Fay Jones MP speaks out about the response to COVID-19 in Wales.
The fight against Coronavirus has been fought on two fronts. The first continues to be the most important – to limit the spread of the virus and to save lives. The second is to help our country back on its feet and drive economic growth again. As we move from one phase to another the political games have resumed and in Wales, that presents a different set of challenges to the rest of the United Kingdom.
Not everything has been perfect. However, I believe the UK Government’s handling of the Coronavirus has been strong and comprehensive. On a number of different levels we have provided clear leadership; driving progress towards an ever increasing target for daily testing, working with partners around the world to ensure there is a strong supply of PPE, and, crucially for our future, providing one of the most generous and wide ranging packages of financial support in the world to individuals, businesses, charities and many other organisations.
In a number of ways, Wales is lagging way behind; our testing capability is dramatically weaker than in England, we have differing policies for containing the disease within care homes and a number of opportunities available in England have been denied to Wales – such as the GoodSAM volunteer network. To make matters worse, the Welsh Government has deliberately chosen to opt out of UK Government financial schemes – only to then announce identical plans days later.
Colleagues in the Conservative group in the Welsh Parliament are lobbying hard for change and I support them in this. That is their role and their prerogative, but I cannot allow some of the politically motivated gesture politics to go unremarked – out of fear of being labelled ‘anti-devolutionist.’ It is because I respect devolution that I write this article.
On Friday last week, the First Minister gave a statement deliberately timed to undermine the Prime Minister’s statement to the country on Sunday evening. As is proper, the Prime Minister came to Parliament to discuss the detail of his Exit Plan on Monday. But the First Minister and his colleagues in Cardiff Bay had reacted to the PM’s statement with synthetic outrage – arguing that messages were ‘confused’. I used my question to the Prime Minister to clarify that there were no mixed messages and that this political pot-stirring was deeply unhelpful.
But people in Wales are confused. They are confused as to why there is no Exit Strategy – no schedule for returning to normal. The UK Government’s plan offers a conditional way ahead; it may be that we have to amend our plans as we go forward but at least we have a plan. I’m calling on the Welsh Government to show the same leadership and to provide a roadmap out of this crisis.
My constituency needs to know the road ahead. Easily, the most beautiful part of Wales – we thrive on agriculture and tourism but sadly not this year. July’s Royal Welsh Show is cancelled, preventing 250,000 visitors from travelling to Builth Wells celebrating the very best of Welsh farming. Some 50,000 party-goers will have to skip the Green Man festival in Crickhowell in August. And, Hay on Wye’s world-famous literary festival which generates around £25 million to the local economy each year is forced to move online – prompting the Prime Minister to commend its ingenuity and rename it ‘Hay on WiFi’. Brecon and Radnorshire’s diary for 2020 has been almost wiped out.
But I am describing tough, smart Welsh people here; we will survive, and indeed thrive. If both our Governments support us. There is no monopoly on certainty. We all need to know that the Welsh Government is planning for us to succeed – and for Wales to reopen again when the time is right.
When the Welsh Government comes forward with an Exit Plan, we must take every possible opportunity to promote Mid Wales and ensure that once this lockdown is over, we are open for business once again. And we must learn the lessons of the crisis – and ensure that public health and economic prosperity is never denied to Wales because of political gamesmanship.
Fay Jones MP
Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire