Welsh Tories launch website asking for feedback on 20mph default speed limit
Emily Price
The Welsh Conservatives have launched a website asking for feedback from the public on Wales’ 20mph default speed limit and for details of how people plan to vote at the next general election.
At the weekend, leader of the Tory Senedd group, Andrew RT Davies shared a link to the new website on X saying: “We must all do our bit to help scrap Labour and Plaid’s blanket 20mph speed limits. Click here to play your part.”
The controversial road regulation came into force in September last year and saw most roads in Wales that were 30mph switch to 20mph – although councils have discretion to impose exemptions.
Speed limit
The website contains a Welsh Conservative petition and two 20mph surveys – the first asking, “which roads need their old speed limit restoring”.
The survey also asks respondents: “Would you vote for Labour at the next General Election after they introduced a blanket 20mph speed limit on Welsh roads?”
As well as: “Would you vote for the Welsh Conservatives at the next General Election as they oppose the blanket 20mph limit?”
Personal details such as name, email address and postcode have to be input in order for the survey to be submitted.
A second section of the website states: “On the 17th of September, the Welsh Labour Government implemented 20mph speed limits across Wales.
“This move has transitioned the majority of Wales’ 30mph speed limits to 20mph. This will cost the taxpayer an estimated £33m, the equivalent to hiring more than 1,200 more nurses for the Welsh NHS.
“This is costly and deeply unpopular. People and businesses across Wales have been affected. Emergency services are concerned at slower response times. Over 450,000 people have signed a petition against the limit. Labour Government in Wales told to ‘think again’ about the new limit.”
Rishi Sunak
A second quiz asks whether Wales’ 20mph default speed limit has had a direct impact on a respondent’s daily commute or business.
The survey also asks: “Are you in favour of the campaign being led by the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to end the ‘war on motorists?'”
At the end of the questionnaire, the Welsh Conservatives request details of how respondents voted at the last general election in 2019 in order to make the survey “representative”.
Alongside this there is a drop down box for respondents to declare which party they plan to vote for at the next general election which is expected to come later this year.
Both surveys can be entered regardless of whether a name, postcode or email address is valid and both can be completed more than once.
The controversial new default speed limit has so far been met with fierce opposition in Wales and a petition calling for it to be reversed has reached over 466,000 signatures – the most in Senedd history.
Opposition
The Welsh Conservatives have heavily opposed the change due to its cost and the party has promised voters that if they were ever in power in Wales, they would axe it.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport Natasha Asghar said: “After ignoring the public for so long, Labour continues to plough ahead with their war on motorists.
“Labour’s handling of their blanket 20mph speed limit rollout has been shambolic, with a groundswell of public opinion against the scheme and a record-breaking petition reaching more than 468,000 signatures further highlighting the public’s anger.
“That is why the Welsh Conservatives have launched a website for people to make their voices heard and to send a message to the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay that time’s up for 20.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
As reported elsewhere the Conservatives use these surveys to compile lists of voters to multi-media target during the run up to elections. So beware completing them.
It’s not a “blanket”.
Nor is it a “war on motorists”.
Agree. Not a blanket, and not a war on motorists. And neither is there such a thing as a Welsh Conservative.
Yes it is, Lee Waters A/M has said that they (The Welsh labour party) aim to reduce car journeys by 10%
That’s no comfort to ARTD!
I heard of a man in my area who had lost 3 stone because he couldn’t afford to eat. The speed limit is not a problem to him and too many like him Andrew Davies is looking for votes his Twitter account is almost solely on the speed limit. He is atypical Tory people don’t matter at all.
Another data scrap attempt, look at the privacy policy. The bunch of dimwits are already using “war on the motorist” as a trope. They are out of idea’s and will run with anything, even scissors, just to get power top stay in and finish destroying the UK. But who can sign this policy? Another pile in by troll farms and think tanks? After all the Cons are firmly in bed with such and use them actively. Uxbridge was a massive loss for the cons, they clung own by a few votes, this is their hill to die on along with… Read more »
The only thing that needs to be launched is a rocket into hyperspace. Tories! All aboard!
Public feedback is always a good thing in a democracy. Dictatorships don’t like the public having a view on political decisions because they do not trust the public to have the right opinion.
This fixation with the ‘blanket’ 20mph is not going to get the Tories elected. The party needs to get rid of RTD, distance themselves or break ties with the lot in London and start focusing on issues that really affect the people of Cymru. Unless they do, they’ll stay in the wilderness.
They need to get rid of Asghar too.
She talks, or rather rants, in cliches and soundbites.
She, like RT, adds nothing of value to any debate.
Plaid are more in the wilderness. That’s who needs to get their act together and reach out beyond their heartlands. There are large parts of Wales waiting for their arrival.
The Welsh Conservatives survey is riddled with grammatical errors. Its is the possessive not it’s. Should have been awake at the back of the class.
I was going to fill in the survey until I noticed it was a thinly veiled data harvesting exercise.
Well my feedback is clear – just how much is this silly jabé of ARTD , Janet U turn
finch Llandudno Sanders and co costing us ? . We need to know 🥵
What a pity that the conservatives wouldn’t fight for Wales for something that totally unfair like that we don’t get our crown estate money that other parts of the UK got and Welsh labour should have got off sitting on they’re hands when it was given to Scotland
Thankfully there is a greater chance of discovering that the moon is made of caws Caerffili than the tories ever taking the reins of government in Cymru!
I have NEVER heard anything close to positive or constructive from tories, empty chairs make better contributions!
I wonder how many times Lyall Reed, ( the Tory councilor in Sunderland, England ) is going to post/ vote, or if he is carrying it on his several Facebook anti 20mph limit in Cymru pages?