'Wales is crying out for action on NHS waiting lists, 20mph rules and help for farmers - but real changes are unlikely'
Eluned Morgan has been appointed the new First Minister of Wales
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Vaughan Gething has left the stage as First Minister after just over four months in the job.
His leadership was plagued by questions over donations he received during his leadership campaign, his handling of COVID-era text messages, and the sacking of one of his Ministers who he accused of leaking.
It is a near-certainty that if there had not been a General Election in early July, his time as First Minister would have ended earlier.
While Labour in Wales were infighting, Welsh public services were suffering, and NHS waiting lists repeatedly reached record highs.
But Labour’s electoral interests took priority, so Gething was able to stay on until after the election.
Morgan was Health Minister in Vaughan Gething and Mark Drakeford’s governments and has overseen record NHS waiting lists in Wales, Andrew RT Davies writes
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While there is a new First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, sadly there is little evidence that Wales can expect a change in direction.
Under Vaughan Gething’s leadership, the Welsh Government engaged in classic Blair-era spin and made it appear to many people that the hugely unpopular 20mph speed limits were being rolled back.
This was not the case, and 20mph still remains the default speed for roads that were previously 30mph, despite huge public opposition.
But Eluned Morgan isn’t even trying to hide that 20mph is here to stay. In her reshuffle, conducted the day after she won election in the Senedd to the role of First Minister, she brought former-First Minister Mark Drakeford back into cabinet.
Drakeford was the First Minister who ushered in 20mph speed limits and was a key architect of the policy, which has proven to be one of the most unpopular in the devolved era.
His return to the front bench is a clear indication that motorists and businesses will continue to be disappointed.
Don’t forget, this ideological policy is projected to cost the Welsh economy up to £9billion, according to the Welsh Government’s own analysis.
Morgan was also Health Minister in Vaughan Gething and Mark Drakeford’s governments and has overseen record NHS waiting lists in Wales - the longest in the UK. Almost all of us know somebody who is on an NHS waiting list, and the impact that has on people’s lives is enormous. Her record does not give me confidence that she will be the person to cut those waiting lists down.
Another key issue in Wales, which attracted headlines across the UK this year, is farming. Earlier this year, thousands of farmers travelled to Cardiff Bay to protest against Labour’s new agricultural support scheme.
The scheme, which would force farmers to give up huge amounts of their land for tree planting and other green schemes is projected to cost 5,500 jobs in Welsh agriculture.
Like with the NHS and 20mph speed limits, it is unlikely this new Welsh Government will make any real changes.
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The new deputy First Minister was, and remains, the Agriculture Minister, and there is no reason to believe he will change course on these green rules which will decimate our farming communities that are so important to our culture, our communities and our food security.
And while Welsh Labour may have stopped taking chunks out for the time being now that Gething is on the back benches, there are still deep divisions lurking just beneath the surface.
As always, Wales watches on, crying out for action to tackle waiting lists, scrap 20mph and save our farming communities.
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