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Andrew RT Davies lashes out at Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru at Tory conference

29 Sep 2024 3 minute read
Andrew RT Davies, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Senedd group. Photo Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

The leader of the Welsh Conservative group in the Senedd has lashed out at the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru during the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.

Andrew RT Davies said the Labour Party was holding Wales back at a conference panel event, and claimed Plaid Cymru presents a “mirage” to voters.

After attacking the Welsh Government’s handling of the health service and education, Mr Davies turned to the topic of the 20-mph default speed limit introduced just over a year ago, which he claimed prompted Welsh voters to put their “imagination and thought” into “where these decisions are being taken”.

Alien

He added: “The one thing that stands out to me about politicians making decisions in Wales that is alien to what the people of Wales want was the speed limit of 20mph across the length and breadth of Wales, where a petition of half a million individuals, unheard of in the Senedd’s history, signed up to say ‘we believe that this should be outside schools, hospitals and care homes, sensitive sites, but this national speed limit is devastating for the economy’.

“By their own figures, £9 billion taken out of the economy, and ultimately will not bring those casualty rates down, which we all want to see.

“And it will be a devastating blow across Wales.

“And it really did focus people’s imagination and thought as to where these decisions are being taken, for the first time, in many instances.”

Utopia

Turning his sights onto Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Conservatives’ Senedd leader told delegates and activists: “Any nationalist party has not made that economic argument, whether it be in Wales, whether it be in Scotland, or Northern Ireland.

“They’ll make the one argument about independence and this utopia, this mirage that they want to create, to the voters.

“But the reality is when it comes to the economics of it, all four parts of the union working together benefit from being one identity, one banner, one United Kingdom, sharing the resources of the union.

“And let’s not forget the union is the most successful union socially, culturally or economically that you will find anywhere in the modern world, so instead of trying to dismantle that, we as unionists should make sure that we’re fighting the separatists of any part of this country.”

Wipeout

Earlier today Mr Davies said the Conservative Party must change quickly or “die”, following the total wipeout its MPs suffered in Wales during the general election in July.

As well as failings on immigration, voters in Wales were turned off by the party’s “dogmatic” stance on the economy, Mr Davies suggested.

He said the Welsh public are “inherently conservative”, and “if the party returns to its values, it will win them over”.


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Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
11 days ago

There was no chance of him humiliating himself in front of a hall full of Unionist propaganda gulpers who would be asking who the hell he is but what is clear is that he started this elimination of Cymru exercise at the Vale show weeks after the Tory wipeout and is now selling our nations’ shutdown to the dictatorship. ‘Thou shalt not reject us any longer, we shalt be enforced upon you and thou shalt have no choice’. Good luck with that stupid boy and wake up Cymru! If we are not on the precipice of freedom by the end… Read more »

Llyn
Llyn
11 days ago

“let’s not forget the union [United Kingdom] is the most successful union socially, culturally or economically that you will find anywhere in the modern world” – what about the United States of America?

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
10 days ago
Reply to  Llyn

RT won’t let the facts get in the way of a blanket lie.

Erisian
Erisian
10 days ago
Reply to  Llyn

You cannot be serious. The USA with it’s division and abysmal Electoral College can hardly be described as a success for anyone except the very wealthy, and is about to tear itself appart!

Jklwms
Jklwms
11 days ago

If the truth be told, no Unionist can point to any economic argument, whether it be in Wales, whether it be in Scotland, or Northern Ireland. They just say it won’t work out but they cannot point to any calculations. Show us the sums, and then argue your point!!

Llyn
Llyn
11 days ago

20mph “we believe that this should be outside schools, hospitals and care homes, sensitive sites”? What are “sensitive sites”? Last week the Welsh Tories said 20mph should be in “heavily pedestrianised areas”. I really don’t think they have a clue where they want 20mph zones.

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
10 days ago
Reply to  Llyn

No, and they still haven’t explained why 20 is blanket and 30 isn’t.

S Duggan
S Duggan
11 days ago

Hmm … ,”he Union is the most successful socially, culturally and economically” . Well, 1/ Cymru didn’t have much choice in the matter, we didn’t enter freely, whether it’s successful or not, and 2/ try telling that to those suffering poverty and deprivation in Cymru and those areas that needed massive EU financial help (and still do, but can no longer access it). Davies is a stooge who should not be representing Cymru in any shape or form.

Last edited 11 days ago by S Duggan
Nia James
Nia James
10 days ago

I have never heard this man say one positive word about Wales. I would have written Cymru but I don’t want Andrew RT calling me a separatist, who he seems determined to fight. All very bellicose and macho!

Jeff
Jeff
10 days ago

He has the prospective new leaders to impress. He is looking to keep his job.

John Ellis
John Ellis
10 days ago
Reply to  Jeff

If the kite that he’s rumoured to be flying in asking Tory party members in Wales whether they’d back the scrapping of devolution, he’s arguably torpedoing his own future political career. Of course he might be thinking that he could conceivably secure nomination as the Conservative candidate for a Westminster seat somewhere in Wales. But (a) there aren’t that many Westminster seats in Wales which are a safe bet for a Tory to win, and (b) you can bet that he’d face keen competition for any that might look remotely winnable and he’s hardly the brightest sparkler in the Tory… Read more »

Jeff
Jeff
10 days ago
Reply to  John Ellis

I was rather bemused how he got the post in the first place, the other Mr Davies did the decent thing however I saw no malice in the event and more concerned that the staff were protected (imagine that Boris had the same morals). But No10 certainly looked at what they wanted in Wales and made sure it happened it seems. Don’t forget Cummings in the mix, and ARTD is beholden to central office. Same control on how we got Wallis I expect. I am not sure he is the political giant he thinks he is and this is all… Read more »

Annibendod
Annibendod
10 days ago

Man is living in upside-down fantasy la la land. What an embarrassement.

Iolo Llewelyn
Iolo Llewelyn
10 days ago

According to the article above, Mr Davies stated that ‘By their own figures, £9 billion taken out of the economy, and ultimately will not bring those casualty rates down, which we all want to see’ As usual he is overstating the projected cost of introducing 20 mph limits in Wales. The Regulatory Impact Assessment’s (RIA) central estimate of the net cost of the policy was £2.9bn over 30 years. It’s unclear where Mr Davies’ figures come from. The RIA does state that the worst-case estimate of the gross cost (which doesn’t take into account potential savings e g from reduced… Read more »

Garycymru
Garycymru
10 days ago

It’s pretty easy to see why he was so against the lying in the Senedd rule.
Come on now, how many more times does one have to demonstrate that they’re a complete fraud with not one iota of honesty, until some sort of action is taken against them?

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