It’s great to be here in Llandudno, and to see you all here today.
And it’s a pleasure for me to follow such excellent contributions. David and Kay are fantastic representatives of both the Conservative Party and Wales, who work tirelessly for their constituents.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how far we’ve come as a party in the last few years.
But today’s line-up helps to put this in context.
David is part of Britain’s first coalition government since the days of Winston Churchill.
Kay was part of the first election that Labour failed to win in Wales since the days of Lloyd George.
And here in Aberconwy, Guto and Janet are now the proud representatives of a seat that – as Conwy – was held with such distinction for so many years by our very own Lord Wyn Roberts and Peter Thomas before him.
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So Welsh Conservatives are doing well.
We’re back on the map.
Back in town halls and constituencies that we’d lost.
But we’re not complacent, and we want to do better.
We’re determined to continue the proud record we’ve built up since the beginning of devolution of winning more seats and more votes with each passing election.
Starting with the local elections next year.
How do we go about this?
It may surprise you that having talked of our success I want to focus my contribution today on disillusionment.
Not only that, but to do so without once mentioning the rugby!
Today I want to address this issue of low turnout in Wales.
I want to explore the argument that low turnout is a sign of growing disillusionment and disengagement with the Welsh political process in many of our communities.
And suggest possible ideas for turning this around.
And since this is a policy forum, I hope to hear from some of you with contributions and suggestions as to how this can be done as well.
The quiet revolution
The last few years have been a tumultuous period in British politics.
The expenses scandal.
Phone hacking.
This summer’s riots.
These events have shaken the foundations of the democratic process in this country.
But a quiet revolution has been enveloping many of our communities, away from the headlines.
Distrust for politicians is high.
Party membership is declining.
And voter turnout is low.
When Peter Thomas was first elected, 84 per cent of the Welsh electorate voted.
By the time Lord Roberts took his seat, this had fallen to 77 per cent.
It was 65 per cent as Guto went to Westminster last year.
Recent elections have seen it fall even further.
In this year’s Assembly election, turnout was just 41 per cent.
In the referendum on further powers it was 36 per cent.
How can we explain such disillusionment with the act of voting, from the country that gave the world parliamentary democracy and subsequently saw social struggle in order to extend the vote to all?
Some point to opinion polls to suggest that large sections of the public are ‘more distrustful, disengaged … and disillusioned with politics than ever before.’
I believe that’s right – up to a point.
In Wales, Labour has not followed through on the promise of devolution, and this is turning many of those with an interest off politics.
But many others are choosing to channel their interest in different ways.
And as the nature of politics changes, as elected representatives we need to change with it, or risk losing the interest and input of those we represent.
Failing to fulfil the promise of devolution
Thirteen years on from the onset of devolution, now is a good time to pause and take stock of the performance of the Assembly and its government.
Welsh voters are asking, rightly, what has the Welsh government ever done for them?
All too often they are finding the answers wanting.
Thirteen years on, those who were born as the National Assembly was will soon be turning their attention to GCSE choices.
Those who passed through the school doors as the Assembly opened its own will have run the full gamut of secondary and tertiary education under Labour.
They will have gone through an education system that Labour’s own Education Minister accuses of ‘systemic failure.’
They will have been less likely than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK to have secured the grades they need for a brighter future.
And more likely to face the misery and indignity of unemployment.
Labour’s failure to improve the life chances and material conditions of the people of Wales, and improve the public services on which we all depend, is turning many people away from the political process – just at the point when we need them most.
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At its best, devolution should have pushed power closer to the people.
It should have put power in the hands of the patient and doctor – not the bureaucrat.
In the hands of the teacher and pupil – not the Education Minister.
The foreman – not the First Minister.
Instead, Labour has ceaselessly sucked up control in Cardiff Bay.
Good consultation strengthens legislation. It ensures that those who might be affected can have their say and improve the proposals. But the All Wales convention found that many people in Wales ‘doubted whether the [consultation] process was real, and whether decisions had already been taken before consultation began.’
Independent scrutiny tightens budgets. It allows budgets to be built on a more rigorous evidence base, and policies to be prioritised according to greatest need. But whilst the Scottish Government accepted the Scottish Conservatives’ proposal for an Independent Budget Review, the Welsh Government refused to do the same.
Input from the public brings fresh perspectives on policy. But when three quarters of the Welsh population told the Welsh Government to protect health spending in real terms, it ignored them. When the FSB and businesses called for action on business rate relief, it refused. And when the UK took action to help hard-pressed families with their council tax bills, the Welsh Government refused to do the same.
The Welsh Labour Government thinks it has all the answers.
But when Welsh wealth has plummeted to less than three quarters of the UK average, does the Welsh Government really know best – or is it time to listen to Welsh businesses?
When educational standards have gone backwards in Wales in the last few years, does the Welsh Government know best – or is it time to listen to teachers and students in our schools?
And when the number of people waiting to begin treatment on the NHS has soared by two-thirds since the First Minister took office alone, does the Welsh Government know best – or is it time to listen to patients and doctors in the Welsh NHS?
Labour’s failure to fulfil the promise of devolution – its failure to trust, empower and support those at the frontline in our public services – is not only misguided.
Translating into policies that are poorly costed, poorly consulted and lacking a rigorous evidence base.
Resulting in poorer standards in our hospitals and schools.
It is also dangerously out of touch.
In today’s world, people work, think and take action differently.
And if politicians don’t listen then they will simply be left behind.
Thinking, acting and working differently
Voter turnout may have been falling in the UK since the middle of the last century, but the problem with interpreting the present era as one in which voters are turning away from politics is that this belies the explosion of interest in less traditional forms of participation.
Today, there are more members of the RSPB than there are members of all political parties combined.
Long before there was ever a carrier bag tax in Wales, Greenpeace, the National Trust and RSPCA saw their membership rolls soar.
Before Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board began consulting on maternity services, local people here in North Wales were fighting passionately against their closure.
The NHS recently celebrated its 60th birthday.
But so too did Oxfam. And Guide Dogs for the Blind is in its 80th year. Both have held events recently at the National Assembly and packed them to the rafters.
This is not consistent with a lack of interest.
It’s that this interest is being channelled and expressed in different ways.
More voters are today prepared to work with their local MP or AM on local issues, regardless of their party affiliation.
More voters are prepared to support single issue campaigns, instead of political campaigns.
And give time not just to fight against the closure of local schools, post offices and libraries – but to support these services in order to keeping them running.
The politics of the future will increasingly take place on the internet as well as the conference centre.
On Youtube as much as Hansard.
Twitter as well as the telephone.
So we have to adjust.
Adapt.
Change the way we do things as a party.
This will mean policy forums, yes – but ensuring that voters can inform policy at other times, at a time that suits them.
Constituency surgeries, yes – but opening up access to our Members at other times and through other formats.
Attending conferences, yes – but not just our own. We need to make sure we work more closely with other groups, organisations and stakeholders, and take all views into account.
As elected members, we need to work harder to ensure that the views, interests, opinions and ideas of ordinary people in communities across Wales are listened to and acted upon.
Community Engagement Forums
That’s why today, I am pleased to announce my intention to introduce Community Engagement Forums, and to hold regular Forums across Wales.
In the coming weeks, working closely with colleagues, candidates and others, I will set out detailed plans to hold two such forums in each of Wales’ five regions every year.
These events will provide a platform for people to come and ask questions.
Put forward ideas for policy.
And discuss any issues or concerns that they may have.
Crucially, these ideas will then be taken forward to inform policy formation in the Welsh Conservative party. There will be no talking shops. Community Engagement Forums will be put at the very heart of policy development in our devolved party.
Should they wish, we will keep those who contribute fully informed so that they can keep up to date and follow the progress of their suggestions.
And we will set up a dedicated website to provide a further platform for contributions, so that people can feed in comments no matter where they live in Wales, and at a time that suits them.
I pledged during my campaign to be a voice for everyone in Wales. With Community Engagement Forums I intend to honour that pledge.
Conclusion
Declining turnout presents us with a challenge in Wales.
But we should not rush to the conclusion that lower turnout is a sign of a lack of interest.
We have to work harder, and cast our nets wider, in order to reach those who we would seek to represent.
Because the political landscape is changing in Wales. And we must change with it, or risk being left behind.
And because only then will we be able to turn the Welsh economy and public services around.
We have to fight harder in order to persuade the Welsh Government to reverse its addiction to centralised control and empower local people in local communities to drive up standards in our hospitals and schools.
So over the coming weeks, Welsh Conservatives will be taking the fight to Labour to call for them to freeze council tax – so that Welsh council tax payers can decide how best to use this extra money.
We’ll take the fight to Labour on business rates – so that Welsh businesses can decide whether to spend the money they raise on new markets, new products or taking on new staff.
And we’ll continue to take the fight to Labour on direct funding for schools – so that teachers and governors can decide how best to spend their money in order to raise standards in our schools.