7. 7. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Borrowing and the Economy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:36 pm on 10 May 2017.

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Photo of Andrew RT Davies Andrew RT Davies Conservative 4:36, 10 May 2017

There is only one coalition of chaos on the ballot paper for June 8, Mike, as well you know, and that is the coalition of chaos that would be led by Jeremy Corbyn and the devastating consequences, economically and for the future of the United Kingdom. And, of course, you are part of a coalition with the nationalists and with the Liberal Democrats, as we’ve seen, since last May. There is a formal coalition here. You see it at budget time, and you see it because you have a Lib Dem education Minister who took questions earlier on. She is part of your Government, Mike, which you endorse, you do.

But, looking at what is required as we go forward, the dominating theme for the next Parliament, undoubtedly, and for this Assembly, will be to deliver on the Brexit referendum result of 23 June last year, and that is why strong and stable leadership is required—[Interruption.]—is required—[Interruption.]—I’m on for a digestive biscuit at this rate—is required to make sure that we continue with the long-term economic growth that underpins investment in our great public services, that underpins the ability for people to take home a decent take-home wage, and underpins the ability for entrepreneurs to start up new businesses, whether that be here in Wales or, indeed, other parts of the United Kingdom.

Can it really be the case that anyone can have any confidence in the current Labour leadership when it comes to security, when it comes to negotiating the Brexit negotiations? Yesterday, for example, the leader of the Labour Party was asked six times about his thoughts on Brexit and was unable at any time to give a convincing answer. And this coming from a party that has spent the last 18 months, in two leadership debates, ripping itself apart and that ultimately now stands before the electorate to say, ‘Trust us, we will deliver’. And when we look at what the Welsh Government have delivered here, when you look at the NHS, it’s the only part of the United Kingdom that had a Government in the last session that delivered real-term cuts to the NHS—a conscious political decision, I might add, that was taken at that time.

The Government put much credibility on the line when it came to reorganising local government and had to backpedal on the reorganisation of local government. On education, when we look at the education figures that have come out, not from the Conservatives, not from other political parties here, but on the international rankings and PISA—a devastating indictment of failed education policies here in Wales that have blighted the life chances of successive generations of young people going through our education system here in Wales. And they are seriously asking for us to trust them with the leadership of the United Kingdom. That is why it is vital that people understand the consequences when they cast their vote on 8 June, to make sure that their communities, themselves, and this country’s security and long-term future is protected by a strong Conservative mandate here in Wales, but in other parts of the United Kingdom as well.

And I do find it remarkable that the First Minister spent his time on ‘The Politics Show’ endorsing—endorsing—maxing out the UK’s credit card to the tune of an additional £500 billion-worth of borrowing. In other words, the cost of chaos so far. At the moment, the Labour Party stand before the electorate here in the United Kingdom with £45 billion-worth of uncosted commitments—£45 billion-worth of uncosted commitments. That is absolutely unbelievable, and the First Minister is endorsing that economic policy that would actually put not just this generation’s economic futures on the line, but future generations’ futures. Because this generation won’t just be paying for that—it will be generation after generation that will have to pick up the pieces of the bankrupting of this country.

What we have seen over the first and the second term of the Conservatives in Government in Westminster, as I have said before, is worth repeating: record employment rates, which have gone up from 28 million people employed in the United Kingdom to 31.8 million people as we sit here today; record rates of investment in the economy; record rates of investment in business start-ups; record rates of apprenticeships. All that will be put at risk by the coalition of chaos that Jeremy Corbyn will lead, propped up by the Liberal Democrats and by the nationalists, both from Scotland and here in Wales. That is why we need the strong and stable leadership of Theresa May—[Interruption.]—of Theresa May making sure that ultimately—[Interruption.]—that ultimately people’s futures are not put at risk because of the cavalier attitude not just of Labour in London, but Labour here in the Assembly.

Above all, what is required from Governments in the future is that there is a fully costed programme of delivery and a fully costed programme when it comes to infrastructure and investment in our public services. Building false hopes, which is what the Labour Party and the nationalists are engaging in at the moment, is something that the public will not forgive, and as I said, the cost of chaos so far clearly indicates that there’s a £45 billion black hole—[Interruption.] If the Cabinet Secretary for health wants to speak, I’ll gladly take the intervention from him, because he’s chuntering away there. But he knows that, when it comes to it, the stats in the Welsh NHS, where one in seven people are on a waiting list here in Wales, where accident and emergency times—[Interruption.] Well, I’ll give the floor. Do you want to take an intervention? I’ll give the floor. See—you will not defend the position. One in seven people are on a waiting list, and people are waiting longer and longer for treatment here in Wales.

So, as I’ve said, the clear choice before the people of Wales, and before the people of the United Kingdom, is for the strong and stable leadership—[Interruption.]—people need to vote for on 8 June against the coalition of chaos that the Labour Party, the nationalists and the liberals will bring forward, which will not deliver the Brexit negotiations that this country needs to stand up to the other 27 member states that will do us down; which will not deliver the economic prosperity that this country and its communities require; which will not deliver the security of our public services; and above all, will not deliver the bright future that we know exists for this country. I’ll gladly take the intervention.