Welsh Tories in vow to introduce winter fuel payment, if elected
The Conservatives will introduce a Welsh winter fuel payment if they win the next Senedd election, the party leader is to announce.
Welsh Tories will meet in Llangollen on Friday for their annual party conference, with Darren Millar promising the party will have the 'boldest' manifesto next year.
During the two-day event, they will make several announcements, including pledging to introduce a Welsh winter fuel payment if they win the next Welsh Parliament election in May 2026.
Winter fuel payments were previously given to all pensioners across the UK.
However, last year, the UK Labour government restricted the payments to those qualifying for pension credits and other income-related benefits, as part of a bid to close a black hole in the nation's finances.
The Welsh Conservatives will also pledge to cut the basic rate of income tax by 1p, fuelled through efficiency measures across government departments, while protecting health, schools and farming.
All road projects will be 'unfrozen' and no new cycle lanes will be built until 'roads are fixed'.
Mr Millar's party will also pledge to reverse the expansion of the Senedd, which is due to increase to 96 members from 60 after the election.
The conference is one of the last chances for the party to get together before the election next year, and comes at a time when the Conservatives are struggling in the polls in Wales.
A recent poll by YouGov put the Welsh Tories in fourth place on 13% at the next Senedd election, behind Plaid Cymru, Reform UK and Labour.
Mr Millar MS said: 'The Welsh Conservative 2026 manifesto will be the boldest and most ambitious in our history.
'My team and I will present a comprehensive, fully-funded set of policy commitments to fix Wales ahead of the Senedd election.
'The Welsh Conservatives are working tirelessly to hold Labour to account, while other parties like Plaid Cymru have routinely propped them up.
'We now stand ready to offer the only credible alternative Welsh government.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
20 minutes ago
- Leader Live
UK Government ‘betraying Wales' over rail funding, Plaid leader says
Rhun ap Iorwerth, leader of Plaid, criticised the UK Labour Government for reclassifying the £6.6 billion Oxford to Cambridge line to an England and Wales project. The designation means Wales will not receive the additional rail funding it would get if branded an England-only project. Mr ap Iorwerth called on Eluned Morgan, the Welsh Labour First Minister, to condemn the reclassification. Baroness Morgan agreed Wales was not getting its fair share but said she was expecting to see positive changes in the UK Government's spending review on Wednesday. Mr ap Iorwerth's comments come following reports that revealed the project had originally been listed as England-only from 2020 to 2024. The Treasury told the BBC the classification was a 'publishing error' and insisted it was always considered an England and Wales development. Speaking First Minister's Questions in the Senedd on Tuesday, Mr ap Iorwerth said: 'We were getting our share until Labour actively moved the goalposts. 'Labour went out of its way to make sure Wales wouldn't get the money when the big spending really began.' He added: 'She should be joining me in condemning the UK Labour Government for betraying Wales. Will she?' Mr ap Iorwerth argued the reclassification was a 'new HS2 scandal' – a rail project that has been controversial in Wales. Despite none of the track being laid in the country, it was also designated an England and Wales project by the last UK Conservative government. Plaid has said this designation cost Wales £3.9 billion in funding. Responding to Mr Iorwerth, Baroness Morgan said: 'I've learned to expect nothing but constant negativity from the Plaid Cymru leader. 'I've been clear and I've been consistent when it comes to rail funding that we have not been getting our fair share of funding, in a position that the Tories left us with for over a decade. 'The difference between the Tories and the UK Labour Government is that they've recognised that injustice. 'I don't know what's going to be in the spending review, but the one thing I do know is that if Labour gave Wales a total land of milk and honey, Plaid Cymru would still find fault.' Baroness Morgan added they were 'expecting something positive from the spending review', but the Welsh government would have to keep on making the case for a fair share of funding. In January, the UK government admitted Welsh railways had been underfunded, with spending at 'low levels' in recent years. However, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander did not announce any additional funding at the time.
Leader Live
20 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Scrapping of Vagrancy Act next year landmark moment, say homelessness charities
The Vagrancy Act, introduced in 1824 for punishment of 'idle and disorderly persons, and rogues and vagabonds, in England', is to be repealed by spring next year, the Government has confirmed. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who is also Housing Secretary, said Labour is 'drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society'. The law was brought in to deal with rising homelessness after the Napoleonic Wars and the Industrial Revolution and modern-day homeless charities have long called for it to be scrapped. Campaigners said criminalising the most vulnerable has never been the answer and instead homelessness needs to be properly addressed through support for people who end up sleeping rough. Figures published in April showed the number of people classed as living on the streets in London had risen by more than a third (38%) year-on-year to 706 from 511. According to the latest Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) statistics, the total number recorded as sleeping rough in the capital was 4,427 for the three months to March 2025, which was a near-8% increase from 4,118 for the same quarter last year. Ms Rayner said: 'No one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again.' Homelessness minister Rushanara Ali described the 'archaic' Act as 'neither just nor fit for purpose'. She added: 'Scrapping the Vagrancy Act for good is another step forward in our mission to tackle homelessness in all its forms, by focusing our efforts on its root causes.' The Government said new 'targeted measures will ensure police have the powers they need to keep communities safe – filling the gap left over by removing previous powers', and will be brought in throughamendments to the Crime and Policing Bill. These will be new offences of facilitating begging for gain and trespassing with the intention of committing a crime. The Government said this will ensure organised begging – often facilitated by criminal gangs – remains an offence, meaning it is unlawful for anyone to organise others to beg by, for example, driving them places to do so. Crisis chief executive Matt Downie said: 'This is a landmark moment that will change lives and prevent thousands of people from being pushed into the shadows, away from safety.' He praised the Government for having 'shown such principled leadership in scrapping this pernicious Act'. He said: 'We hope this signals a completely different approach to helping people forced onto the streets and clears the way for a positive agenda that is about supporting people who desperately want to move on in life and fulfil their potential. We look forward to assisting the UK Government with their forthcoming homelessness strategy to do exactly that.' St Mungo's chief executive Emma Haddad said the Act's repeal 'cannot come soon enough' and called for a 'focus on tackling the health, housing and wider societal issues that are causing homelessness in the first place'. Youth homelessness charity Centrepoint warned that a challenge will be 'ensuring that proposed amendments don't have the unintended consequences of punishing people instead of supporting them'. Balbir Kaur Chatrik, the charity's director of policy and prevention, said: 'Criminalising the most vulnerable was never an effective solution and we look forward to working with the Government on its ending homelessness strategy to ensure people in this position are supported, not punished going forward.'
Glasgow Times
20 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
UK Government ‘betraying Wales' over rail funding, Plaid leader says
Rhun ap Iorwerth, leader of Plaid, criticised the UK Labour Government for reclassifying the £6.6 billion Oxford to Cambridge line to an England and Wales project. The designation means Wales will not receive the additional rail funding it would get if branded an England-only project. Mr ap Iorwerth called on Eluned Morgan, the Welsh Labour First Minister, to condemn the reclassification. Baroness Morgan agreed Wales was not getting its fair share but said she was expecting to see positive changes in the UK Government's spending review on Wednesday. Mr ap Iorwerth's comments come following reports that revealed the project had originally been listed as England-only from 2020 to 2024. The Treasury told the BBC the classification was a 'publishing error' and insisted it was always considered an England and Wales development. Speaking First Minister's Questions in the Senedd on Tuesday, Mr ap Iorwerth said: 'We were getting our share until Labour actively moved the goalposts. 'Labour went out of its way to make sure Wales wouldn't get the money when the big spending really began.' He added: 'She should be joining me in condemning the UK Labour Government for betraying Wales. Will she?' Mr ap Iorwerth argued the reclassification was a 'new HS2 scandal' – a rail project that has been controversial in Wales. Despite none of the track being laid in the country, it was also designated an England and Wales project by the last UK Conservative government. Plaid has said this designation cost Wales £3.9 billion in funding. Responding to Mr Iorwerth, Baroness Morgan said: 'I've learned to expect nothing but constant negativity from the Plaid Cymru leader. 'I've been clear and I've been consistent when it comes to rail funding that we have not been getting our fair share of funding, in a position that the Tories left us with for over a decade. 'The difference between the Tories and the UK Labour Government is that they've recognised that injustice. 'I don't know what's going to be in the spending review, but the one thing I do know is that if Labour gave Wales a total land of milk and honey, Plaid Cymru would still find fault.' Baroness Morgan added they were 'expecting something positive from the spending review', but the Welsh government would have to keep on making the case for a fair share of funding. In January, the UK government admitted Welsh railways had been underfunded, with spending at 'low levels' in recent years. However, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander did not announce any additional funding at the time.
