PCC candidate accused of ‘weaving fictional arguments’ about 20mph speed limit
Emily Price
A Tory Police and Crime Commissioner candidate has been accused of “weaving fictional arguments” about the 20mph default speed limit in the “vain hope” of being elected.
South Wales PCC candidate, George Carroll was criticised for a campaign video in which he suggested voting for him is a vote against Wales’ controversial 20mph speed limit which was rolled out in September last year.
A PCCs aim is to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service within their police force area.
They have no power to alter default speed limits or make laws.
PCCs are among the best paid elected officials in Wales. The current PCC for south Wales, Alun Michael, is paid £86,700.
Mr Carroll is also a senior advisor to Welsh Tory leader, Andrew RT Davies and is a Vale of Glamorgan councillor.
‘Dangerous’
In a campaign video posted to X, he said: “The blanket policy that’s been imposed on Wales is disproportionate and should be scrapped.
“In many cases, it makes our roads more dangerous and less safe. Of course there are places where 20mph is an appropriate speed, like outside schools and hospitals.
“And in fact I’ve called for 20mph to be introduced on certain roads long before this blanket policy was ever drawn up.
“In this election you have a clear choice. There are four candidates. There’s Labour, the Lib Dems, Plaid and there’s me.
“The reason we have 20mph limits in Wales is because Labour, Plaid and the Lib Dems voted to impose them in the Senedd.
“Only Welsh Conservatives voted against. So if you want to vote against blanket 20mph on May 2nd – lend me your vote.”
I do not support the 20mph policy Labour, Plaid and the Lib Dems imposed on Wales.
Here’s my view 👇 pic.twitter.com/mfFPsKbgPj
— George Carroll (@George4SWales) April 9, 2024
‘Hoodwinked’
An image of the PCC hopeful smiling whilst holding a 20 is plenty sign was shared beneath the video by the 20’s Plenty for Us campaign group.
It was taken in 2018 when he attended a meeting with Campaign Founder and Director, Rod King alongside Andrew RT Davies.
Mr King told us that the newly devolved power to set a national limit was a feature of the meeting and that Mr Carroll and the Welsh Tory leader “leapt at the photo opportunity”.
He said: “His [Mr Carroll’s] claim of wanting it just outside schools and hospitals is the exact opposite of what he and his party supported and called for from 2018 to 2021.
“At the meeting with Andrew RT Davies both were very pleased to be associated with the campaign which their party so readily campaigned for and leapt at the photo opportunity provided.
“And furthermore the making of laws is outside the responsibility of a Police and Crime Commissioner.”
Mr Carroll says the campaign director, “may have mentioned” a national limit at the meeting in 2018 but added that he “genuinely cannot remember” because “it was years ago”.
Mr King says the Welsh Conservatives are weighing prospective votes “against the lives of Welsh people”.
He said: “George Carroll’s video on 20mph limits in Wales shows how voters are being hoodwinked by unscrupulous politicians weaving fictional arguments against beneficial community changes in the vain hope of being elected.
“He starts off by calling it a ‘blanket’ policy when he knows that the Senedd Standards Commission has ruled this as inaccurate.
“He calls for it to be scrapped, yet what has been implemented is the identical legislation which he and most of his party promoted and supported from 2018 when the UK Conservative Government devolved the setting of national speed limits to Senedd. Without a shred of evidence he claims it makes roads more dangerous.”
He added: “it is a tragedy for Wales that a respected party is now stooping so low as to weigh prospective votes against the lives of Welsh people and liveability in Welsh communities.
“To compound this with falsehoods as seen in George Carroll’s video is depressing. At these times what Wales and the rest of the UK needs is constructive policies rather than divisive gas-lighting.”
PCC elections will take place in Wales on May 2.
Other candidates standing in the South Wales PCC election are, Sam Bennett for the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Dennis Clarke for Plaid Cymru and Emma Wools for the Labour Party.
Mr Carroll was invited to comment.
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Conservative pick, wouldn’t vote for him ever. 20 is a ploy. You still get a tory stooge in place following orders.
Here we go again, “20 mph Blanket Speed Limit”. The connection to Arty D says it all. What an absolute hypocrite.
I have recently driven in England and Scotland, where there are MANY roads with 20 mph limits and not only outside schools and hospitals. People in both countries are ridiculing those Welsh idiots who are kicking up a fuss about what will undoubtedly save lives
If you are going to tell a wopper – make it a big one – the practice goes.
In northern Walea we have U turn Janet Finch Saunders – who unlike her heroine Mrs Thatcher was for turning on this community saftey issue.
Surely Alun Michael has enough money by now for a healthy retirement. He is 80 years old.
He has no powers to change the 20mph speed Limit – FACT
Looks like the education system has seriously failed this young man unless he attended the RT school for idiots where he gained merits & a degree. Seriously though, just what is the point of these PCCs? I’ve written before that in the beginning they were meant to be a liaison between the public & the police service where grievances could be aired & practical solutions put in place. It seems though that the only time you hear from a PCC is when backing the chief constables in calling for the annual rise in the police precept. Here in Gwent it… Read more »
A Tory standing to be elected as the South Wales Police and crime commissioner is someone who misleads the public with misinformation (blanket). This should disqualify him but as that won’t happen, the voters will have to do it themselves by rejecting him at the ballot box.
Sooner or later, the plethora of factions currently masquerading as the Conservative and Unionist Party, will have to wake up to the fact that dog-whistles have an expiry date, after which, blowing the same one just draws scorn to the lazy, morally bankrupt fool who blows it because he has no real policies, ideas or anything sensible to say.
That is the perfectly written truth about dog whistling. The expiry date is usually the same day it’s blown. I thought the term ‘Whistleblower’ had been repurposed to describe the actions of the ridiculously large amount of Tory MPs but never mind, the noise of their collective dog whistling will be a lot quieter after the general election.
To say the PCC candidate, george carroll, is “weaving fictional arguments” about the 20mph default speed limit is being too kind to him! He is, imo, blatantly lying and this should automatically disqualify him from being able to stand for the position! It is all to easy for those elected*, of all political persuasions, to basically lie to the electorate, to the general public and for it to be “okay” because it’s “political opinion” or “what they believe.” This is something that truly needs reform but for that to happen would require those in power to give up a great… Read more »