At last week’s Welsh Conservative Manifesto launch, we did more than just list pledges, we made a promise to Fix Wales and finally Get Wales Working. After years of stagnation under Labour and Plaid, we have a clear roadmap to rescue our overstretched NHS, modernise our crumbling infrastructure, and kickstart a stale economy.
Our healthcare staff are heroes, but they have been let down for far too long. To tackle the waiting list crisis, we will invest directly in the frontline by refunding university tuition fees for nursing, medicine, and dentistry students who commit to five years of service in the Welsh NHS.
We also believe that if you work hard, you should keep more of your money. While Labour and Reform look to tax Wales at every turn, we will cut the basic rate of income tax by 1p, saving the average family £450 a year.
To protect household budgets further, we will cap council tax increases at 5%, requiring a local referendum for anything higher, and make homeownership more accessible by scrapping Stamp Duty on main homes and restoring the Right to Buy.
As a proud member of the farming community, a community that has long been ignored. That is why we will boost the farming budget by £100 million to ensure our rural heartlands get the support they deserve.
As a Conservative, I believe in supporting families across Wales. That is why we have promised to launch a Grandparent Childcare Payment of up to £4,800 per year, recognising the vital role extended families play in raising the next generation.
Finally, we will get the Welsh economy moving by building the M4 relief road to unblock our infrastructure, abolishing business rates for small firms, and piloting a 5% VAT rate for tourism accommodation. These are just a few of the promises that we have announced to give Wales the boost it deserves.
This election will be a historic opportunity for the people of Wales to forge a new path, but that can only be done by electing more Welsh Conservative Members because only the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to address the decline that Wales has faced for too long.
This is a bold plan for a stronger and more prosperous Wales. I encourage you to read the full vision for your family and our country at www.conservatives.wales/ourplan
Peter Fox MS - Monmouth
