CARMARTHENSHIRE & PEMBROKESHIRE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS ANNOUNCE SPLIT INTO 2 NEW LOCAL PARTIES

Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire Liberal Democrats gathered at Y Gat/The Gate, in St Clears on Saturday 24th November.

The main item of business was to dissolve the Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire Local Party, that was created a few years ago with the amalgamation of 4 constituency parties. 

The AGM heard from Local Party Chair, Andrew Lye who gave a 5 page A4 report of the activities of the Liberal Democrats in the two counties, over the last year. Obviously, Brexit has been the main issue and members have been active in participating in street stalls and at shows over the summer. Local Liberal Democrats have held our own stalls under our own banner or as part of Carmarthenshire 4 Europe and Pembrokeshire 4 Europe. 

Local Party Chair, Andrew Lye said, “In 2016, our constituencies voted to Leave the EU. But reliable polling is now showing that they have now all tipped towards remaining in the EU. Our activists have been proactive talking to the public and this is the main concern as the matter is being handled badly by the Conservative Government at Westminster. And it’s not been helped by Jeremy Corbyn and other senior Labour Party Shadow Cabinet members who are seen as Brexiteers and anti EU.I have been on some of the street stalls and spent much of my time at the 3 day Pembrokeshire County Show in August. Across the UK, we have been inviting the public to put dots on Brexitometers and the results are uniform. They all show that the public are unhappy at the Government’s handling of Brexit and support the People’s Vote to decide the final deal”. 

(The Photos below show Local Party Chair Andrew Lye. The 2nd photo is of Local Party Executive Member, Julian Tandy with the Brexitometer at the Pembrokeshire County Show. The final photo is the final result at the County Show)

The AGM also heard that after years of campaigning including petitions and a successful motion to the Welsh Liberal Democrats Conference, 3 years ago, tolls on the Cleddau Bridge in Pembrokeshire look as though they will be finally lifted from April 2019.

The AGM heard of our Working Group that submitted our comments on the Hywel Dda Health Board’s proposals on the future of our hospitals. Concerns were raised and we called for the need for more information and improvements to the infrastructure if a new hospital was to be built between Narberth and St Clears. 

The AGM heard from Cllr Bob Kilmister, the Cabinet member for Finance on Pembrokeshire County Council and the problems of Local Government finance and service provision. With the Council Tax going up 12.5% this year, things don’t look any more promising, for next year.

At the Autumn Conference in Aberystwyth, 3 motions were submitted by the Local Party. The issues were on:-

– Improving the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer in Wales

– The integration of Health and Social Care in Wales, and

– The Hywel Dda proposals for the future of hospital in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire

ALL motions were adopted as Welsh Liberal Democrat party policy.

The motion to dissolve the Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire Local Party on 31st December 2018 was passed and 2 inaugural AGM’s have taken place to create the Carmarthenshire Liberal Democrats Local Party and the Pembrokeshire Liberal Democrats Local Party with effect from 1st January 2019.

Monica French will Chair Carmarthenshire Liberal Democrats Local Party and Andrew Lye will be Chair of Pembrokeshire Liberal Democrats Local Party.