As summer arrives in Wales, much of the political world decamps to two key events – the Royal Welsh Show, celebrating our agricultural heritage and the National Eisteddfod, which celebrates our cultural heritage. I have attended both and was pleased to see our AMs, MPs and candidates visit as well.
The events are crucial, not just because they celebrate Welsh culture but because they allow us to show off what Wales offers to the world. The Royal Welsh is the jewel in the crown of Welsh agriculture and the Eisteddfod showcases Welsh culture in action.
The Royal Welsh Show takes place in my constituency every year and perhaps its most impressive aspects are the size and the liveliness of the show. It was great to see Wyn Williams, who will be fighting the Montgomeryshire seat for the Welsh Liberal Democrats at the crucial Welsh Assembly elections next year. He is striking a real chord with rural voters. A farmer himself, he really understands rural issues and the community he seeks to serve. He is the ideal choice to lead the fight back in Montgomeryshire.
Likewise, I enjoyed spending time with Mark Williams. What an endorsement he received from the voters when he converted a slender 219 majority into a 8,324 winning margin! Many of the people at the Royal Welsh are from his patch and it was difficult to hold a conversation with him without getting interrupted by wellwishers. If we replicate his swing next year, we will take the beautiful Ceredigion seat from the nationalists for the first time since the Welsh Assembly was created.
The Eisteddfod this year visited Ebbw Vale, one of the most deprived constituencies in Wales. It is great to see the interest from the local community in the event – reinforcing the message that the arts are not a preserve of the middle classes.
What is particularly enjoyable about the Eisteddfod is not just the world-class art, singing and dancing that is on display in the iconic pink tent, but that is coupled with political debate. Most of Welsh civic society is in Ebbw Vale and it is a great chance to catch up with thinkers, activists and other politicians to discuss the future of Wales.
One of the big talking points is the timing of the two referenda to take place in Wales in the next year. The first referendum is on allowing Wales to make its own laws, without having to ask permission from Westminster. A reform that I am proud is being delivered by Liberal Democrats in Government. There is cross-party consensus that we cannot hold this vote on the powers of the Assembly on the same day we will be holding a vote on the make up of the Assembly. People need to know what they are voting for.
There has also been debate about the date of the AV referendum. It is a UK-wide poll and holding it on the same day as the Assembly election will save money and increase voter turn out, something that should be welcomed by all political parties. I see no reason why campaigning for the Assembly elections will conflict with campaigning on the referendum for a change in the electoral system.
We cannot justify asking the people of Wales to go to the polls three times in four months.
But the most important poll next year will be the Welsh Assembly elections. I am confident about our chances (although offers of help from the other side of Offa’s Dyke are welcome!) and would relish the opportunity to put the radical policies we are developing into practice after the next election. After the last eight years of drift, Wales needs a strong, Liberal Democrat voice in Government to help ensure a fairer Wales. With your support, we will be fighting tirelessly to achieve a result of which all Liberal Democrats can be proud.
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“Out and about in Wales” – if you are ever “Out and about in the USA” – and plan a visit to Washington, DC please let me know. I would be a very glad Welshman in providing insights into ‘things American” that should work in Wales. Does that sound arrogant? Well with Wales being at the bottom of just about every UK economic measure we need to think like that. There’s plenty of scope to dramatically turn the fortunes of Wales around – we just need to open our eyes to the possibilities. Sadly the current flavor of WAG (in fact dating back to the time Rhodri Morgan was in charge) was never open to genuine new ideas and consequently never met the goal of boosting Wales’s GVA rating. Wales needs people with vision and the strength to challenge the status quo. We need that to create jobs, good jobs for the people of Wales.