Next Senedd polls 'biggest chance for Lib Dems'

Jane Dodds said the next Senedd election is a chance to cover Wales in "Liberal Democrat gold".

The next Senedd election is the biggest opportunity the Liberal Democrats have had in decades, their Welsh leader has said.

Jane Dodds told party members at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton that the party could cover Wales in "Liberal Democrat gold" at the 2026 polls.

Ms Dodds is the party's only Liberal Democrat Member of the Senedd (MS) - she said she no longer wanted to be "billy no mates".

She took aim at the Welsh Labour government, saying it had been a "complete disaster", attacking ministers for their record on child poverty and tackling river pollution.

But she praised the Mark Drakeford-era basic income pilot, saying she was "really proud" of the scheme that gives care leavers £400 a week in cash.

The Liberal Democrats won a record 72 seats across Great Britain in July.

That included one seat in Wales - in Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe - breaking a seven year run of the Welsh party failing to win a seat at a Westminster general election.

The next Senedd election will abolish first past the post, and introduce a more proportional system which aims to better reflect how people voted.

The system chosen, dubbed closed lists, had sparked concerns from Dodds that it could exclude the Liberal Democrats and other small parties.

Ms Dodds told conference: "This year, across the United Kingdom, Liberal Democrats have shown just how well we can win under first past the post.

"In 2026, we need to show that we can win big under proportional representation.

"The opportunity put on the table is to cover Wales in Liberal Democrat Gold.

"This is the biggest electoral opportunity we have had in decades – and we need to take it."

She said she wanted to replicate the General Election result in Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe "in the Senedd elections in 2026. We have to see that replicated all over Wales."

The Mid and West Wales MS added: "I want some friends with me in the Welsh Parliament in 2026. I no longer want to be billy no mates anymore."

'Most polluted'

She said Labour in Wales were a "complete disaster".

"In Wales today, can you believe that nearly one in three children in Wales live in poverty. In Wales today, our rivers are amongst the polluted in the country".

"And our health service; hospital waiting times are the highest they have been since 2022."

"It’s also personal for me with child poverty. As a social worker in child protection for 25 years, I wanted to see change. I worked with too many families who lived in poverty.

"I recently spoke with a young care experienced woman living in west Wales; she and her siblings were brought up by their Mum who was trying to raise her children with no hope of being able to get out of poverty. But sadly she just couldn’t do it, and her children needed to live elsewhere."

But she said "a lot has been delivered since devolution", praising the lack of prescription charges, the ban on smacking and the pupil development grant, which had been a Welsh Lib Dem policy.