Andrew RT Davies mocked after X poll backfires
Emily Price
The Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies has been mocked after an online poll which he launched asking for the people of Wales to give their opinion on the 20mph limit backfired.
The leader of the opposition posted the poll to X (formally known as Twitter) on Monday
(September 18) with the caption: “Everyone seems to have an opinion on Labour’s blanket 20mph speed limits. So let’s do a poll! Do YOU support blanket 20mph?”
The poll ran for a day and the results showed that the majority of people who voted were in favour of the new 20mph default speed limit.
Almost 20,000 votes were cast with the final results showing 57.2 percent voted ‘yes’ in support of the road regulation, whilst 42.8 percent voted ‘no’.
Mr Davies shared the results of the poll but appeared to disregard the count, instead referencing an ITV poll which found two thirds of people in Wales are against the new 20mph speed limit.
Opposition
In a post he said: “Recent polling confirmed two thirds of the Welsh public oppose Labour’s blanket 20mph! Proof that Wales and X are not the same thing!”
The speed limit change which came into force at the weekend has been met with opposition by the Tory Party who have U-turned on their previous support for it.
Last week in the Senedd, the Welsh Conservatives led a debate and forced a vote in an attempt to scrap the introduction of the new default.
During the debate, Mr Davies defended a press image of himself holding a “20 is plenty” sign which he campaigned for in his area in 2018.
“Misrepresented”
On the results of the poll, Counsel General, Mick Antoniw said on social media: “20,000 participated in your poll - you misrepresented the policy yet still had a resounding response! Hmmmm.”
When asked by social media users why the leader of the opposition was disregarding the results of his own poll he responded: “Are you serious? One was a series poll, the other was a Twitter survey done for a bit of fun. You must understand the difference?”
Some social media users suggested that if the poll had found in Mr Davies’ favour, he would not have disregarded the results.
One X user said: “Would you be discounting it as a bit of fun if it hammered home your point of view? I think not.”
The Welsh Government expects the new default speed limit to result in 40 percent fewer road collisions, saving six to 10 lives every year and avoiding 1,200- 2,000 people being injured.
The Welsh Conservatives have claimed that the new speed limit will cost the economy in Wales billions of pounds.
But speaking at a Welsh Government press conference last week, Mark Drakeford said although there will be a one off cost of £32m, the road safety reform would save the NHS three times as much every year.
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Never voted Tory, never will, but I will give Welsh Conservatives this piece of advice, if you want the Conservative Party to have any chance, no matter how slight it will be, of forming a government in Wales, the first step would be to ditch that idiot. Personally I think he should stay as long as possible, his gaffes are so entertaining
Prime high profile idiocy tends to get votes as proved at Westmonster in 2019 so perhaps a bland anonymous type would dodge the voters radar.
Then let’s keep the idiot.
Let them take their chances with Ashgar perhaps, plan brown going great in San Steffan eh?
Plan brown?
‘Never interrupt an enemy when they are making a mistake’
I despair that ATD can keep whinging on – he has been thoroughly dishonest in his “blanket” comments, but this is of course in keeping with his problem of being both a stranger to the truth and the in-built ability to say nothing positive about anything. I’ve been out and about over the past few days and have been impressed with the discipline of drivers in observing the new limit. I have a fun idea. He is a member of the Senedd only by virtue of hiding behind his party label on the list. I wonder what would happen if… Read more »
How ironic. This made me chuckle lol. Conservative cliwn Andrew RT Davies hasn’t a clue. He just doesn’t get it. Never will in fact. No doubt he’ll say those voting yes in this poll are Marxists with a woke agenda rather that ones with common sense who understand that the reduction from 30mph to 20mph in built-up areas in Wales will save lives. Our children’s lives.. But no, he wants our children to die so that motorist can get to the lights slightly quicker. The Welsh Tories are playing party political games with lives in the hope they will strike… Read more »
Not to mention the more than quarter of a million who have signed that Senedd petition, most of whom whipped up into a frenzy by the right-wing media and Tories. Clearly dog whistle stuff, especially as that petition has been around some months with moderate support until about three days ago.
“3 days ago” Perhaps you have public transport, a bicycle and are fit and well?”1 minute on a journey” .Is that to the end of your road? 300,000 and rising, by people who have been seriously impacted in time and cost.Hopefully you will not be waiting for emergency services to reach you due to be unable to pass by a road block of vehicles ?The “seatbelt” imposition was not affected by higher fuel cost and more pollution etc.
Typical Tory, only accept a vote that has gone in their favour. We have had more than one vote on devolution and more powers and the people have voted yes and yes again, on both subjects, yet the Tories still call for the reversal of devolution. Anybody questioning the Brexit vote, that went the way of the Tories is either a traitor or they do not respect democracy, and the ” will of the people”. Hypocrisy is the Tory party.
Talking of traitors, I do wish Welsh Conservatives were not referred to as if they were a party. There is no such thing. Neither is there such a thing as a Welsh Tory.
You mean Twitter don’t you? Why should we go along with Elon Musk’s misguided rebranding?
So he ran a poll. Didn’t get the answer he wanted, so decried his own poll. Yet fully stands behind a petition for whom the majority of respondents are from outside of Cymru.
Funny that. It’s amazing on how variable “respectin’ polls and referendums” are where the tories are concerned
Gotta wonder why they are hanging their hat on this. It was a manifesto commitment. Are they trying to smear labour along with the ULEZ/Uxbridge, that is Wales Labour is a target by default but the wider target is Labour UK as they know they are probably looking at getting wiped out at the next GE. Have to say the results look very suspicious at the moment.
Ahh, but because those now disconsolate completely ignored the fact that it was there plain as daylight in Welsh Labour’s 2021 manifesto and the motion was passed by the Senedd in July 2022 after the Welsh Government had no doubt consulted with local authorities, who are democratically accountable, so therefore must have known about the proposals and no doubt did discuss the proposition with electors. I suspect that those from Cymru who are now complaining are largely from the 54.4% of electors who chose not to cast their vote in the 2021 Senedd elections, and yet what the Welsh Government… Read more »
Until Brexit, I would have agreed with the red rosette bit but there are reasons in the S Wales valleys. However post Brexit, the Cons see they can use social media to whip up hate and get their candidate across the line. My MP (crashes cars late at night and runs away), hopefully reversed back to red post next GE as he has proven useless, and the party as a whole no use to the area. But he got in on a lie.
“Almost 20,000 votes were cast with the final results showing 57.2 percent voted ‘yes’ in support of the road regulation,”
Yet 95.704% of 302,271 signatures (& rising ) people from Wales want the Welsh Government to rescind and remove the disastrous 20 mph law.
So 11,440 say yes
& 289,286 say no.
In a democracy, the no’s have it … but We do things differently in Wales.
Hey maybe we could really push the boat out and hold an election. Oh wait
The Tories want it both ways , accept the dodgy online petition, but ignore several elections, ran by the UK Gov, regarding devolution, which they want overturned. The Tories do it differently.
It’s very easy to claim to live in Wales, and use a Welsh postcode, which I suspect many have. It’s all rather suspicious that this particular petition has been around for some months and only really started to get any traction in the past three days, after the immanent introduction of the change became a news item in the right-wing media. The petition itself is obviously politically driven in that it refers negatively to socialism as if it had anything fundamentally to do with the introduction of a 20mph default speed limit. Clearly the petition itself is part of a… Read more »
“this particular petition has been around for some months and only really started to get any traction in the past three day” NO !! you need facts … This is the “Mark Baker from Bridgend,” petition & was created at “2023-09-07T07:16:46.” Currently standing at 327,644 signatures. ( 312,591 are from Wales ) 95.358% of 327,809 signatures; See https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/245548.json You are confusing it with one that was stopped early by the government in June, it had 21,000 signatures but was ignored. It’s not part of a right-wing or left-wing agenda, it’s people fed up with the way they are ignored by… Read more »
Democracy is a two way street. It works by people scrutinising manifestos and then making a choice at the ballot. It is not rule by the mob stirred up by RTDavies and other such idiots. I have no strong feelings on the 20mph laws but the current feeding frenzy of hate and personality assassination and blatant lies is disgusting.
“this particular petition has been around for some months and only really started to get any traction in the past three day” NO !! Padi you need you use facts … This is the “Mark Baker from Bridgend,” petition & was created at “2023-09-07T07:16:46.” Currently standing at 331,353 signatures. ( 315,832 are from Wales; 95.358% of 327,809 signatures ) & ‘gained traction’ on day one. You are confusing it with one that was stopped early by the government in June, it had 21,000 signatures but was ignored. It’s not part of a right-wing or left-wing agenda, it’s because people are… Read more »
315,832 signatures CLAIM they are from Wales. The petition site does not CHECK this. I downloaded the JSON raw data file and mapped it into a GIS view. Suspiciously, some places reported more votes against the speed limit, than that place has total residents. These, coincidentally, are often the places that English people would know about from holidays. It is not a reliable way to take account of the views of the people of Cymru. This is clearly a right-wing agenda, hijacking an inadequate system to try and undermine the democratic will of the people of Cymru, and the Senedd… Read more »
2021 we had an election.
Labour promised to introduce 20mph and won the election.
In a democracy politicians are expected to deliver what they promised.
You should have included R2D2’s photo standing proudly in front of a 20 is plenty sign.
I bet ARTD’s poll had a larger sample size than the ITV poll he prefers. I have looked and ITV are quite shy about their sample size for their survey.
The old saying of how can you tell if a Tory is telling lies
It’s if their lips are moving
Now you can add how can you tell when artd is making a fool of himself it’s when he’s trying ( insert anything )
The Monster from the Slurry Pit…
They’re not ” Labour’s blanket 20mph speed limits”, they’re the senedd’s (of which he’sa member) democratic descision.
There not blanket