North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has slammed the Labour Welsh Government for failing local communities across Wales.
Closing the Welsh Conservative ‘Local Communities’ Debate in the Welsh Parliament last Wednesday, Mr Isherwood, criticised Welsh Ministers for failing to build strong, resilient communities and emphasised the “need for Councils to receive fair funding across the whole of Wales, including Flintshire”.
He said:
“We need devolution as close to the people as possible, but the Welsh Government is instead grabbing power to Cardiff Bay. Empowering local people to take the lead on where they need homes, facilities and services should be developed, trusting local people.
“Despite Welsh Conservative-led Monmouthshire receiving the lowest Welsh Government funding in Wales, it has provided some of the best innovation and services in Wales.
“Communities First was the Labour Welsh Government's flagship programme to improve the living conditions and prospects for people in the most disadvantaged communities across Wales.
“After spending half a billion pounds on it, the Welsh Government announced that it was phasing out ‘Communities First’, having failed to reduce the headline rates of poverty or increase relative prosperity in Wales.”
He added:
“I also receive every day a bucketful of e-mails from people in Flintshire telling me that, despite their vulnerabilities, they've been told by Labour politicians or a Labour Council what is good for them, rather than being asked what they want to achieve. And, of course, I wish the casework wasn't so huge, particularly disabled people and others.
“The 2011 UK Conservative Localism Act gave new rights and powers to communities and individuals in order to decentralise power and encourage greater local innovation and flexibility. However, the Labour Welsh Government failed to introduce most of its key provisions in Wales. Well, by finally adopting the community rights agenda in Wales, we can shift power away from central Government in Cardiff towards communities, creating a society that is more engaged and responsive. It's time to break the shackles of top-down Welsh Government, time to enable our communities and time to set Wales free to travel the road to a vibrant people-powered recovery.
“Since the devolution era began almost a quarter of a century ago, the Welsh Labour Government has been ever keener to destroy its critics through derision, spite and buck passing, while barely bothering to offer a serious political argument.
“Throughout my time here since 2003, I have listened to them boast about outputs rather than outcomes, how much is spent rather than how well, while failing to effectively monitor and evaluate their programmes and expenditure. Whenever Welsh Conservatives have proposed human rights and community rights-based motions, legislation and amendments to legislation, they have voted these down.
“Believing they cannot be removed from power, delusional Labour Welsh Government has been failing the local communities of Wales for too long.”