Former leader rejects Welsh Conservatives
The Welsh Conservatives have been denounced by their former leader, with one time AM and MP Rod Richards announcing he will not be voting Tory in next month’s Welsh election.
Mr Richards said he had “no regard whatsoever” for the current Conservative assembly leader Nick Bourne and had made the “positive decision” not to support them in the assembly election campaign.
In an interview with Parliamentary Monitor magazine, Mr Richards, who resigned as an AM in 2002, said the assembly is unfortunately still a “pussycat’s parlour”.
“Even more than the House of Commons the assembly suffers from people whose backgrounds don’t enhance or enrich the debate,” he said.
Mr Richards continued: “I will not be voting in the assembly elections because nobody standing represents me or my views and I have taken a positive decision to abstain, which shows my disdain for the way the assembly is operating.
“I certainly won’t be voting Conservative because they don’t deserve it and have no credibility in my view.”
The Welsh Conservatives declined to comment on Mr Richards’ comments, and were today campaigning in north Wales promising to make more use of the assembly’s powers.
If elected, the Tories would save local hospital services while piloting nurse-led NHS walk-in centres. Other plans include regenerating north Wales seaside resorts, and establishing a Museum of Celtic Civilisation and a theatre for English-language drama in Mold.
They would also use assembly powers to give the Welsh language official status and want £100 a year council tax rebates for pensions and improved transport links.
“Welsh Conservatives want to end the north-south divide which Labour has built up after eight years in government,” said Conservative leader Nick Bourne.
The Liberal Democrats have also been campaigning in north Wales, where they have been persuading local communities to harness tidal power to meet Lib Dem targets for 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050.
Leader Lembit Opik said: “Wales has great natural resources. For me that potential should mean that there are pound signs flashing in front of the local community, workforce and businesses.”
For schemes to work they must benefit local communities, Mr Opik added, calling on local producers to take the lead.
The Lib Dems also today unveiled their manifesto for business, including sunset clauses on regulations that impact on business, targeted tax credits and use of corporation tax.
Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru have been campaigning to enhance links between north and south Wales, with plans to create a National Science Academy split between two sites as a part of a plan to spread prosperity across Wales.
Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones: “The whole of Wales needs a fresh approach to our economy if we are to ensure we become a green and prosperous land.
“Plaid’s vision for Wales can only be realised if the workforce has the necessary skills to take up new job opportunities and use their skills and their earnings to transform their own lives and communities.”
And Labour have been pledging to invest £450 million in new social housing, creating an additional 6,500 affordable homes.
Social justice minister Edwina Hart described housing as “crucial” to community regeneration and Welsh Labour want to legislate to maintain a pool of rental housing, as well as identifying land for development.
First Minister Rhodri Morgan said: “Welsh Labour’s plans add up to a substantial programme of action to ensure that the pool of affordable housing is substantially increased.
“It builds on the Homebuy scheme which we have already introduced to help first-time buyers to get a foot on the housing ladder, and the new planning guidance we brought in during the last Assembly term to make it easier to build affordable housing.”
With the four-party system accepted by voters and a proportional representation element to the poll, it is unlikely any of the major parties will emerge with a firm majority on May 4th.
The Conservatives and Labour are willing to form a coalition with anyone except each other. Despite Labour telling voters to “Vote Plaid, Get Tories”, Plaid Cymru deny they would work under a Tory first minister.
