Leadership hopeful sets out his vision for Wales
THE front runner to be Wales’ next First Minister Mark Drakeford has laid out his vision for Wales.
In a 21 page manifesto document, the bookies’ favourite to succeed Carwyn Jones has laid out what he will do if Welsh Labour members vote him in as leader.
The Cardiff West AM says the “most radical days” of Labour are ahead of them and has said his “fresh initiatives” will “re-energise Welsh Labour”.
When we spoke to him for an indepth personal interview, he admitted he had “no burning desire” for the job but thought he was the bestequipped to do it.
Mr Drakeford says he wants to “extend smoking ban to outdoor areas of cafe and restaurants and city and town centres”.
Currently smoking is banned in indoor public places and will extend to schools and hospitals by 2019.
He has been working on his manifesto since spring – when Carwyn Jones announced he would stand down – and that has involved speaking to experts in each field, this policy is one of those.
On his “transport and travel” pages, Mr Drakeford says he has to give people “realistic alternatives” to using their cars.
He wants to see emissions cut, and to give people chances to walk or use their bikes.
“For longer distance trips we need to transform the image and the reality of public transport to make people want to use it”.
But the only mention to the controversial M4 relief road is to say congestion needs to be tackled.
“We will maintain our commitment to tackle congestion, particularly in areas such as on the A55 in North Wales, the A40 in mid and west Wales and M4 in south Wales.”
When WalesOnline asked Mr Drakeford if he backed the M4 relief road, he said he was bound by collective decision making and could not say publicly before a public inquiry has responded.
His leadership rivals both said they supported building the relief road.
In his environment proposals, Mr Drakeford says he wants to “focus on the small things which can create local, accessible green spaces”. It includes wild flower planting, changing mowing practices and “creating meadow areas on sloping land”.
He also wants to double allotments and change planning regulations about sheds.
Mr Drakeford says he would build on Superfast Cymru – a scheme to rollout 733,000 homes and businesses across Wales – to “coordinate connectively and 5G projects”.
Both of his leadership rivals have said they want a People’s Vote on Brexit.
Mr Drakeford says leaving the European Union is “bad for Wales” but only backs another referendum “if all else fails”.
As part of his health pledges, Mr Drakeford promises “to take a progressive stance on the use of cannabis” saying Wales should “lead the way where clinical evidence is there to support it”.
The Westminster Government has already announced that doctors can prescribe medical cannabis with a law which applies to England, Wales and Scotland.
He says he wants “drinking fountains all over Wales” to boost the health of the nation.
The policy has come from a national movement to extend the availability of refillable water stops.
His decision to include it as a policy is to increase the roll out of places people can access water.
He wants a new national forest and create a new series of circular walking routes based around the coastal path.
Automation and artificial intelligence “are going to bring big changes” Mr Drakeford says, and new technology is a way to “free up people to do things that machines can’t”.
That means finding jobs for people who lose theirs, he says.
He wants analysis of where Wales can “lead innovation” and says Brexit will allow a change to “reshape farming and food production post-Brexit”.
There has been plenty of talk about council reorganisation in Wales, and whether the 22 authorities should be forced to merge.
In 2016, when he was local government secretary, Mr Drakeford finally killed off long discussed plans to cut the numbers to eight or nine.
Current local government boss Alun Davies then touted slashing the number to 10, before he too ditched the plans.
In his manifesto, Mr Drakeford says he will keep 22 councils but if any want to merge voluntarily, he would support them.
But he says the Welsh Government will have to “take powers to intervene” where “pressures of austerity have become unsustainable”.