Tag Archives: welsh liberal democrat conference 2018

Defiant in the face of the storm, Welsh Liberal Democrats meet in Aberystwyth

By Jane Dodds | Mon 15th October 2018 - 8:15 am

When some of Aberystwyth beach is on the road outside the venue of the Welsh Party conference, you know things are not quite right. The rain and wind in Wales this weekend has been dire, with roads closed, train lines down and houses flooded. At least two of our party members experienced flooding of their houses, and those of us who travelled to and from the conference experienced delays, and many did not even get to us.

But, along with the exceptional weather, we had an exceptional Autumn conference. Vince Cable and Sal Brinton battled to get to us and we are so grateful. Two campaign Federal Party staff also endured bus replacement services to be with us to support us. Your Liberal Britain ran two workshops. Welsh superstars (the Williams’ trio) – Kirsty Williams, Roger Williams and Mark Williams were in attendance.

We had debates on protecting rural Wales, a more equal Wales, dumping of nuclear waste, prostate cancer. We had a Q and A with the only Liberal Democrat in the country changing lives of people from government, in Kirsty Williams, our Education Cabinet Secretary; she told us of the newly launched rural school scheme called ‘e-sgol’ (Welsh word for school is ysgol, which means ladder) – using IT to connect children in rural areas to teachers in specialist subjects.

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Jane Dodds: Lib Dems offer hope and optimism to Wales

By The Voice | Sun 15th April 2018 - 7:50 am

Welsh Liberal Democrats have been gathering in Cardiff this weekend for their first Spring Conference since Jane Dodds was elected leader.

She used her first keynote speech to showcase how Liberal Democrats could offer hope to those who are struggling, as the South Wales Argus reports:

While she didn’t shy away from the party’s recent troubles, saying “There’s no denying we’ve had a difficult few years”, Ms Dodds added: “While the wounds of the last few years are still visible, we are still fighting.”

And she said one of the party’s top priorities must be to battle homelessness and poverty.

“As the nasty party in Westminster doggedly pursue deeper cuts in public finances, we see vulnerable people scraping by to survive, without access to public services, with no hope for their future,” she said.

“We need to give them that hope.”

On Brexit, she said: “We have to be clear in our opposition to this government’s disastrous handling of the biggest decision our country has faced in a generation.

“And, that whether we like it or not, Wales voted to leave the EU.

“But, and it’s a big but, it was not on the basis that we would leave under any circumstances.”

Concluding, she said: “We need to make sure we have the ideas in place that address the needs of communities and people living in Wales, and we have to translate these ideas into winning votes.

Her speech won praise from Willie Rennie:

Great first conference speech from new @WelshLibDems Leader Jane Dodds. Heart felt on social issues of homelessness and loneliness combined with pride on Lib Dem delivery in @WelshGovernment on nursing, class sizes and education with @Kirsty_Williams pic.twitter.com/pX4fOIDNG1

— Willie Rennie (@willie_rennie) April 14, 2018