Addressing the Welsh Conservative Conference in Cardiff, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies said:
Good morning conference.
It’ll reassure some of you to know that I have eaten my breakfast this morning….the meal which made me go viral for all the wrong reasons last time I stood before you at our Birmingham conference.
Seeing myself on Australian prime-time news was a surreal moment I have yet to live down!
Thankfully, I no longer appear on YouTube’s ‘Most viewed list’. But the less said about that the better.
And conference, before I begin, let me please pay tribute to my fantastic team of Welsh Conservative colleagues in the National Assembly – with a special mention to my deputy, Paul Davies, for his unstinting support.
May I also pay tribute to the excellent work undertaken by CCHQ Wales - led by our director Richard Minshull.
And finally, I want to personally thank all of our hardworking members and volunteers who give up their time to pound the pavements and knock the doors all in the name of the Conservative cause.
In Wales, we can sometimes be guilty of clinging to the past – for there is great comfort in nostalgia.
We have had golden ages. No doubt about it.
Our coal fuelled the industrial ambitions of the world - and enriched Wales and the United Kingdom beyond measure.
Indeed, ships would sail the length and breadth of the globe, often in difficult conditions – to dock in our world famous ports.
….to buy our coal, our iron and our timber.
Few among us are immune to those feelings of nostalgia when reflecting on those days of global possibility.
But in keeping our eyes fixed on the past, we risk missing out on the opportunities that lie before us.
It is incumbent on us to embrace the power of NOW, with strong hands and open minds we must seize the opportunities that lie ahead.
And with our superb Prime Minister – Theresa May – and our great team in the Wales Office – led by my friend Alun Cairns – we have a united front fighting for Wales and for Britain’s best interests.
As we move forward it’s clear that we are embarking upon another golden age.
This is evident in the tens of thousands of enterprises being born every year, and in the hunger of the people behind them; all eager to make their mark on Wales, the UK, and the world beyond.
Their journey begins now.
They join the thousands of others who make up the engine of our economy and will drive Wales to the prosperity well within its reach, but only on the wheels of a strong Conservative government.
Take for example Halen Mon in Anglesey. With just 20 employees, their salt is enjoyed across the world from local butchers to Royal families.
Or Radnor Hills Water in Radnorshire – a family business. This year they celebrate their 25th anniversary, and now have the capacity to produce 400 million bottles a year.
And let’s not forget Aerfin – the fastest growing business in Wales – who have recorded record growth in recent years. From the little town of Bedwas, their aircraft parts now service the global aviation market.
These businesses epitomise Wales: small, but thinking big and gazing outwards.
They join the big beasts of Admiral, GE Aircraft and Iceland foods, in contributing so much to Wales’ prosperity.
Conference we are not plucky underdogs or victims of history, as some would have us believe.
We have the skill, the ambition, the global links and cross-border trade needed to make a success of the big changes that loom on the horizon.
But we cannot do this alone. We work best and achieve the most when we work together.
Together as four great nations working under one banner. The United Kingdom.
Our great union set in motion the industrialisation of the world…
….in times of conflict, we’ve fought side-by-side to secure peace
….and together we have built one of the biggest economies the world has ever seen.
The Leader of the Scottish Nationalists wants to tear that union apart.
With each passing day she sounds more and more like the man she reviles the most.
She wants to rebuild Hadrian’s Wall… and sadly it’s the Scottish people who would pay for it.
Well I’ve got a message for the SNP and other separatist parties across our Isles.
The United Kingdom that we cherish is not a thing of the past. It remains – as ever – the world’s greatest family of nations.
Nicola Sturgeon, take note: This great union is here to stay.
Conference, as we gather here in Wales it is important to recognise that our beautiful country is not without its challenges.
And we need to acknowledge and embrace them. Not shirk them.
It is not very often that you’ll find me agreeing with a Labour politician, but last month Baroness Morgan made a welcome admission – that Wales has lived a dependency culture for too long.
It was alarming in its frankness – even if the solutions she proposed were wide of the mark.
Because it’s not the people of Wales who need to shake off that dependency culture, and embrace the role of wealth creators.
It’s the Labour Party. At the helm here in Wales since the dawn of devolution.
But does anyone seriously believe that they have the capacity to turn things around
This is a Labour government that has delivered a lost generation of students – left to struggle in the UK’s worst performing education system.
A Labour government that has repeatedly wasted taxpayers’ money on failed investments; and which remains the only party in the UK to have ever cut the NHS budget.
Our teachers and NHS staff work incredibly hard in increasingly difficult circumstances and I have nothing but praise and admiration for those delivering our services.
That’s right…It’s not the people who are holding us back. It’s the Labour Party.
People are looking to their politicians to articulate an alternative vision for their country’s future – a vision as bright as its industrial past.
The Brexit vote showed that people are crying out for change.
And following the referendum, people now believe that change is within their grasp.
But when the opportunity arises, opposition leaders must to be bold enough to take it.
Throughout the devolved era, the other parties have been only too willing to prop Labour up in government, choosing a seat the cabinet table over the interests of their constituents.
That needs to change, and the time has come for Labour’s crutches to be taken away.
Plaid Cymru even fought the last election in Wales claiming to be the change that Wales needed.
But when push came to shove, they did a deal with the Labour Party that saw the people of Wales sentenced to five more years.
Plaid Cymru’s leader believes her party’s working agreement with Labour is the ‘Best of Both worlds’.
For her, maybe. Power without responsibility is the easy option – but it is Welsh communities that bear the brunt of Labour’s incompetence.
Does that represent the change that Wales needs
Conference, I know that Brexit has divided opinion.
But our great party reflected that exchange of ideas better than any other – both during and after the referendum.
And now that the public has spoken, it is our party which has thrown off the black clouds of pessimism and that is focused on embracing the opportunities which lay ahead.
We know that there is work to do to bridge the gap between groups in society who disagree – but we remain as convinced as ever that Wales can thrive in the new era, because this country is resourceful, creative and industrious.
We just need to harness that energy.
Wales is the land of song, and we need our political leaders to be singing from the same hymn sheet.
We cannot allow Labour’s pessimism and complacency to hold us back as we approach a momentous period in our history.
It’s a path we need to walk together, and I will offer the hand of friendship to anyone who wants to be part of that journey.
This is an open invitation to anyone who believes, like me, that our mission as a country must be to ensure that Wales’ future is as glorious as its past.
And as we negotiate a new relationship with the European Union we have a significant opportunity to create a fairer Wales and a better Britain.
Building a strong economy for Wales as part of the United Kingdom where nobody is left behind.
And where strong and effective local government is accountable and delivers high quality public services.
Instead of Labour’s top down approach, we want to see localism and social responsibility.
We want to see people in their communities empowered.
We want to see our businesses supported, our older people given the security and dignity they deserve and ensure our future generations have the best possible opportunity to succeed.
We trust people to do the right thing and we want to give them real control of their lives.
And let’s be clear; the levers of power should not always be controlled from Cardiff Bay or Westminster.
We want to see councils delivering effective local services that work for everyone and power put back in your hands.
For too long, Labour and Plaid Cymru councils have held back communities across Wales.
Communities held back due to a staggering complacency which has seen some of our local services deteriorate beyond recognition.
And there is a clear alternative – for that you only need to look at Monmouthshire - where the council has made great strides under the leadership of Cllr Peter Fox.
Sadly, Peter cannot be here today as he’s given up the bright lights of the Swalec Stadium for an equally glamorous affair - receiving his OBE – an award which is richly deserved for his outstanding public service and efforts in securing Cardiff City Deal.
Under Peter and his Conservative team in Monmouthshire, the Council has pioneered and transformed the delivery of public services.
And on May 4th we have the opportunity to roll out these creative approaches across the country for the benefit of communities the length and breadth of Wales.
Increasing our Welsh Conservative representation is vital if we are to unlock the potential that undoubtedly exists in our communities - but which has sadly been suffocated by a socialist and nationalist diktat.
A socialist and nationalist regime which has scandalously stood side by side and is banning one of the greatest aspirational policies this country has ever seen – the Right to Buy.
A policy which has allowed generations of people to get on in life and buy their own home.
Conference - you only have to look at Wales if you want to see the devastating impact of policies wanted by the likes of Jeremy Corbyn can have on hardworking people.
A Labour Party, hand in hand with the nationalists, pulling up the ladder on people who just want to get on in life and support their family.
People across Wales and the United Kingdom deserve better.
And we are the Party with a plan to deliver and stand up for Wales and Great Britain.
And while the Labour Party might have abdicated responsibility for defending the Union and standing up for hardworking people – we will not.
I am proud to lead the Welsh Conservative Party – and I am proud to see a Prime Minister standing up and fighting for Wales and the United Kingdom.
So let’s get out on those streets and let people across Wales and the United Kingdom know that our great union is worth fighting for.
Andrew RT Davies AM
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives