Freedom Central » Kirsty Williams

Kirsty Williams voted as one of the top performing senior Lib Dems

Thomas Woodward — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:00:19 +0000

The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams, has been named as one of the top performing senior Liberal Democrats in a party members’ survey.

In the Lib Dem Voice December 2011 survey, Kirsty Williams AM’s leadership of the party was given an overwhelming vote of confidence when she was named the most effective non-Member of Parliament in the party.

Kirsty, who generally enjoys positive poll ratings, is now considered in the top five performing senior Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom with a net satisfaction score of +45%.

The survey of 564 members is calculated by the difference between the number of members saying they are satisfied compared to dissatisfied.

The top five Liberal Democrats in the December 2011 survey, with their net scores, were:

1. Vince Cable: +63%
2. Tim Farron: +60%
3. Lynne Featherstone: +53%
4. Steve Webb: +51%
5.= Simon Hughes: +45%
5.= Kirsty Williams: +45%

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats comments on A&E statistics

Freedom Central — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:48:59 +0000

The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams, has expressed concerns regarding Accident and Emergency waiting times statistics that were released earlier this week.

Official figures show 89% of patients spent under four hours from arrival until admission, transfer or discharge in September – with 1% waiting longer when compared to September. All of Wales’ health boards missed targets of 95% of A&E patients to be seen within four hours.

In the same month, 97% spent fewer than eight hours from arrival until admission, transfer or discharge, once again resulting in a further 1% of patients waiting longer when compared to the previous month. The Welsh government’s target is 99%.

Kirsty said: “Once again not a single A&E department has hit the 95% target for people waiting four hours or less. In fact, it has been years since any A&E departments have met the 95% target. These monthly statistics unmistakably show time and time again how this Labour government is failing our NHS.

“Our NHS staff are working incredibly hard to give us the best health service possible, but sadly the Welsh government are presiding over an NHS which costs more but delivers less.
“Accident and Emergency units should be a priority for this government, but still they are not doing enough to improve our services. Until the government decides to tackle these issues, we will continue to see waiting times going up.”

“Labour’s Power without purpose”

Newswire — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:15:36 +0000

Speaking at the Welsh Liberal Democrat Conference in Wrexham yesterday, Kirsty Williams said:

“The challenges that Wales faces cannot be underestimated.

“During the election we said that Wales continues to suffer from a weak economy.

“But don’t take my word for it. Listen to Sir Roger Jones, former Chair of the Welsh Development Agency who says: “We have got to get more investment in, up skill the workforce, earn more money.”

“Welsh Liberal Democrats agree Sir Roger. That is why we will use our votes in the budget to tackle unemployment and boost the economy by incentivising employers that take on new trainees.

“During the election we said that our schools were under-funded and that we are allowing Welsh children to slip behind.

“But don’t take my word for it. Listen to the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment results which show that in science, maths and reading, Wales’ performance and international ranking is lower than it was back in 2006.

Listen to the Government’s own Schools Inspector, Estyn, that says: “Teachers and leaders need more training in how they deliver literacy and numeracy.”

“Welsh Liberal Democrats agree. That is why we continue to oppose Labour’s underfunding of education and insist that we need to close the funding gap with children in England, starting with the poorest children.

“During the election we said that our NHS is costing the tax payer more than the English NHS but that you wait longer for an ambulance in Wales and longer for an operation.

But don’t take my word for it.

“Listen to the Country’s most senior doctor, the Chief Medical Officer for Wales, who says that: mortality rates in Wales are among the worst in Western Europe; that death rates from heart disease in Wales are substantially higher than in many Western European countries; that Wales has amongst the highest rates of cancer in Western Europe

“Our country desperately needs a government that will attack these problems with vigour.
A government that will communicate a new vision with conviction and with passion.

“During the referendum campaign, Carwyn Jones appealed to the people of Wales to give him the tools to do the job. They have given him those tools.

“But after six months of office. Labour gives every impression of not having the first idea why they wanted power in the first place.

“This is power without purpose.

“No wonder Sir Emyr Jones Parry, who chaired the All Wales Convention, said that the Government’s proposals “are not a natural fit for the problems Wales confronts.” “I’m not sure whether they actually hit the button”, he said.

“I don’t know about buttons but I think Sir Emyr hit the nail on the head. And Labour’s programme for government, containing hardly any clear targets to which they can be held to account was equally depressing.

“I say to the Welsh government: There is no shortage of work. You now have the tools that you demanded to do the job. It’s no good leaving those tools, carefully oiled and stored in the shed. It is time to bend down, pick them up and get to work”.

Welsh Lib Dems set out the key elements of a National Cancer Plan

Newswire — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:26:43 +0000

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on all parties to sign up to the key elements of a successful national cancer plan for Wales. Last week, all party agreement was reached that Wales needed a comprehensive cancer plan. The Welsh Liberal Democrats motion sets out the key elements of what a successful strategy, including:

* Ensure a personal service that goes the extra mile for patients and families.
* Tackle inequalities so that Wales has a service comparable to England.
* Provide up to date bespoke information for patients and families.
* Establish a Cancer Drugs Fund.
* Promote mutual support groups so that patients receive the reassurance they
need.

Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said:

“Wales can tackle cancer but it needs the government to give it the priority and attention that it deserves. Welsh Liberal Democrats have set out plans to develop a comprehensive National Cancer Plan for Wales.

“So far, the Welsh Government has failed to develop proper strategies to improve the prevention and treatment of cancer, as Scotland and England have done. The result of this has been patients in Wales receiving worse services than over the border.

“Wales needs a cancer service that is focused on the patient and their family from diagnosis, treatment through to aftercare, remission and palliative care. In short, a service that doesn’t stop when the treatment stops.

“There is now a strong cross-party consensus in the Assembly for a National Cancer Plan for Wales. All parties now need to need to continue in that spirit of cooperation as we establish the details of what that plan should include.”

Telling it like it is

Freedom Central — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:49:52 +0000

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader, Kirsty Williams, is sometimes criticised for her willingness to tell it like it is, though more often by journalists than the wider public who rather like this quality in their politicians.

On Tuesday in the Assembly though, she drew praise from an unexpected quarter as the First Minister contrasted Kirsty’s independence of mind with the approach so far taken by the Leader of the Conservative Group in the Assembly .

“The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats has her own mind”, said Carwyn Jones during an exchange in First Minister’s questions,

“she often stands up and criticises those at Westminster.”

Perhaps Labour have realised that portraying Kirsty as in any one’s pocket is never likely to ring true or has the budget cosying up started already?

Stab through the heart for farmers across Wales

Freedom Central — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:40:53 +0000

Kirsty Williams and William Powell have esponded angrily to the announcement that farmers in Less Favoured Areas will no longer receive a differential in their favour under the alterations to the Glastir scheme announced by the Labour Government.

Kirsty Williams said: “This is a stab through the heart for many farmers and farming communities across Wales.

“It is deplorable that the Labour Government is treating farmers like this. They gave the responsibility of this important Welsh economic sector to a deputy minister who, in light of this announcement, clearly has no grasp or understanding of the needs of rural Wales.

“Farmers have already been thrown into turmoil by the flawed Glastir scheme, drawn up by the former Plaid Cymru Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones.

“This will only drive more farmers out of applying for Glastir and will only undo some of the good land management the previous agri-environment schemes have encouraged.

“Plaid Cymru and Labour should be ashamed of themselves for the way they have treated farmers and this latest blow for just goes to prove how out of touch Labour is with rural Wales.”

William Powell, who is the Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Rural Affairs Minister, added:

“As the Welsh Government has only given farmers two weeks to decide what they are going to do in light of these changes, I demand that the Deputy Minister makes an urgent statement to the Chamber as early as possible. Doesn’t the Deputy Minister realise that 80% of Wales’ agricultural land qualifies as LFA? This is frankly unacceptable.”

Kirsty to launch scathing attack on Labour’s education record

Freedom Central — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:57:20 +0000

According to this morning’s Western Mail, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader, Kirsty Williams will use her speech at the Lib Dem Federal Conference today to launch a scathing attack on Labour’s record on education and enterprise in Wales.

They say that she will claim that children whose parents cannot afford to put them in private education or move house to a better school catchment area are being let down by Labour. And she will demand that Labour must narrow the £600-plus “spending gap” between pupils in England and Wales if it wants Lib Dems AMs to back its budget:

She will say: “Labour uses the language of equality but the poor services they provide do poor people down. If you fail to crack down on poor standards in schools, it isn’t the well-off that suffer.

“They play the system, they move house, they go private – whatever they need to get their kids the best education. And the poorest in our society, the people Labour profess to care about, put up with substandard services.”

Ms Williams will also attack Labour’s record on improving health services and building prosperity.

Challenging UK Labour leader Ed Miliband’s claim that Mr Jones was “leading the way” for Wales and the United Kingdom, she will say: “Leading the way? When you wait longer for an ambulance in rural Wales than rural Scotland?

“When you wait six months for hospital treatment in Wales but 16 weeks in England; despite Wales spending more money on the NHS? When the Welsh government decides Enterprise Zones are a good idea after all, a full six months after they were announced in England?

“When Wales is now the poorest nation or region in the United Kingdom and that we are getting relatively poorer?”

She will also press for reform of the way the Welsh Government is funded, saying: “Wales’ devolution package is missing a critical element. Unlike most families and businesses, the Welsh Government has the luxury of spending money handed out by others.

“Like the wayward teenager, left school, still living at home, frittering money away but complaining that the regular handouts are too stingy.

“That is Labour’s devolution. The lack of ability to raise money breeds an irresponsibility about how that money is spent…

“For over a decade, Labour refused to let go of the purse strings. In contrast, Liberal Democrats have consistently supported greater financial powers.

“Not only will it will bring more accountability and responsibility to the Welsh Government, but a progressive Government could use these powers to drive forward Wales’ economic development, creating jobs and prosperity for people in Wales.

“But this isn’t about Wales whingeing for others to deliver. It is about making a persuasive case with maximum support across Wales. I am already working with the leaders of all parties in Wales to build a coalition of support that demands the respect of politicians in Westminster.

Update: The full speech can be read here.

Kirsty moves up the top 50 most influential Liberal Democrats

Freedom Central — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:39:04 +0000

The Daily Telegraph has published its list of the top 50 most influential Liberal Democrats, placing Welsh Party Leader, Kirsty Williams at number 31, nineteen places up on the previous year:

A vocal member of the Welsh Assembly, Williams became Wales’ first female party leader when she was elected at the end of 2008. Having joined the Liberal party at the age of just 15, Williams is clearly something of a die-hard: she was a staunch campaigner for a Welsh Assembly in the 1997 referendum, and became an Assembly Member in its first ever election in 1999. She is struggling to give the Welsh Lib Dems a new identity but by comparison to her Celtic colleagues in Scotland the Welsh Lib Dems did well in the 2011 Assembly elections and Williams can take the credit for that, even though they lost one seat overall.

‘Lib Dems will learn from Plaid’s mistakes’

Newswire — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:07:07 +0000

Speaking to the Wales on Sunday yesterday, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader said that the Liberal Democrats at a UK level must not repeat the mistakes made by Plaid Cymru as a junior partner in a coalition:

The Brecon & Radnorshire AM will address the UK conference, which starts today, on Wednesday and she is adamant that the party must reach out beyond its core voters to show the British public that it is a force for good in government.

Ms Williams does not want to see Lib Dems slip backwards at the next election and repeat the experience of Plaid. Ieuan Wyn Jones’ party shared power with Labour in the Assembly but was pushed into third place behind the Conservatives in the May elections. Arguing that there are important lessons to be learned, she said that during the election campaign Plaid trumpeted its achievements on devolution and the Welsh language but sent “mixed messages” about health, education and the economy.

She said: “Those mixed messages Plaid gave out were one of the reasons they couldn’t capitalise on being part of that government. What was it about Plaid being in government that had made that government different?”

She continued: “What that should tell Liberal Democrats is that if you are in government, like we are in Westminster, we need to be absolutely clear that whilst we work on issues that are hugely important to Liberal Democrats’ core voters it’s also being sure we can demonstrate to the British public at large that Liberal Democrats are making a difference on the bread and butter issues of the day and standing up and being and very clear and communicating what is the difference the Liberal Democrats in government are making.”

Arguing that the Lib Dems must stop thinking like an opposition party, she said: “I think psychologically if you’ve been a party of opposition for many, many, many years it can be a bit of a mind-change but it has to be done.

“There are very good reasons why the Liberal Democrats are in the Government in Westminster, there are very good examples of the difference that Liberal Democrat presence is making and we need to stand up and proud about that.”

In the Assembly, Ms Williams said, Lib Dems will not try and wreck First Minister Carwyn Jones’ budget if he brings forward plans for health and education which they can support.

She said: “We won’t pull any punches where we feel the Labour party are going wrong but nor will we create tensions where there is no need for them to exist.”

Stating that Wales needs “stable government,” she said: “Carwyn said himself his party hasn’t a monopoly on good ideas.

“He has to work with others and we are ready to play that constructive role if we feel the Labour party is serious about tackling educational outcomes, tackling the health service [and] making sure we’ve got good value for the budget that we’ve got.”

The role of parents is key

Freedom Central — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 13:32:41 +0000

The Western Mail reports on the views of Mark Molden, who is the chief executive of Cardiff-based charity Care for the Family, and other experts that parents are on the frontline in the fight against anarchy and must be given new resources to prevent riots in the coming years.

They believe that the sight of young people rampaging through English cities has prompted questions of why they were not stopped by the police, but also why they were not dragged home by parents and relatives.

There is a growing recognition that parents will play a vital role in addressing the social crisis exposed by the nights of rioting and ensuring that similar images of fear, theft and destruction do not return to our screens in the near future. Mr. Molden acknowledges that this is an “extremely worrying time” for many parents of teenagers and calls for them to be vigilant in looking out for warning signs that their sons or daughters may be drifting towards trouble.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams, who is a mother of three, said that parents have an essential role in setting boundaries for their children and policymakers must wake up to the challenges they face.

She said the issue of how parents can be supported is especially urgent because many of the teenagers who took part in the riots will become parents in the near future:

“Setting effective boundaries and sticking to them has always been a key component of successful parenting. It’s recognised, I think, by all childcare experts that children respond very well to boundaries and putting those in place is one way we should be bringing up our children.”

She said she is also convinced that society must be firmer in ensuring that boys and young men understand the responsibilities they will suddenly gain if they become parents.

Traditionally, she argued, attention has been focused on unmarried mothers while not enough has been done to ensure young males live up to their parental responsibilities.

She said: “I’m under no illusions it’s a tough nut to crack, how you get men and boys to take responsibility. It needs to start early in schools, and we need to try to find appropriate male role models for men.

“In the past, I feel there has been a stigma attached to single mothers while there’s been less of a stigma attached to men who walk away from their families and don’t play a role in their children’s lives physically, financially and emotionally.”