I wish to start my contribution to the debate by acknowledging that, during this fifth Senedd, there have been some positive interventions with regard to the economy and to transport infrastructure, as well as moves to encourage entrepreneurial activity, but it has to be said, the previous 15 years of Labour rule, at one time ably abetted by Plaid Cymru, have been nothing short of disastrous for Wales and the Welsh economy.

Far too much time and money has been spent on social engineering rather than constructive growth for the economy. By social engineering I mean the proliferation of the third sector in Wales, a clear strategy of creating jobs for the boys where almost all executive posts are filled by Labour apparatchiks. In addition, we witnessed the near-universal failure of the Communities First initiative, which created no real jobs, but saw a proliferation of administration posts. Merthyr Tydfil is a prime example of this failure, where out of the £1.5 million allotted to its Communities First organisation, £1.25 million was spent on administrative salaries. The total spend of this social experiment has cost the Welsh taxpayer £410 million between 2001 and 2016, when the plug was finally pulled.

We were promised reform of local government, with 22 local authorities reduced to eight. It could be said that this never came about because the Labour Party is in hock to the trade unions, who oppose such reorganisation. Education in Wales has an appalling record over the last 20 years—countless schools in special measures and, as in Torfaen, even the local education authority was placed in special measures. We currently have three of the four secondary schools in special measures. The abject failure of the Labour Government to address educational issues has led to a dramatic fall in qualifications for the vast majority of school pupils, to the extent that we can now say we have a lost generation of children. Vocational qualifications were almost totally ignored during this period, though, to be fair, it can be said that it is now, very belatedly, being addressed.

The Labour Government bemoans the fact that we have lost so-called European money—in reality, British money coming back to us after the EU took roughly half of it. The truth is, the reason we qualified for the money was that we remain one of the poorest regions of the EU, with 25 per cent of our population living in officially recognised poverty, the legacy of 20 years of Labour rule in Wales.

Labour has been losing its core vote of the working class population for the last 20 years. When will it change its policies to those espoused by these people? It can be said that it is this institution's disconnect from the people of Wales, evidenced by its refusal to accept the Brexit vote, where working-class people voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU, that is causing the drift away from the Labour Party. Wales and its hard-working people deserve better. Perhaps the administration will listen to the people. We need reform—the Reform Party will deliver that reform.

Can I end, Dirprwy Lywydd, by congratulating you on your fantastic contribution? You are an icon of this institution. I wish you sincerely well wherever and whatever you wish to do in your retirement.