Assembly Member for Aberconwy and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government, Janet Finch-Saunders, issued a ‘call to arms’ ahead of the forthcoming local government elections in her address to the Conservative Spring Forum in Cardiff this Friday.
Speaking ahead of the Conference, Janet said:
“For too long, Welsh Labour, propped up by Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems, have overseen the decimation and collapse of their public services whilst hitting our hardworking families with extortionate council tax rises.
“It is no wonder that the ‘happiness gap’ is widest in some Welsh authorities than anywhere else in the UK, and satisfaction in council services has fallen 4% - our hardworking residents pay more of their income towards council tax than anyone living in England or Scotland, yet see services diminishing almost daily.
“In the past three years, more than 1 in 5 public toilets in Wales has been closed, 2 pubs a week are closing, and our community centres – many much-valued local assets – are under serious threat as they simply do not have the protections afforded to them under the Localism agenda in England.
“The Conservative UK Government has consistently delivered for the people of Wales – recently cutting income tax for 1.4m residents alongside real wages increases predicted for every year to 2020.
“And we will deliver in local government too – the people of Wales have had enough of Labour’s top-down, centralising diktat, and Plaid Cymru’s service cuts and council tax hikes – on May 4th, the Welsh Conservatives are the only party offering a real alternative to paying more and receiving less!”
ENDS
Notes
Janet Finch-Saunders AM addressed the Conference on Friday afternoon, as part of the ‘A Wales That Works for Everyone’ session
Video available here: https://youtu.be/YZYPi_pqMcs
The Member’s speech in full:
[Check against final delivery]
A WALES THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE
I am delighted to address you here today, and to have held the seat of Aberconwy at the Assembly elections last year for the first time since devolution.
And intending to take it again next time.
Why? Because:
The reality is…
18 years of Welsh Labour in Government in Wales has repeatedly failed this nation…
And 18 years of Local Government under Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru has failed our communities…
Council Tax again this year rising by another 4%....
Representing a massive average increase of 178% since ‘97…
In Aberconwy – a 230% increase in council tax payable.
Fact: the highest proportion of take home pay spent on Council Tax in the UK is here in Wales.
This at a time when we are seeing the withdrawal and demise of many of our vital public services, led by a rudderless Labour Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay, out of touch with communities, out of their depth in delivery.
1 in 5 public toilets, 2 pubs a week, all closed….
Many of our community centres – our village halls, libraries, our much valued local assets – now at serious risk of closure.
In Conwy, bin collections reduced to a four-weekly cycle… already causing our families, our pensioners, misery and dismay…
More rubbish accumulating on our streets…
Increased fly tipping…
It is no surprise then that our householders feel that they are simply paying more, and receiving less.
Welsh Labour simply do not get Local Government!
They do not understand localism.
Often neglecting the voices of our local people, who know best how they want to improve the communities in which they live.
Over the past five years, in holding the role of Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government, I have whole-heartedly scrutinised, challenged and exposed the failings of a Welsh Labour Government in disarray, a rudderless ship, which lacks direction at its highest echelons.
Four, yes four, Welsh Labour Ministers over just five years, have held this portfolio…
All failing to even grasp the basics of the collaboration agenda – conjuring up a model of reform that would have seen our local services centralised like never before….and riding roughshod over established community boundaries.
And now a complete U-turn, as we hurtle again towards a new model of local government reform that see an additional tier of regional working, increased bureaucracy and, again, on a basis of no financial assessment, no idea of efficiency savings, and not a clue as to how democracy and accountability will be maintained.
Welsh Labour do however they excel in one area…wasting our taxpayers’ money!
Spending £1.6m on council propaganda newspapers…
Over £1.5bn cost to the taxpayer for Welsh Labour local authority PFI building schemes, that in reality have a base value of just £308m.
And for all their talk on support for the most vulnerable and poor in our communities, Plaid Cymru and Labour in Local Government have spent 5-and-a-half million pounds fighting against equal pay entitlements, submitted by our hardworking, frontline women.
Many on the lowest pay bands…..
These councils preferring to fund legal disputes than handing that money over to those who have worked for it, are entitled to it, and it is their money!
Dinner ladies, lollipop ladies, social workers – this money is rightfully theirs, and it is shameful that some have waited up to 10 years.
Today, there are still 557 outstanding claims owed to these women in Wales. This is 47 years after the equal pay act. Shame on Welsh Labour!
Welsh Conservatives value Local Government, and we promote the meaningful devolution of power back to our communities and our people.
As Assembly Members, we know too, that to many of our constituents, Local Government and the delivery of their vital local services means considerably more to them than the inner workings of the Cardiff Bay bubble and the Welsh Labour Government.
Welsh Conservatives will continue standing up for our residents…
Fighting hard for the delivery of efficient, consistent and high-quality essential services…
And we will seize the opportunity that May the 4th will bring.
It’s time for a new vision, a Welsh Conservative vision…
And one that delivers…
I am extremely proud of our Welsh Conservative Party Local Government Manifesto.
And I am even more proud of the record of our Welsh Conservative Councillors across Wales.
Too many to name, but who already play their part in Cabinet, leading by example…
And others who work hard in holding Plaid Cymru and Labour-led authorities to account with robust scrutiny – standing up for those they represent and for whom they serve.
And a particular tribute to one Welsh Conservative Councillor – a true epitome of true Conservative values. Serving his community with diligence, enthusiasm and commitment for nearly 4 decades, and who is standing down in 6 weeks’ time.
Congratulations, well done, and thank you Cllr Jeff James MBE.
And we have a new generation of councillors…ready, willing and able candidates, pounding the streets, prepared to empower local communities and fight for their residents across the nation after decades of managed decline by Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru.
We have a clear and determined vision to provide a local government agenda that will respect our council tax payers, will support our frontline workers, and will put localism back in the hands of our people.
We will oppose costly and unnecessary local government reform…
We will tackle waste and bureaucracy to keep council tax down, putting that money back into the pockets of hardworking families and pensioners…
We will follow the model set by Monmouthshire in increasing transparency – publishing details of all council spending online, empowering our residents to know how their money is spent.
And we will safeguard services for those who are most vulnerable in Welsh society…including our older people.
All this, whilst creating a brighter future for generations, supporting schools, and empowering our children to grow to learn, and to succeed.
And YES, Conference, friends, candidates, voters – we will ensure that your bins at least fortnightly!
So if you want Local Government that believes in the sound delivery of your vital services…
If you want localism and a voice in your local authority, your town or community council…
If you believe in democratic accountability, financial probity and transparency on the spend of your council tax…
Then on May the 4th – vote Welsh Conservative Party Candidate – Ymgeisydd Plaid Geidwadol Cymru!