With leader Jane Dodds predicting the Welsh Liberal Democrats will have a “wedge of MSs” in the Senedd following the election this May, the party appears confident about its electoral chances.

The Lib Dems published their manifesto on April 14th – the last major party to do so - following their campaign launch event a week earlier in Swansea.

The party sets out five top priorities for Wales at the beginning of their manifesto. These are: protect the NHS; stop independence; help Wales thrive; give every child the best start; and clean up our rivers and seas.

Protect the NHS

Pledging to protect NHS if it forms the next Welsh Government, the Lib Dems say they will end corridor care by investing in up to 5,000 new or refurbished nursing-care placements, to allow hospitals to focus on treating patients and bring down waiting lists.

Training more GPs and Allied Health Professionals in Wales to end shortages and improve access to services is also a priority for the party.

As part of their National Cancer Plan for Wales, the Lib Dems say they will boost cancer survival rates and introduce a guarantee for 100% of patients to start cancer treatment within 62 days from referral.

However to achieve these aims, the party shares that it would raise the Welsh Rate of Income Tax by 1p in the pound, for an emergency period, if Westminster “fails to reform Wales' funding formula and fails to tax banks and large social media companies effectively”.

Stop independence

With a promise to not spend “a single penny of Welsh Government money” on what they describe as the “independence agenda”, the Lib Dems emphasise their anti-independence stance in the manifesto.
 
They say they will instead support a move towards a “federal UK” where power is shared fairly across all nations and “fight for a much fairer deal and stronger voice for Wales within the UK”.

They pledge to complete the next stage of devolution in Wales by implementing the remaining Silk proposals - substantially reducing the number of powers reserved to Westminster, increasing borrowing powers, and conferring full powers to change income tax rates and thresholds in line with Scotland.

They also highlight their commitment to devolving powers over policing, prisons, and youth justice, creating a distinct legal jurisdiction for Wales – as well as devolving the Welsh Crown Estate.

However it is not clear how the party plans to achieve these aims should they form the next Welsh Government.

Devolving further powers to Wales remains in the hands of the UK Parliament in Westminster and they appear reluctant to do so.

This is particularly clear with regards to the devolution of policing. When asked if she believed it was the right time to devolve policing to Wales, home secretary Shabana Mahmood simply replied: “No I do not.”

‘Help Wales thrive’

Accusing Welsh Labour of failing to understand the “needs of our small businesses, hospitality, tourism, or farming sectors across Wales”, the Lib Dems say they will work towards a “modern, fair economy”.

The party say they will rebuild Wales’ trade with Europe through a new UK-EU customs union and put Wales back on the path to membership of the single market.

They say they will introduce a “dedicated Welsh industrial strategy” focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and building on Wales’ industrial strengths to deliver “real benefits" for workers and communities.

Describing high streets as “the beating hearts” of Welsh towns and cities, the Lib Dems acknowledge the central role high streets play in “community life and local prosperity”.

The party pledges to create a £400 million town centres fund to make streets “cleaner, safer, and greener” and to introduce planning rules encouraging town-centre residential development.

They also pledge to permanently extend business rate relief on the retail, leisure, and hospitality sectors, freeze the rates multiplier on struggling businesses, and explore the introduction of an online sales levy of 2% on large online retailers.

‘Give every child the best start’

Like Plaid Cymru, Welsh Labour, the Wales Green Party, and the Welsh Conservatives, childcare and education are central to the Lib Dem manifesto.

The party pledges to guarantee 30 hours of free, high-quality childcare 48 weeks a year for every child aged from nine months to four years old.

To make sure all childcare offered in Wales is of a high standard, the Lib Dems say they will develop a career strategy for early years staff and ensure that all settings are equipped to support children with additional needs.

The party presents a range of education policies, including pledges to increase school and college funding per pupil above the rate of inflation each year - and to provide free school meals to eligible children throughout school holidays.

They also aim to strengthen early intervention by identifying pupils at risk of disengagement from education at age 14 through closer working between schools and Careers Wales.

The Lib Dems have shared their commitment to supporting education from childhood to adulthood, pledging to address the “crisis in our universities”.

They say they will increase access to university-level education so all “ambitious young people have the opportunity to thrive” and continue to deliver the “most generous system of student finance anywhere in the UK”.

‘Clean up rivers and seas’

Their manifesto includes a “bold plan” to "restore Wales’ natural environment”.

The Lib Dems are promising to bring an end to the sewage scandal by legislating to ban raw sewage dumping in Welsh waterways, banning bonuses for water bosses until discharges and leaks end, and replacing Ofwat with a new Welsh regulator with the power to prevent sewage dumps.

The party also say they will set “meaningful and binding” targets to stop the decline of Wales’ natural environment and double nature by 2050.

This includes passing a Wildlife Act for Wales which will clarify and strengthen protections for animals.

Providing Natural Resources Wales with the necessary funding and resources it needs to monitor and tackle pollution is also a key pledge.

Candidates
Bangor Conwy Môn: Leena Sarah Farhat, David McBride, Mark Rosenthal, Rob Atenstadt, Sarah Jackson, Preben Vangberg
Gwynedd Maldwyn: Glyn Preston, Steve Churchman, Richard Church, Pete Roberts, Carol Robinson, Manny Akpoteni

You can find the Welsh Liberal Democrats manifesto in full here in both English and Welsh.