Speaking at the Welsh Conservative Party Conference, I called on the First Minister to end his post-Brexit prophecies of doom and gloom, and to provide the people of Wales with the words of confidence and optimism needed to lead the nation to success.
I stated that “Behind their empty rhetoric about Social Justice,” Labour Welsh Government “has delivered: the lowest prosperity levels per head in the UK; the highest level of people not in employment; the highest level of under employment; the highest percentage of employees not on permanent contracts; rates of low pay, poverty, child poverty and children living in long term workless households above UK levels, and an increased percentage of children living in workless households in Wales’ most deprived communities.”
My speech concluded “Welsh Conservatives recognise that local services should be shaped around the needs of the community and want to put power back in the hands of local people. After all, as young people inspired by the Princes Trust said at an Assembly event this week, ‘the world is full of opportunities, we live in a really exciting time – come on, the sky’s the limit’.”
At the Conference I also Chaired the Leonard Cheshire Disability event discussing Social Care in Wales, spoke at the Oxfam Cymru and Chwarae Teg event discussing how government and business can best deliver decent work that advances equality, met Age Cymru, Guide Dogs Cymru and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and attended the 'Wales and Brexit: The Future of Investment Business’ event.
Speaking in the Assembly, I called for a Statement on police funding, where police forces must contribute to the Apprenticeship Levy and Police Forces in England can then access funding through a digital account, but Welsh Government policy prevents police forces in Wales from doing this.
Speaking in the Debate on the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales, I expressed concern that the Welsh Government has rejected the need for this to become a statutory independent body, and for its remit to include housing land supply and supporting infrastructure.
Other Assembly engagements included Chairing the Cross Party Group on Disability, British Heart Foundation Cymru, and meetings with the Centre for Social Justice’s Family Policy Division and the Sova 'Visiting Mum' project for mothers in prison.
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