Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams gave her keynote speech to Conference yesterday and she did not mince her words.
She was candid about the failings of the coalition, saying that it looked like we’d never even tried to keep the pledge on tuition fees, and that our identity had been lost.
She also said that one of the best ways to improve gender balance in parliamentarians was to help in Wales to make sure the Liberal Democrats did well as female candidates had been selected in many winnable seats.
She also set out her stall for the elections:
We believe in Freedom. Freedom of the individual, so everyone has the opportunity to be who they want to be and reach their full potential
We believe in Fairness – for diversity, against intolerance – the voice for the voiceless
And we believe in Community. Where we as individuals work together for the common good, where we empower communities to make decisions that work best for them
Most other parties can achieve some of those principles, but none combine them.
And what makes us unique is that we’re liberals
Feeling so strongly about something so positive gives us the power and confidence needed to take us forward:
The confidence to say immigration benefits our country
The confidence to say rehabilitation works better than prison
The confidence to say our voting systems, our institutions, our whole political system quite frankly stinks
The Human Rights Act, the green agenda, mental health – we fight for the underdog, we fight for what is right, leading on the issues that no-one else will.
Here is her speech in full: