A view from Sam Rowlands – Welsh Conservative North Wales Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited the four North Wales Members of the Senedd to write a monthly column with updates on their work. You can find their updates – along with contributions from the Wrexham and Clwyd South MPs and MSs – here. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌​‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌​​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​​

In this month’s column, Welsh Conservative MS Sam Rowlands writes: ‌

The new term in the Welsh Parliament is now fully underway, and we have been straight back into the thick of things!

As I wrote in my last column, Welsh Government’s blanket 20mph speed limit is now in force. There has been a huge negative reaction from people all across Wales.

You may have seen the petition on the Senedd website calling for this new speed limit to be ditched. This petition has received the most signatures of any in Senedd history – at the time of writing it is on around 400,000 signatures.

This is amazing, and shows the deep dissatisfaction in Wales about this disastrous policy.

All too often, what happens in Cardiff Bay is overlooked and simply doesn’t appear on most people’s radars. This is different, however.

When people are fully aware of what the Welsh Government is up to, they don’t like it! Labour Ministers in Cardiff don’t like public scrutiny and have been arrogantly dismissive of the overwhelming number of people signing the petition.

Personally, I have been campaigning against this 20mph policy for well over a year, and I am ready to continue the fight. There will still be dissatisfaction and problems with the rollout as the months go by, and I’ll be holding the Welsh Government to account every step of the way.

Welsh Conservatives have been active in battling blanket 20mph. For example, we held votes to ditch 20mph and for the Transport Minister to resign. We are the only party in the Welsh Parliament reflecting the views of the Welsh people on this – Labour, Plaid Cymru and the sole Liberal Democrat member all speak as one. Plaid and the Liberal should be providing an opposition, but never do.

Instead they prop up Labour at every opportunity in the hope they’ll get a sniff of a Cabinet post or coalition. It’s not good enough.

It’s not just 20mph that has been a big issue. We’ve also seen the introduction of a Bill to increase the number of politicians in the Senedd!

Just when you thought the Cardiff Labour Government couldn’t be more out of touch, they want to add 36 more politicians at a cost of more than £100 million. You couldn’t make it up.

Frankly, it’s just more jobs for the boys and a chance for more socialists to get on the gravy train at the expense of the public.

The Senedd is already large enough – what it really needs is for parties like Plaid Cymru to actually provide an opposition instead of desperately trying to appease Labour.

It’s important to note that no Senedd election has ever hit 50% turnout. Think about that – since 1999, not one election to the Senedd has even got half of all eligible voters to cast their ballot. It’s far higher for elections to the Westminster Parliament for UK

General Elections, and it’s certainly higher for devolved elections to Holyrood in Scotland and Stormont in Northern Ireland. Bunging in three dozen more politicians isn’t exactly an inspiring way to encourage people to engage with the Senedd.

I have also had the chance to ask the First Minister about environmental governance. As a result of Brexit and taking back control from Brussels, each part of the UK was able to set up a new body in order to oversee the environment.

In Scotland, England and Northern Ireland, bodies were set up. In Wales? Nothing. This is a damning indictment of Welsh Government, particularly when they first said they would do it in 2018. Five years on and we are still waiting. Let’s hurry it up – for the sake of our environment.

If you have any queries or issues, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can contact me by emailing [email protected] or calling on 0300 200 7267.