We have a higher death any other part of the UK’
12/13m people their second.
That’s a UK success story and everyone who has been part of those vaccination and public health teams, wherever they are in the UK, but particularly here in Wales, deserves our sincere thanks and gratitude.
Do you give any credit to Welsh Government about how they’ve done?
■
■ The fact of the matter is that we have a higher death rate in Wales than we do in any other part of the UK.
That’s hardly keeping Wales safe and that’s with Mark Drakeford at the helm, that is.
What I would like to see is a more joined-up approach to the messaging, so people knew what was expected of them and the NHS opened earlier last summer so more elective surgeries could have been brought online.
I think any inquiry looking back will highlight the failure of Welsh Government policy, which has allowed waiting times to go north of 500,000 people now waiting on a NHS waiting time, the worst anywhere in the UK.
Despite all you’ve said there, a poll last week put Mark Drakeford as the most popular leader, why do you think that is?
■
■ A poll is a poll, the only poll that matters is May 6 at the end of the day.
You and I can talk over the table here about political polls, but they’re a snapshot of any given time and what we’re focused on is May 6.
■ Do you accept there’s support for Mark Drakeford?
■ The point of devolved politics is there is a greater awareness of whoever is the First Minister, that’s part of the role of being First Minister and the profile that gives you.
But it is a fact that, regrettably, Wales has the highest death rate of any part of the UK and surely that counts towards the actions Welsh Government has taken over the last 13/14 months.
■ Does it surprise you that you were the third most popular leader?
■ No, I’m always consistent.
■ On trust, the most common comments I see on stories about you and your party, the Welsh Conservatives are people saying you can’t be trusted. Why?
■ You’d have to put that to people who write them. At the end of the day, the Welsh Conservatives have a noble and achievable goal of delivering for Wales.
We’re proud Welsh individuals from all parts of Wales. To stand for election to the Welsh Parliament, we have a full slate of candidates, our record shows we’ve empowered devolution over the last 10 years or so while we’ve been governing in Westminster with two Wales Acts, the referendum on further law-making powers.
When the Parliament convenes on May 7 it’ll be the most powerful Welsh Parliament that has ever convened here in Wales.
What I want is, if we’re given that opportunity, is the sheer, sole focus on the economy and making sure we can rebuild that and everybody can reach their full potential here in Wales.
■ Over the last few years we’ve had Ross England, a candidate who sabotaged a rape trial, Alun Cairns who had to quit the cabinet and was discredited by a review. Rob Roberts is a Welsh MP who was accused of multiple allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards parliamentary staff who is facing no further action from his party and a victim who says he has “got away with it”. Your predecessor had to quit after drinking when it was banned in the Senedd, a senior member of staff involved in that is still employed by your party. Why should people trust you, that’s not a noble party.
■ It is, because we stand on principle.
■ Those aren’t items of principle, Ross England, Rob Roberts…
■ Sadly, you can look across all parties and there are isolated cases.
These are serious issues.
■
■ Take a look at Plaid Cymru for example, have lost an AM because he was convicted of paedophilia.
We’ve addressed these issues and made sure that we’ve spoken to those and corrected those.
Do you think they were dealt with appropriately?
■
■ Under my leadership they will not be tolerated.
We have a party of candidates who stand solely for being community candidates in whatever part of Wales where they stand for election.
We have a manifesto that will break the mould if it is allowed to be enacted, by achieving economic prosperity wherever you are in Wales with 65,000 jobs, investment in our NHS and education system and 5,000 extra teachers in our classrooms.
■ Were the cases of Ross England and Rob Roberts dealt with correctly?
■ As I understand it – Rob Roberts I’m not familiar, but it’s being investigated by the Standards Commissioner. Ross England no longer works for the party.
But you’re saying you’re the party of trust, and you’re a noble party. Is that evidence of those things?
■
■ Yes. I wouldn’t be in a party that wasn’t a noble and trustworthy party and that’s why I’m proud to lead the Welsh Conservatives.
■ Your manifesto has huge projects and schemes. With hospitals last week, when I asked your party to explain how much money it would cost to build them, we were only given a figure for one of them, so what will they cost? How much costing is there on your manifesto? Are these just headline-grabbing promises?
■ There is detailed costing because the overall cost requirements in our manifesto is about £8bn out of a budget of £120bn over the five years.
So those five hospitals, do you have figures?
■
■ The West Wales health plan is still being worked up. Ultimately, the community hospitals will cost between £50m and £64m, depending on the level of services that’s needed in those areas. It’s important for the people in those areas to know that the Welsh Conservatives will deliver that.
Is your manifesto just greatlooking headlines? New hospitals, a £1.6bn road, are they not just big promises you can make because you’re in opposition?
■
■ Not at all, our manifesto is a manifesto that has been endorsed by several notable people in the Bay here. Cathy Owens, the former special advisor to Rhodri Morgan, who worked with Mark Drakeford, said it was affordable and deliverable unlike the theme and dream of Plaid Cymru’s manifesto.
Why should Andrew RT Davies be First Minister?
■
■ Because after 22 years of Labour, we’ve had constant failure on health, education and the economy.
Andrew Davies has the ideas along with the Welsh Conservatives to put Wales on a new path after the covid pandemic, turn the page, create a new chapter and create that hope and prosperity that Wales can achieve more and will not have more of the same propped up if you put Labour and Plaid back in Government after May 6.