Welsh Liberal Democrats held their Conference in Cardiff this weekend. You can read part one of the round-up here.

Support for farmers

Welsh farmers have been completely done over by both the UK Conservative Government and the Welsh Labour Government in many ways in recent years, not least post Brexit trade deals. Conference turned its attention to the post Brexit reform of payments to farmers.

Conference called for a fairer and more workable farming payment scheme.

Last Wednesday thousands of farmers held a protest in Cardiff against the Welsh Government’s funding proposals, which included the controversial Sustainable Farming Scheme.

In their draft budget for the 2024 financial year, the Welsh Labour Government announced that they were cutting the Rural Affairs budget by 13%, equivalent to a loss of £62 million in funding.

Jane Dodds said:

Our stance as a party has always been to stand up for the interests of our farming communities here in Wales, and this still hasn’t changed.

I know from first-hand experience that many farmers earnestly support the desire to make nature-friendly farming the standard across Wales.

But when they are being presented with something as complex as the Sustainable Farming Scheme, these farmers are at the same time rightfully anxious about the prospect of transitioning.

We must offer them a viable and sustainable scheme that aims to build resilience and bolster thriving rural economies. Whilst at the same time prioritising the Welsh Language.

The current Sustainable Farming Scheme offered by Welsh Labour falls dramatically short of delivering these key priorities.

We cannot afford to alienate our farming community, particularly when they are willing to work with us in transitioning to a greener approach to farming.

Ynys Mon PPC Leena Farhat said:

We as a party recognise that our farms are the lifeblood of Wales, without them, we as a nation would be hopelessly lost.

It is concerning that Welsh Labour have failed to provide a comprehensive long-term plan for agriculture, a core sector of Wales, despite being in government for 25 years.

The future of the Welsh agriculture industry, and rural Wales as a whole, hinges on the presence of a fair, effective, and appropriate funding scheme.

Regrettably, the current Sustainable Farming Scheme, offered by this Welsh Labour Government, not only proves unworkable but also poses a threat to the future livelihoods of numerous families within the sector.

It is disheartening to witness our farmers being made scapegoats by Labour Ministers in Cardiff Bay, who repeatedly demonstrate a profound lack of understanding of rural areas’ needs.

Over the years, their governance has failed to address the fundamental challenges facing our agricultural communities.

The Tories’ claim to champion farmers’ interests is laughable, particularly given their readiness to sacrifice them in favour of expediting questionable trade deals.

Their track record hardly reflects a commitment to safeguarding the welfare of our farmers.

Farmers deserve sincere and transparent support.

They deserve politicians who prioritise their well-being and livelihoods over political expediency.

It is time for a change, a change that places the interests of our agricultural communities at the forefront of policy making.

Industrial strategy

The Welsh economy has been hit by several mass job cuts in the past few months, such as the axing of 2,800 jobs by Tata Steel in Port Talbot and the loss of 100 jobs from Nidec Control Techniques in Newtown.

Conference passed a motion calling on the UK Government to implement a proactive industrial strategy aimed at supporting current existing industries whilst also pushing for modernisation and a transition to greener initiatives.

The party also wants the Welsh Government to provide additional emergency funding and retraining programmes to mitigate the damages caused by the recent mass job cuts.

Jane Dodds said:

On behalf of our party, I would like to send our heartfelt condolences to those facing the daunting possibility of losing their jobs in both Port Talbot and in Newtown.

The impact of these job cuts will be felt across local communities, in homes and businesses that rely on the income of those working at these sites.

The recent job losses announced by both Tata Steel and Nidec Control Techniques are a direct consequence of political inaction and callous indifference from our governments.

By aimlessly throwing money at a problem without any sort of clear strategy, the Tories have shown just how little they truly care about the fate of the Welsh worker.

We can no longer afford to follow the same old approach, we need change and urgent action.

We need a long-term vision for industry both here in Wales and UK wide.

We need the UK Government to not just blindly inject money, but to invest funds whilst at the same time develop a proactive strategy.

We also need the Welsh Government to step up and support those struggling with recent job losses by providing additional funding and retraining programmes.

Our Welsh workers are not collateral damage, they are people with families who now more than ever need our support and backing.