Welsh election: Lib Dems pledge to tackle 'climate emergency'

The Welsh Liberal Democrats promised to spend £1bn a year on tackling the "climate emergency", as they launched their Senedd election campaign.

Speaking at the event, the party's leader Jane Dodds said the Lib Dems are the "only party" that would "put recovery first".

The Liberal Democrats head into the election having held one seat in the Senedd since 2016.

Polling day is on 6 May.

The Liberal Democrats are the last of the main parties to launch their election campaign.

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At the event in Cardiff, Ms Dodds outlined some of the party's main policies.

They include:

• Spending £1bn a year to tackle the climate emergency

• Building 30,000 new social housing properties

• A £500m investment in high streets, towns and city centres

• Undertaking a trial of Universal Basic Income in Wales

• Freezing business rates for five years and replacing them with a "fairer, more supportive system"

• Introducing universal free part-time childcare from nine months to school age, and expanding provision of before and after school care

WALES ELECTION: THE BASICS

What elections are happening? On 6 May, people across Wales will vote to elect 60 Members of the Senedd (MSs). The party or parties that can command the support of a majority of members will form the Welsh government. Find out more here.

What powers does the Welsh Parliament have? MSs pass laws on many aspects of day-to-day life in Wales, such as health, education and transport. They also have control over some taxes. Defence, foreign policy and immigration are decided by the UK Parliament.

How do I vote? Anyone who lives in Wales and is registered to vote is eligible, so long as they are aged 16 or over on the day of the election. You can register to vote online.

'Radical yet realistic options'

Ms Dodds said: "The past year has been tough, life as we know it has changed, but I know Wales is a resilient country and we have the chance to build a better future for our children and our children's children.

The Welsh Lib Dems plan to put recovery first says leader Jane Dodds

"The Welsh Liberal Democrats are the only party pledging to put recovery first.

"We will secure our economic recovery, an environmental recovery and a recovery for our mental health services.

"The next Welsh government will face a huge challenge in the problems that already existed in our country and which have been made worse as a result of Covid. 

"With ambitious and fully achievable policies ranging from building 30,000 new homes, to investing in our high streets, and freezing the business rates which cripple so many small and medium sized firms, the Welsh Liberal Democrats are presenting radical yet realistic options for Wales' future. 

"Wales cannot afford for any party or any government to put anything other than our recovery first."

The promise to spend £1bn a year on the "climate emergency" meets a call made by the Future Generations Commissioner Sophie Howe.

The Welsh Government's annual budget is about £18bn.

Asked how the party would fund its pledge, Ms Dodds said: "We're not going to cut anything".

She explained that the party would use money that is currently used "in a different way".

"We also want to be able to access private funding and entrepreneurship in order to make sure that we've got the infrastructure there to put the climate at the heart of everything we do.

"We have a well-costed, very clear-funded way of doing that," Ms Dodds added.

Challenged on her claim that the Liberal Democrats are the only party that would prioritise post-pandemic recovery, Ms Dodds said: "I don't think there's any other party that has as it's headline, 'put recovery first'.

"That is our very clear message right now in the middle of this pandemic."

The Liberal Democrats are defending one seat at this election.

That was held by Kirsty Williams who has served as education minister in the Labour-led Welsh government since 2016.

Ms Williams is standing down at this election.

This is a big election for the Liberal Democrats, who are fighting to maintain a presence in the Senedd.

They say the achievements of their single retiring Senedd member, Kirsty Williams, who has been education minister in the Labour government, prove that holding even one seat can still make a difference.

The big question is whether that argument will convince their supporters to transfer their allegiance to Ms Williams' successor.

This may be a national campaign launch, but the battle for the Lib Dems will be intensely local.

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