you they won’t cut public services if they get into power.

Just as worryingly, we’re also facing a significant challenge from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

Their leader’s Brexit has been so damaging to our economy that it makes Donald Trump’s tariffs look like a successful way to tackle inflation.

Given how despondent and fed up many in Wales are with politics, I can understand why Reform’s simple-sounding solutions appeal to people who are genuinely concerned about the state of our country.

However time and time again history shows us the dangers blaming other ethnic groups or refugees for our problems.

As an internationalist and someone who believes I am my brother’s keeper, I believe it is important that we push back on the idea that Wales is poorer because an Afghan interpreter, who helped to keep our troops safe, has fled here or because a Christian born in Syria has sought refuge in Cardiff or Swansea.

The idea that the choice we face in politics today is between tackling child poverty or taking in refugees is completely false. A narrative being pushed by those who wish to exploit genuine concerns for their own gain.

So if you are considering voting Reform next May in Wales, my message to you couldn’t be clearer: Wales needs optimism and action, not blame.

Wales’ problems are deep-rooted and will take time to fix. Any politician who tells you they can solve them overnight is not telling the truth.

And if we cannot trust a politician to tell us the truth about the problems we face, how can we trust them with our children’s education, or our parents’ care?

As much as I wish it were otherwise, there are no magic wands or silver bullets to fix the issues Wales faces.

Despite the challenges we face, I still believe that Wales’ best days lie ahead.

And on the back of last year’s General Election result, the Welsh Liberal Democrats are more determined than ever to build a more economically prosperous and healthier Wales – a Wales where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential.

I know there will be those, especially in the media, who will doubt the difference we can make in Wales. These are the same people who couldn’t have imagined us winning 72 seats at the last General Election – and who are now fawning over Reform.

I may be the only Welsh Liberal Democrat in the Senedd, but mark my words: thanks to people across our Welsh party we have been punching well above our weight.

In this year’s Welsh Budget, we put party politics aside to deliver a positive first step in creating the Wales we want to see.

Because of the Welsh Liberal Democrats:

• all two-year-olds in Wales are now entitled to a programme of childcare, no matter where they live,
• an extra £30 million a year has been invested in social care, reducing delayed discharges and helping people access care where it best suits their needs,
• under-22s pay just £1 for a single bus fare or £3 for a day ticket, making education and work more accessible.

But we didn’t stop there.

We secured more money to tackle water pollution, more money for councils to protect frontline services, more money to improve playgrounds so children can enjoy the outdoors – and much, much more.

Conference, if that’s what one Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Member can achieve, imagine what a larger group could do after the next Senedd election.

And we will be going into that election with a bold and positive manifesto which delivers real change for people across Wales.

To restore the sense of pride and purpose that Wales once felt, we need to change the mindset of those in government and the civil service.

No more settling. No more managed decline.

If we want an economy where everyone can thrive and reach their potential, we need to recommit to building the best-skilled workforce in the world through lifelong learning.

If we want an economy where everyone can thrive and reach their potential, we need to support businesses to grow in every corner of Wales.

To achieve this, we must start by taking greater control over our finances.

We must secure a better deal from Westminster.

It is ridiculous that HS2, a railway line that runs entirely in England, is still classed as an “England and Wales project”, and that the Welsh Crown Estate has not been devolved, depriving Wales of control over its coastline and swathes of its countryside.

In the past Wales’ economic success was built on jobs that were forged in the industrial revolution.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats believe that Wales can once again forge a revolution – a green revolution. One which both boosts our economy and creates thousands of jobs.

Wales is surrounded by sea on three sides, and it is vital we harness our tidal lagoons and coastal winds.

We would invest heavily in offshore wind around the coast of Wales and tidal lagoon projects, from Swansea to Colwyn Bay.

For me, the failure to build the Swansea Tidal Lagoon highlights how old politics is holding Wales back.

Had the Conservative Government funded the project at any point in the last 12 years, it could now be providing power for 155,000 homes for the next 120 years, creating 2,000 jobs, and serving as a visitor attraction.

But building a stronger economy is not enough. Improving health and social care, and education, will also be at the heart of our manifesto.

As I’ve already mentioned, earlier this year we secured funding so that all two-year-olds in Wales are entitled to a programme of childcare.

This was a positive first step towards delivering our commitment of 30 hours a week of funded childcare, 48 weeks a year.

We want parents who want to return to the workforce to do so as quickly as possible. Our fully costed plans will help address child poverty, improve educational attainment, and boost Wales’ economy.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats want to see a new model of health and social care rooted in prevention, independence and integrated community support.

A health care system that moves from “one-size-fits-all” to a more personalised approach, which informs, educates and intervenes early to prevent illness before it occurs.

A social care system that is funded sustainably and has the beds and community care staff needed to prevent the delayed discharges which are crippling the NHS in Wales.

Everyday the Welsh Government is spending £478,200 on patients who are fit to be discharged from hospital.

That’s why I want the next Welsh Government to fund 5,000 additional social care beds – easing pressure on the NHS and ensuring people get the care they need, in the setting that best suits them.

And this is just the start. Over the next few months, we’ll be speaking to people across Wales about our plans to protect the environment, tackle the housing crisis, and invest in public transport.

Conference, I’m proud to lead a party that’s ambitious for Wales, and which believes our best days can still lie ahead.

Just as we did in last year’s General Election, we can prove the pollsters and pundits wrong in next year’s Senedd elections.

We’ve learnt the lessons of 4th July 2024, and as a result we now have more offices, more ground campaign staff, and more volunteers than we’ve had in years.

Seeing the positive response to brilliant candidates such as:

• Dean Ronan in Afan Ogwr Rhondda
• Sandra Jarvis in Ceredigion Penfro
• and Sam Bennett in Gwyr Abertawe

shows me the hard work is already paying off.

I want Welsh Liberal Democrats elected in every corner of Wales.

And it’s been fantastic to see teams across the country working tirelessly for wonderful candidates like Tim Sly, Rodney Berman and Glyn Preston ahead of next year’s Senedd elections.

I’m confident that if we keep fighting, we can prove the doubters wrong – and return our largest ever group to the Senedd.

So if you’re tired of politicians who settle for less, join us. If you believe Wales can be more – and can do better – join us.

Together, through action in our communities, conversations on the doorstep, and belief in a better future, we can deliver the change Wales deserves.