It’s becoming a bit of a tradition at Conference for the Welsh Conservatives to come and tell you how many more votes and seats we’ve gained at the latest election.
Conference – I do not intend to disappoint you today.
In May’s Assembly elections, thanks to the hard work of Cheryl, my predecessor Nick Bourne, and every single member in Wales, Welsh Conservatives became the second largest party in the National Assembly.
Pushing the separatists into a distant third.
And pinning the socialists back.
Labour told you a ‘comfortable majority’ was in their grasp.
They didn’t get it.
They told you they’d been pleased by the response in Preseli and Clwyd West.
Well, so were we.
Because not only did Conservative Paul Davies retain Preseli Pembrokeshire, and Conservative Darren Millar retain Clywd West …
But we picked up seats in Montgomeryshire – from the Lib Dems.
And Aberconwy – from Plaid.
We gained an extra seat in South West Wales.
And another in South East Wales.
One in four voters in Wales now backs the Welsh Conservatives.
In Wales we go from strength to strength.
Conference, as someone who is passionately Welsh and passionately British, I’m proud to be taking part in this debate today.
Devolution has changed the make-up of the United Kingdom.
At its best, it allows us to come together: listen and learn, compare and contrast.
As a successful businessman, with experience in the Assembly, I’ve seen at close hand when government works well, and when it works poorly.
I can tell you that in Wales, under a Welsh Labour government, it mostly works poorly!
Whilst Labour has spent millions of pounds on economic programmes that officials admit have achieved ‘next to nothing’, Wales has become the poorest part of the UK.
Whilst Labour has spent millions of pounds on bureaucracy, Welsh pupils have been forced to suffer what the Education Minister admits is ‘systemic failure’ in our schools.
And because Labour has spent on freebies in the NHS, there is now no money left for life-saving drugs or frontline care.
There are now 24 cancer drugs available in England that are not available to patients in Wales.
And as the Conservative-led Government invests billions in the English NHS, spare a thought for patients in Wales – where Labour is cutting the NHS budget by 1 billion pounds!
This from the party of Nye Bevan. He must be turning in his grave.
With Wales getting poorer, with the Welsh NHS facing Labour’s cuts and with systemic failure blighting our schools, bold solutions are now required to turn Wales around.
Instead, Labour appears to have run out of steam – and run out of ideas.
It has spent the summer dithering.
As the Welsh Government delayed its plans for Enterprise Zones, companies like Jaguar Land Rover relocated elsewhere.
As we gear up to host the world’s biggest sporting event, the Welsh Government has sat on its hands, and business has gone elsewhere.
As they dither over whether to use grants or loans, jobs and opportunities are going elsewhere.
The Welsh Government now has full and historic law-making powers.
It intends to use them for allotments and cycle lanes.
It’s little wonder that the man who chaired the convention on further powers, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, said their plans are ‘not a natural fit for the problems Wales confronts.’
‘I’m not sure’ he said, ‘whether they … hit the button.’
He is not alone.
Welsh Labour promised to stand up for Wales. Instead they’ve given us a stand-up routine like Cannon and Ball.
Carwyn Jones as Tommy Cannon; Leighton Andrews as Bobby Ball!
Conference, I came into politics because I wanted to stand up for what I believe in.
- Fairness.
- Personal responsibility.
- Opportunity for all.
I believe that everyone in Wales should have the chance to achieve their full potential, no matter where they are from.
I share David Cameron’s passion for Britain to become the best place to start and grow a business.
I strongly believe, as do all Welsh Conservatives, that everyone who wants to get up and get on in life should be empowered to do so.
The Conservative-led Government is keeping its end of the bargain.
- Electrifying the railway to Wales.
- Investing in super-fast broadband.
- Cutting red tape and taxes.
- Creating the environment for businesses to grow and succeed.
Now we need to see the Welsh Government take up its side of the slack.
So I give this pledge today, that where the Welsh government brings forward sensible ideas to boost enterprise, generate jobs, and grow the Welsh economy, Welsh Conservatives will support them.
And where they do not, then we will step in with proposals of our own.
They’ve listened to us on Enterprise Zones.
Now we need to see business rate relief for small and medium sized enterprises.
The time for excuses has past. Labour now needs to deliver.
Conference, like Cheryl, I was incredibly moved by the recent mining accident in the Swansea Valley.
What happened in Gleision was a tragedy.
But the people that you saw helping out showed the true character of Wales.
- Tenacious.
- Hard-working.
- Bound tightly by a sense of community.
- Refusing to give up.
I draw two lessons from this.
Firstly, as tributes and funds continue to pour in, it is clear to me that this remains a very United Kingdom.
United by the ties that bind.
And secondly, the community spirit that we witnessed in Gleision convinces me that Wales’ future can be as prosperous as its past.
So long as it has the right support from government.
In this United Kingdom, if we work together – if government, businesses and public servants pull in the same direction – we can harness this spirit, and unleash the talent and expertise of the people of Wales.
We can ensure that Wales plays a full part in the United Kingdom.
And provides opportunities in education and enterprise for all.