Tag Archives: Wales

Jack Meredith

Swansea relaunches – a small story about why young Liberals matter

By Jack Meredith | Sat 30th May 2026 - 11:48 am

After a short hiatus, the Swansea University Liberal Democrats are back. The Swansea and Gower local party, working alongside university staff and students, is reviving the society at a moment when both local and national politics need it most.

Student political organising in Wales is not new. The Bangor Debating and Political Society has been running since 1849, and generations of Welsh public life have passed through rooms like it. The Swansea society is a small addition to a long tradition, and a welcome one.

The standard line is that young people have walked away from politics. It is not true. On the issues that matter most to them, such as housing, climate change, and civil liberties, they are more engaged, more informed, and more morally clear than any generation before them. The problem is not apathy; it is our political culture, which locks out far too many young people and refuses to evolve.

This is where student societies matter. They are not a nice extra; they are the most reliable pipeline a political party has for engaging young people. Every councillor, organiser, activist, and candidate I have ever met found their politics in a room not much bigger than a seminar suite. Relaunching our society is not symbolic. It is infrastructure.

That same infrastructure is essential to rebuilding the Welsh Liberal Democrats after the 2026 Senedd election. In Swansea and Gower, we canvassed every day, throwing everything we had into getting Sam Bennett elected. There was not much more we could have done, but an active university society collaborating with us would have helped us secure and grow the youth vote. Re-establishing the society now and giving it the durability to last does two things at once. It gives young people a real voice in the party, and it ensures we never again fight a Senedd election without their organised support.

The proof of what that organising delivers came in May 2026, when Beth Rowe won the Fairwood by-election for the Swansea and Gower Liberal Democrats. The Welsh Liberal Democrats came from fourth place to take the seat from the Conservatives, the product not of luck but of people knocking doors, having conversations, and showing up week after week. That is what a serious local party looks like. A thriving student society would feed more energy straight into that effort, allowing us to replicate that result across Swansea and Gower, Wales, and beyond.

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Alan Eurig Williams

Time to embrace our Welsh identity

By Alan Eurig Williams | Sun 17th May 2026 - 1:14 pm

As Shaun Ennis wrote about his frustration about the lack of progress in the North of England by our party, he should be lucky that he isn’t living in Wales.

As a party and a movement that was once the dominant voice of Cymru, seeing our leader Jane Dodds eke through the sixth seat in Brycheiniog Tawe Need at last week’s Senedd election showed what a parlous state the party is in Cymru at the moment. Overall, the situation has not improved since 2016 where our votes remain low and the number of seats won to match. We were lucky indeed to have Jane Dodds, who was a very effective debater and is well regarded by the community she serves and her party in general. But there was no escaping the facts she expressed frustration and dismayed that the party (once a bastion of Welsh politics) has been relegated to the peripheral.

I applaud the efforts by my fellow party activists and campaigners who spend years or decades within their communities pounding the streets, knocking on doors, campaigning in the local community. But when the time came for these communities to vote in the Senedd election, many of them went the other way and voted for Reform, who had candidates expressing horror for having the honour of being elected a member into the Senedd because they were assured by the party that they were paper candidates.

They are now led by a man who left his homeland over thirty years ago and was until very recently the Conservative Group leader in Barnet Council. Given the history of Nigel Farage’s numerous parties, we will look forward not to five years of holding power to account but a term of infighting, rifts, splits and no-doubt shaking down the Senedd for every penny they can get.

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Jack Meredith

The Heart of Wales gets a bypass; Cardiff gets the stent.

By Jack Meredith | Mon 23rd February 2026 - 7:55 am

It’s become all too common for Mid Wales to be neglected by the Welsh Government whenever rail investment is announced. This week’s announcement from the Prime Minister and First Minister, endorsing Transport for Wales’ long-term rail vision, is more of the same.

Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe Liberal Democrats have recently commented on this, highlighting that of the confirmed £445 million out of a possible £14 billion from the 2025 Spending Review settlement, seven new stations have been announced: six situated between Cardiff and Newport, and one in North Wales. Mid Wales, meanwhile, will receive no new stations or any additional investment for infrastructure upgrades, route resilience or signalling improvements.

I live in Neath Port Talbot, within reach of Swansea and Cardiff, so my area tends to get a fair share of Senedd funding. But I have family in Mid Wales, and our lives could not be more different. While I have access to hospitals on my doorstep, my family in Mid Wales has to travel to Hereford. While I have a plethora of public transport options, my family in Mid Wales is restricted to very infrequent buses and, as highlighted above, a rail service which its own government is prone to neglecting.

David Chadwick MP and Jane Dodds MS have raised these issues time and again, to little to no response from the Welsh and UK governments. After a while, you stop wondering whether Mid Wales was forgotten and start suspecting it was simply never included.

The fundamental problem here is not that South East Wales is getting investment. It should. Cardiff and Newport are economic engines, and better rail in the corridor is good for jobs, housing, and commuting. The problem is the way this is packaged and prioritised; it is presented as a Wales-wide “generational” shift, while the confirmed commitments tell a much narrower story. When the Prime Minister can list seven stations and six of them sit in one corridor, you are not looking at a national connectivity strategy; you are looking at a commuter belt strategy with a press release attached.

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Jack Meredith

A better deal for Wales? Why federalism, not independence, is the answer

By Jack Meredith | Sat 25th October 2025 - 8:30 am

On Thursday, 23 October, Plaid Cymru ended nearly a century of Welsh Labour dominance in Caerphilly after having won the by-election triggered by the untimely passing of Welsh Labour MS Hefin David.

The result, which saw a 27% swing from Welsh Labour to Plaid Cymru, must be a wake-up call for liberals that nationalism is on the rise, on both sides of the political aisle. While Plaid won the by-election, Reform UK finished second, ahead of Welsh Labour, indicating that not only is Welsh Labour finally being punished for its complacency, but the void it has left is being filled by parties that wish to tear the UK apart; in one case, culturally, and in another, literally. To be clear: Labour didn’t lose because Wales turned nationalist. They lost because neither Westminster nor Cardiff Bay is doing what’s best for Wales.

This is where the Welsh Liberal Democrats must stake their claim to delivering a better deal for Wales. At a time when Reform’s anti-immigration rhetoric and Plaid’s nationalism are on the rise, the Welsh Liberal Democrats must offer a real alternative; one that champions Welsh identity and pushes for full self-governance, while seeking to redesign and strengthen the United Kingdom to make it a truly union of equals.

We cannot simply talk about stronger devolved powers in abstract terms. It’s time to lay out tangible reforms:

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Jack Meredith

Reform rising in Wales: the Caerphilly test and what it means for liberal democracy

By Jack Meredith | Thu 23rd October 2025 - 10:10 am

Today’s by-election in Caerphilly isn’t just about one seat: it’s a canary in the coal mine for Welsh democracy. The surge by Reform UK demands urgent action from liberals, not only in turning out in force but also in seriously addressing the underlying shifts that are opening the door to populism in Wales.

For decades, Caerphilly has been a Labour heartland. But the numbers now tell a startling story. A recent poll puts Reform at 42% and Plaid Cymru at 38%, with Labour languishing at 12%. Across Wales, Reform is reported to be opening up leads over Labour.

This is not just a standard shift between major parties; it is the emergence of populist parties that seek to tear the United Kingdom apart, one literally and the other culturally.

As liberals, we must see today’s by-election in Caerphilly for what it is:

  • A defence of liberal democracy at a time when populist politics thrives on division and resentment.
  • A recognition that voting doesn’t just express preference, but protects democracy itself.
  • A wake-up call: if Reform can surge in the South Wales valleys, then the next decade could bring far bigger challenges in Wales and beyond.

There is a growing trend of disaffection with old certainties, such as the assumption that Labour will always win in Caerphilly. Voters in Caerphilly are telling journalists that they “don’t know anyone” who is voting Labour anymore. Decades of Labour’s dominance have bred complacency, and we are all suffering from it. Reform’s ability to draw from former Conservative and disillusioned Labour voters is troubling for liberals and liberal democracy.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats offer an alternative route to Reform’s populism, Labour’s complacency, and Plaid’s nationalism. An alternative rooted in community, decency, and equal opportunity for all; values that are the foundation of Wales. We stand for fairness, with policies that promote social justice and equality. Where Labour has grown complacent, we listen, act and fight for local people. Where Plaid seeks to carry out a Welsh Brexit, we strive to strengthen Wales as part of the United Kingdom AND Europe. Every vote for the Welsh Liberal Democrats in Caerphilly is a vote to show that Wales still believes in hope over hate, and solutions over slogans.

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Jack Meredith

Why the Welsh Lib Dems must confront Reform on Ukraine

By Jack Meredith | Wed 15th October 2025 - 8:55 am

Wales has shown the world what solidarity looks like. We became a Nation of Sanctuary, opened our homes to thousands of Ukrainian refugees, and stood firmly on the side of democracy and the rule of law. Yet at the same time, Reform UK, the party now desperate to present itself as the Voice of Wales, was long represented by Nathan Gill, a former Brexit Party and Reform UK politician who pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery payments in return for pro-Russian statements.

This is not some abstract Westminster scandal, but one too close to home, in Wales. It strikes at the heart of our national security and our values. If Reform UK cannot even keep Russian influence out of its own ranks, why should the people of Wales trust them with our future?

And speaking of Reform UK, let’s take a look at its leader, Nigel Farage, a man who has been consistent with his defence of Putin’s illegal expansionist war in Ukraine. In a BBC Panorama interview, Mr Farage claimed that the West provoked Russia to attack Ukraine with “the ever-eastward expansion of NATO and the European Union“, despite these two institutions operating on a democratic basis; countries only join because they want to, not because they’re forced.

Mr Farage has also previously called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to seek a peace deal with Russia, despite most of the democratic world, Ukraine included, calling on Russia to end its illegal expansionist war, respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and pull all of its troops out immediately.

While Reform UK flirts with Kremlin narratives, the Liberal Democrats have been absolutely clear: Ukraine’s fight is our fight. It is a fight for democracy, international law and the security of Europe.

From the outset, the Liberal Democrats have consistently:

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Jack Meredith

Why Wales needs open-list PR, not closed-list PR

By Jack Meredith | Mon 22nd September 2025 - 2:42 pm

Next year, the Senedd will take an historic step forward.

For the first time, Wales will elect all of its Members of the Senedd (MSs) through a fully proportional system. For too long, Welsh elections have used a mixed-member voting system that has seen votes wasted, smaller parties squeezed, and many voices under-represented.

But while the destination is welcome, the route being taken is not the best one. Wales is moving to a closed-list proportional representation system, a model that improves fairness between parties but reduces fairness between voters and the individuals who represent them in the Senedd.

If we genuinely believe in liberal democracy, accountability and putting power in the hands of citizens, then Wales must go further. Open-list PR would give voters the voice they deserve.

Where we’re coming from: MMPR

Since the Senedd’s creation, Wales has elected its representatives through a form of Mixed-Member Proportional Representation (MMPR). This gave voters two choices: a local constituency MS (elected by First Past The Post (FPTP)), and a regional party list.

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Jack Meredith

You can’t spend sovereignty, Mr. Farage

By Jack Meredith | Tue 17th June 2025 - 11:09 am

In 2015, Nigel Farage visited Swansea, Wales, in the run-up to the referendum on European Union membership. He made several claims during his visit, stating that Wales was receiving a “rotten deal” from the EU, alleging its membership was causing severe damage to the Welsh steel industry and that small businesses were at risk of collapse. He claimed that the UK had ceded control of fishing, industry, farming, and business to the EU, but provided no evidence to support these claims.

Fast forward four years. By this time, the UK had voted to leave the EU, and Mr Farage was back in Wales once more, this time in Merthyr Tydfil, campaigning for a UKIP victory in the European elections. When questioned by a BBC reporter about the benefits to Wales of leaving the EU, by then referred to as “Brexit”, Mr Farage was unable to answer. When questioned about the money Wales received from the EU, specifically £250 million a year, Mr Farage simply responded that “we” have given away hundreds of billions over the last few decades.

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Jack Meredith

Make Wales great again? Reactions to Nigel Farage’s vision for Wales

By Jack Meredith | Thu 12th June 2025 - 10:04 am

This past week, Nigel Farage took to Wales Online to outline his vision for Wales, ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections.

His article, published on Sunday, June 8th, at 10:30 PM, bears all the hallmarks of what is to be expected from a regressive, right-wing populist voice such as Mr Farage.

Firstly, his first reference to Wales isn’t of the 20s, the 10s, the 00s, or any time in modern history; it’s 1851. Mr Farage’s entire argument relies upon the 1851 census to justify Reform’s manifesto, citing the number of people in industrial jobs rather than agricultural ones, and even makes the bold claim that Reform will “reindustrialise Wales” by reopening coal mines, in one of his many attempts to defeat “woke spending”.

Of course, I can’t speak for everyone in Wales, but I can for my family. My grandparents’ relatives worked down the mines, and they did not live to see past 50 years old due to ill health and complications related to coal dust in their lungs. I’ve no doubt this story is the same for so many others in Wales. Nobody in their right mind wants to see the mines reopened.

Mr Farage goes on, moving from the coal mines to the need for regional technical colleges, to teach young people trades such as welding, plumbing and industrial automation. While I am far from opposed to apprenticeships and believe they are vital for providing a wide variety of career choices, Mr Farage’s support for them doesn’t stem from the same sentiment. He believes that there are “useful degrees,” and that people not studying science, technology, engineering, medicine, or mathematics need not bother going to university and should instead invest in a trade.

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Jack Meredith

How should the Welsh Liberal Democrats fight the Senedd elections?

By Jack Meredith | Fri 6th June 2025 - 10:19 am

A few days ago, I authored an opinion piece examining the measures the Welsh Liberal Democrats must undertake to avert total defeat in the 2026 Senedd elections. This piece advocates for a renewed emphasis on federalism, and as one commentator articulated, “Devo-Maxing” (a term I have come to employ quite frequently).  

In this article, I intend to investigate an alternate approach that embraces the principles of social democracy.  

It is widely acknowledged that Wales embodies a social-democratic ethos. Since 1999, it has consistently elected Labour into government, routinely repudiating free-market rhetoric in favour of left-of-centre ideals, regardless of whether a Conservative or Labour administration presents the rhetoric. From David Lloyd George’s People’s Budget, the establishment of the welfare state and pension schemes, to Nye Bevan’s implementation of Beveridge’s concepts to realise the National Health Service, to Rhodri Morgan’s notion of “clear red water” distinguishing Welsh Labour from Tony Blair’s New Labour, social democracy intricately permeates the fabric of Welsh identity.  

It is, therefore, quite remarkable that only one Liberal Democrat leader has ever addressed the Trade Union Congress: the late, esteemed Charles Kennedy.  

Mr. Kennedy delivered a speech at the conference on Wednesday, September 11, 2002, following the address by former TUC general secretary John Monks at the Liberal Democrat conference held on Wednesday, September 20, 2000.  

During his address, Mr. Kennedy articulated how some of the earliest trade union members in Britain were affiliated with the Liberal Party and emphasized that Beveridge posited that liberty transcended mere freedom from governmental control; it included liberation from “economic servitude to want and squalor and other social evils.” He highlighted that the Liberal Democrats champion dialogue and cooperation with both sectors of industry, acknowledging that, while disagreements with union perspectives may arise, we remain committed to listening and addressing their concerns.  

As we transition to contemporary Wales, we observe that Welsh Labour have significantly diminished from their former stature. Current First Minister Eluned Morgan was compelled by her party to condemn the UK government’s decision to reduce support for the most vulnerable, lamentably stating that voters were “taking Welsh Labour for granted,” and employed fear tactics regarding the potential termination of free prescriptions should another party assume power.  

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Jack Meredith

How should the Welsh Liberal Democrats approach the Senedd elections?

By Jack Meredith | Wed 28th May 2025 - 8:55 am

In just under a year, Wales will go to the polls to vote in the Senedd elections.

These elections will determine the composition of the new 96-member Senedd, with polls currently indicating either a Labour minority government (Survation and Nation Cymru) or a Plaid Cymru minority government (YouGov). Regardless of which party becomes the senior partner in government, every poll positions Reform just single digits away from forming a minority government themselves. Survation and Nation Cymru place them joint-second with Plaid, while YouGov ranks them outright second, only 5% behind Plaid; the party’s prospects appear promising.

Each poll also suggests that the Welsh Liberal Democrats will secure only 4-7% of the overall vote, indicating a significantly weakened position.

With the rise of Reform, it would be easy to argue that the Welsh Lib Dems should “play the Reform game,” as some within the Labour Party have advocated for their own party’s future. While this position might seem alluring to some, the notion of embracing xenophobic populism turns my stomach. I regard myself as a liberal internationalist, a progressive who supports the spread of human rights globally, and holds the belief that if you seek a better life for yourself and your family, and you’re willing to work hard and contribute to society, then you’re more than welcome in the UK; THAT is why I am a member of the Liberal Democrats.

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Caron Lindsay

Mark Cole returns to Cardigan Town Council

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 22nd February 2025 - 1:45 pm

When I first got involved in blogging, I came across the force of nature that is Mark Cole. At the time, back in 2009, he was Mayor of Cardigan at the age of just 26.

He left the Council in search of some work life balance back in 2017 – but he is now back, as the Tivyside Advertiser reports:

Speaking to the Tivyside moments after his comeback was confirmed, Mr Cole explained he felt he still had ‘unfinished business’.

“I’m a little older and hopefully a little wiser than the young one that was first elected in 2004 and with my previous experience of local government here in town, I’m keen to play my role again in community life,” he said.

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Caron Lindsay

David Chadwick stands up for coalfield communities

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 10th February 2025 - 2:55 pm

Last Thursday, I was working from home with BBC Parliament going in the background. I was only half listening but was impressed by a speech by a Welsh MP who had real empathy for those communities and told how his great-grandfather died after hours of working waist deep in ice cold water. It was only later on that I realised that this speech was made by our own David Chadwick.

According to my husband who spent the first 20 years of his career working in various collieries around the country, David’s remarks had been going down exceptionally well with former miners on some online forums.

Here is the speech in full:

I am proud to represent several former coalmining communities. Abercraf, Cwmtwrch, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Ystradgynlais, Pontardawe and Rhos are just a few of the proud former mining communities that I represent. I therefore thank the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) for securing this debate.

Across Wales, nearly 800,000 people—about a third of the population—live in former coalmining towns and villages, and I am very proud to come from a Welsh mining family. I will never forget my grandfather taking me to see his father’s grave in Maesteg cemetery. His father died aged 34 after working up to his waist in ice-cold water for several hours. The men and women of our coalfield communities made huge sacrifices to power this country, so it is right that we are discussing the future of their communities today.

To cut a long story short, Welsh mining communities have been left behind by successive Governments. Margaret Thatcher’s policies—the closure of our major industry in Wales and the failure to replace it with anything else—have left lasting scars. It is not hard to see why people in south Wales wonder whether their Governments are listening to them. This Parliament is an open goal for the Government to repair the damage done by Thatcherism. The Conservative party squandered many of its 13 years in power, carrying on with a London-centric banker-friendly form of growth that means younger generations have to leave for the cities, as my mum did 30 years ago. This Government must not repeat the mistake.

Across the former south Wales coalfields, the economic reality is dire. Wages are lower than the national average, job growth is sluggish and unemployment remains high. In fact, in the south Wales coalfields, there are just 46 jobs for every 100 working-age people. Nearly 800,000 people—a third of the entire population of Wales—live in those areas, which is why they are so important to the Welsh economy. Wales is £10,000 a head poorer than England, and fixing our former coalmining communities is key to fixing the Welsh economy. Coalfield communities deserve to be at the forefront of economic renewal. People in coalfield communities want the Government to show them that they matter. They are desperate for change.

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Mark Valladares

9 January 2024 – today’s Welsh press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 9th January 2024 - 10:45 pm
  • “No more tinkering, we need bravery”- Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds sets out her priorities for new FM
  • Welsh Lib Dems urge for clarity over future of Bwndel Babi scheme
  • Welsh Lib Dems criticise Welsh Labour government over “lack of vision” with budget
  • “Communities must feel that they are being listened to when it comes to their safety”- Welsh Lib Dems urge Welsh Government

“No more tinkering, we need bravery”- Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds sets out her priorities for new FM

Today, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds has urged both Welsh Labour leadership candidates to set out a new vision for Wales.

Current Health minister Vaughan Gething and Education minister Jeremy Miles are both in the race to become the new FM following the resignation of Mark Drakeford.

Commenting, leader of the Welsh Lib Dems Jane Dodds said:

The start of a new year brings with it a chance for renewed optimism. And with a new First Minister set to take charge this coming spring, a chance for a fresh approach to how Wales is being run should in theory be just around the corner.

What we have heard from both candidates so far is that they will be taking the same “steady as she goes” approach. More tinkering, more managerialism, and not the vision for the future that people desperately need.

We don’t want to see any more conservatism from Welsh Labour, what we need is a First Minister who is willing to take a bold and brave new direction for our country.

We need a new vision for a thriving economy, a fresh start for our NHS, an innovative democracy, and creating a nation of second chances where everyone has the opportunity to get ahead. We need a fair deal for every corner and every person across our country.

For far too long now the Labour party have stood by and watched as our country, our government, and our parliament has been dragged into the mud by an indifferent UK Conservative government.

We need a Labour party, at both ends of the M4, willing to stand up and demand that Wales gets its fair share.

No more tinkering about and searching for excuses, now is the time for bravery.

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Mark Valladares

22 November 2023 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 22nd November 2023 - 10:30 pm
  • Cameron HMRC scrutiny: Zahawi scandal mark two
  • Autumn Statement a deception after years of Conservative tax hikes
  • Ed Davey slams “Hunt hoax” over £200bn stealth tax grab
  • Welsh Lib Dems urge Welsh Gov to make sure that building remediation costs aren’t being forced on residents
  • Conservative giveaway to big banks set to cost taxpayers £22 billion

Cameron HMRC scrutiny: Zahawi scandal mark two

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an ethics advisor probe after reports that David Cameron is being looked into by HMRC.

The party said it is important to know whether this reported scrutiny was disclosed when Rishi Sunak appointed him to the Lords and throughout the vetting process.

Liberal Democrat Chief Whip, Wendy Chamberlain MP said:

This looks like the Zahawi scandal mark two. Yet again, it appears Sunak has appointed a cabinet minister being looked into by HMRC.

The Prime Minister must ask the ethics advisor to investigate these reports as a matter of urgency. Serious questions need answering over whether this reported HMRC scrutiny was disclosed as part of the appointment and vetting process for Cameron’s seat in the Lords, and whether Sunak was aware when he appointed him.

Far from looking to kick sleaze out of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister seems to have sought to bring even more in from the outside.

Autumn Statement a deception after years of Conservative tax hikes

Responding to the Autumn Statement, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

This is a deception from Jeremy Hunt after years of cruel tax hikes on hard-working families from this government.

Conservative chaos has sent mortgages and tax bills soaring, today’s announcements won’t even touch the sides.

Worse still was the deafening silence on health. These dismal forecasts show the economy is on life support and reducing NHS waiting lists is the shot in the arm needed.

It is a no-brainer that we need people off waiting lists and back to work, yet this Conservative government simply doesn’t care.

Today has been more stale nonsense from a Conservative government out of touch and out of ideas.

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The Voice

Jane Dodds criticises lack of flood defences in Welsh village

By The Voice | Wed 25th October 2023 - 11:24 am

It’s awful to see such horrendous damage caused by Storm Babet from north east Scotland to Wales. But it’s particularly frustrating that some of it could have been avoided, as Welsh Lib Dem Leader Jane Dodds has observed.

Jane has expressed her concerns on the recent flooding in Trevalyn and the apparent misuse of flood defence equipment.

Extreme weather conditions brought on by Storm Babet over the weekend caused the nearby River Alyn to breach its banks, flooding the village located just North of Wrexham.

According to an article from BBC Wales, both Natural Resources Wales and residents stated that available flood defence equipment was, for some reason, not used.

Jane Dodds MS said:

I would like to express my thoughts and well-wishes to those affected by the flooding brought about by Storm Babet, particularly the residents of Trevalyn.
The fact that nearby flooding equipment wasn’t properly utilised is extremely concerning and I urge Natural Resources Wales to take urgent action.

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NewsHound

LIb Dem led Powys County Council continues free school meal holiday scheme

By NewsHound | Wed 19th July 2023 - 9:07 am

In the middle of a cost of loving crisis, any extra demands on household income can be catastrophic for some families.

The Summer holidays should be a carefree time of play and fun for children. For parents on the lowest incomes, though, it can be incredibly difficult to find the money to provide an extra daily meal if their children are on free school meals.

In Wales, the Labour (just have a think about that for a minute) Government ended the scheme to give families entitled to free school meals vouchers during the Summer holidays. This policy was, of course, introduced during the pandemic by our own brilliant education secretary Kirsty Williams.

However, three Welsh Councils, including Lib Dem led Powys, have decided to take over the scheme so that children do not go hungry during the Summer.

Our Councillor Jake Berriman said:

The late notice that councils across Wales were given about this scheme stopping would have had a detrimental impact on low-income families. Not only would they lose out on the voucher scheme but they would also have had a very limited time to adjust their family finances accordingly.

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Mark Valladares

24 May 2023 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Wed 24th May 2023 - 11:32 pm

Jane Dodds challenges Mark Drakeford on sewage dumping

During First Ministers’ questions yesterday at the Senedd, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Mid & West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds challenged Labour First Minister Mark Drakeford over claims that Wales ‘is lucky’ Welsh Water is a non-profit.

Jane Dodds pointed out to the First Minister that although Dwr Cymru is non-profit is has still paid out excessively large bonuses for its executives in recent years on top of an already high base salary and that the Welsh Government should be given a stronger oversight to …

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Mark Valladares

22 May 2023 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 22nd May 2023 - 9:30 pm
  • Braverman: Sunak’s silence speaks volumes
  • Natasha Asghar – Conservatives clearly see Wales as a secondary thought

Braverman: Sunak’s silence speaks volumes

Responding to reports that Rishi Sunak has met with Sir Laurie Magnus, but not yet decided whether he will order an investigation into concerns that Suella Braverman has broken the Ministerial Code, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP said:

For a Prime Minister who promised integrity, Sunak’s silence speaks volumes. He has had ample time to contact his ethics advisor and announce an investigation.

His inability to act is a clear failure of leadership. Sunak and his entire cabinet cannot keep

…

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Mark Valladares

3 April 2023 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 3rd April 2023 - 11:00 pm
  • Welsh rivers some of the most sewage filled in the UK
  • Water Plan: Taking the public for fools by re-announcing a policy from years ago

Welsh rivers some of the most sewage filled in the UK

An analysis of the sewage dumping statistics released by Welsh Water/Dŵr Cymru has revealed Wales’ rivers are some of the most sewage filled in the entire UK. The stats have sparked an angry response from the Welsh Liberal Democrats who have accused both Labour and the Conservatives of not doing enough to tackle the problem.

The latest figures show sewage was dumped in Welsh rivers 83,000 times …

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Mark Valladares

27 March 2023 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 27th March 2023 - 11:55 pm

“Inept Approach to Public Finances” – Welsh Lib Dems Respond to Welsh Gov Accounts Report

Responding to a Senedd report on Welsh Government accounts, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

This report highlights an inept approach to Wales’ public finances from the Labour Party which shows a failure to protect public services during the pandemic.

£155 million is an extortionate amount for Wales to have missed out on.

It is also clear that neither Labour nor the Conservatives can be trusted to tackle fraud and that Welsh Labour criticisms of the UK Government losses to fraud during the pandemic now ring hollow.

Labour

…

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Mark Valladares

Welsh Liberal Democrat Conference – Calls for a New ‘Celtic Sea Powerhouse’

By Mark Valladares | Mon 27th March 2023 - 11:18 am

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called for the creation of a “Celtic Sea Powerhouse” to serve as a new economic region for Wales harnessing green technology on the first day of their spring conference.

The policy comes on the back of the announcement of freeport status in Milford Haven and Port Talbot.

The policy calls for the cutting of red tape in Wales to establish floating offshore wind farms which can currently take up to 10 years for floating offshore wind to be given planning permission.

The Crown Estate Estimates the Celtic Sea has the economic potential to accommodate up to an additional …

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Mark Valladares

17-19 March 2023 – the Conference weekend press releases (part 1)

By Mark Valladares | Mon 20th March 2023 - 1:20 pm
  • Steve Brine must step down from Health Select Committee
  • ‘Show Sunak the door’ – Lib Dems update by-election door as victory props take centre stage in blue wall rally
  • Welsh Conservative MPs should “hang their heads in shame” over rail funding

Steve Brine must step down from Health Select Committee

Responding to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner launching an investigation into Steve Brine over allegations of inproper lobbying of the NHS, Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Steve Brine should immediately step down from the Health Select Committee whilst this investigation takes places. It is absurd for an MP who may have wrongly

…

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Mark Valladares

14 March 2023 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 14th March 2023 - 10:30 pm
  • ONS economy stats: Tomorrow is judgement day for Jeremy Hunt
  • Braverman must apologise to women and girls for police dropping complaints
  • Conservative MPs must back amendments to ban child detention
  • Budget is “judgement day” for Chancellor on cost of living crisis
  • Jane Dodds responds to Health Minister statement on Dental Reform

ONS economy stats: Tomorrow is judgement day for Jeremy Hunt

Responding to this morning’s ONS earnings and employment figures, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney said:

Tomorrow is judgement day for Jeremy Hunt. He must finally end the cost of living crisis and the endless pay squeeze which is crippling families across the country.

The revolving door of Conservative Chancellors in recent years have all failed at keeping prices down. Jeremy Hunt can take action tomorrow and cut energy bills by £500, by introducing a proper windfall tax on the bumper profits of oil and gas firms. They are raking in billions off the back of higher energy bills and the public won’t stomach it any longer.

Braverman must apologise to women and girls for police dropping complaints

Responding to the figures that show police forces drop most complaints of officer violence against women, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip and former Police Officer, Wendy Chamberlain MP said:

These statistics tell us what millions of women and girls already know. Across the country, they look to the police to protect them and ultimately the buck stops with the Home Office to fix this crisis.

Violence against women and girls has no place in our society, not least in the police forces that are meant to keep us all safe.

We need swift action from Suella Braverman, including a promise to tighten vetting and investigation regulations. But first, she needs to apologise for the Government and police forces letting women and girls across the country down.

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Mark Valladares

10 March 2023 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 10th March 2023 - 10:30 pm
  • ONS: Economy still suffering consequences of Conservatives
  • BP boss pay doubles: Sunak must bring in bonus tax now
  • Lineker: Today is a reminder that we need a properly independent BBC
  • Lee Waters must apologise to Welsh nurses

ONS: Economy still suffering consequences of Conservatives

Responding to the latest ONS GDP figures from January 2023, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

These disappointing figures are yet another reminder that our economy is suffering under this Conservative Government, and people are feeling this under-performance in their own pockets.

The Conservative party has broken this country’s economy with record energy bills, rising food prices and soaring mortgage costs. Yet they are completely out of touch with people’s worries.

The Chancellor needs to take action in next week’s Budget by cutting people’s energy bills by £500, and putting in place a proper plan to get our economy growing fairly and sustainably.

BP boss pay doubles: Sunak must bring in bonus tax now

The Liberal Democrats have demanded that the government bring in a tax on the bonuses of oil and gas company bosses, following the news that the chief executive of BP’s pay doubled to £10m.

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Mark Valladares

9 March 2023 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 9th March 2023 - 10:50 pm
  • Davey: Shell boss £10m pay packet shows need for “bonanza bonus” tax
  • HS2 Delay Must Trigger Barnett Consequential Funding for Wales

Davey: Shell boss £10m pay packet shows need for “bonanza bonus” tax

The Liberal Democrats have reiterated their calls for a tax on the bonuses of oil and gas company bosses, following the news that the former chief executive of Shell’s pay rose more than 50% to nearly £10m in 2022.

Shell announced today that former chief executive Ben van Beurden received a bonus of £2.6m in 2022, up from £2.2m the previous year. Under Liberal Democrat plans, this would be taxed at …

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Mark Valladares

3 March 2023 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 3rd March 2023 - 10:35 pm
  • Elderly fraud victims in Wales losing £35,000 a day to “tidal wave” of scams
  • Government’s refusal to confirm further energy support payments leaves people “living in limbo”
  • Partygate: Prime Minister must back Committee’s findings

Elderly fraud victims in Wales losing £35,000 a day to “tidal wave” of scams

Elderly fraud victims are facing a “tidal wave of scams” with losses of over £35,000 million a day, shocking new figures uncovered by the Welsh Liberal Democrats have revealed.

The party accused the Conservatives of being “asleep at the wheel” in the fight against fraud, and called for an urgent strategy to protect victims including the vulnerable and elderly from online scams.

The figures were revealed through a Freedom of Information request by the Welsh Liberal Democrats to Action Fraud, covering all fraud cases where the victim was 65 or older over the past four years. They show a staggering £51.2 million has been lost in total, meaning over-65s across Wales are losing £35,087 to fraud each day.

The analysis shows that elderly fraud is on the rise, jumping from 1,847 recorded cases in 2019 up to 3,366 cases in 2022. Financial losses were also at a new high in 2022 – with pensioners losing nearly £16.5 million, up from £6.8 million in 2021.

Since the beginning of 2019, more than 12,000 cases of fraud against pensioners have been logged in Wales.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised the Conservative Government for shirking its responsibility to tackle fraud. The Home Office has failed to publish the Fraud Strategy it promised in March 2022, which replaced 2021 plans for a national Fraud Action Plan that never materialised.

The party is demanding that the Government urgently publish its Fraud Strategy after months of delays. They are also calling for the creation of an Online Crime Agency that would coordinate work across the country on tackling online fraud.

Commenting on the shocking figures, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

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Mark Valladares

1 March 2023 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 1st March 2023 - 11:45 pm
  • PAC NHS report: Targets simply aren’t worth the paper they’re written on
  • Lockdown files: Rees-Mogg got Covid test couriered to own home
  • St. David’s Day – Welsh Liberal Democrats Call on Other Parties to Back Bill to Make St. David’s Day a public holiday
  • Hancock messages “lay bare the chaos at the heart of the Govt”
  • PMQs: Sunak refuses to cut energy bills
  • Hancock messages: How many more ministers received priority tests?
  • Williamson’s text solidifies his place as one of the worst Ministers to grace Government

PAC NHS report: Targets simply aren’t worth the paper they’re written on

Responding to the embargoed Public Accounts Committee report which finds the first year of NHS England’s three-year recovery programme is already falling short of expectations, Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

It‘s broken promise after broken promise when it comes to this government and the NHS.

The public has lost all faith in the Conservative government and can now see that its targets simply aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

Lockdown files: Rees-Mogg got Covid test couriered to own home

Responding to reports in the Telegraph that Jacob Rees-Mogg had a Covid test couriered to his home by health officials during a national shortage, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

This is yet more evidence that it’s one rule for Conservative ministers and another for everyone else.

The Covid inquiry must look into reports Conservative ministers were able to get priority access to tests at a time of national shortage. Rishi Sunak must also confirm what he knew about this scandal. The public deserves to know the truth.

St. David’s Day – Welsh Liberal Democrats Call on Other Parties to Back Bill to Make St. David’s Day a public holiday

This St David’s Day, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have reiterated their calls for the day to become a public holiday in Wales urging other political parties to back a Bill they have put to parliament that would allow the Senedd to designate the day as such.

St David’s Day is currently only a patron saint day and does not have any legal standing. Meanwhile, in Scotland and Ireland St Andrew’s Day and St Patrick’s Day respectively are already public holidays.

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Mary Reid

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus

By Mary Reid | Wed 1st March 2023 - 11:21 am

Happy St David’s Day!

When I was in school in Cardiff we used to hold an eisteddfod on the morning of March 1st (if it fell during the week) which would involve a lot of singing. Then the Governors would graciously grant us an afternoon off.

St David was born and spent his whole life in Wales, unlike the non-native saints of England and Scotland. There is plenty of historical evidence for his existence and his service as archbishop in the sixth century. He appears to have been a modest man living an ascetic life, but a charismatic speaker. His symbol is a white dove and he is known for the advice “Do ye the little things in life”, a good motto for community politics.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling for St David’s Day to be a public holiday in Wales. They have tabled a Bill to Parliament which would give the Senedd powers to designate a day as such. St Andrew’s Day and St Patrick’s Day are already public holidays in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru all support St David’s Day becoming a public holiday, but it has been continuously blocked by the Westminster Conservative Government.

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Mark Valladares

15-16 February 2023 – two day’s worth of press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 16th February 2023 - 11:10 pm
  • Welsh Lib Dems Respond to Welsh Dental Report
  • Inflation Stats: Hard-working people are paying the price for Conservative incompetence
  • British Gas profits: A betrayal for customers across the country

Welsh Lib Dems Respond to Welsh Dental Report

Responding to the publication of the Health and Social Care Committee report on dentistry in Wales, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

I welcome the publication of this report and its recommendations. Since being elected I have made securing access to NHS dentistry one of my top priorities and the issue regularly fills my inbox.

NHS dental provision in Wales is not good enough, and this report raises really important questions about the reasons why Labour has allowed a two-tier dental system in Wales to develop, where the rich can go private and everyone else is left languishing on waiting lists.

I am also disappointed to hear that relations between Welsh Government and the dental profession are at a low point when, to deal with both the effects of the pandemic and the longer-term structural problems in NHS dentistry, we need Government and dentists to work together.

Ultimately we need to ensure the resources are in place to fix this problem, including raising spend on dentistry per head to similar levels as Scotland or Northern Ireland as I argued for in the most recent Welsh Government budget debate. By failing to address this issue now Labour is potentially creating a longer-term problem.

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