Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:49 pm on 2 July 2024.

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Photo of Andrew RT Davies Andrew RT Davies Conservative 1:49, 2 July 2024

It's interesting to note that you weren't on the campaign bus that went to Paul Davies's Constituency the other day. I wonder why. Withyhedge, perhaps. But your condescending tone of talking to people about the cost-of-living crisis—. There has been a cost-of-living crisis. We all as elected Members have seen our constituents and looked them in the eye and felt their pain. But you point out to me a western democracy that hasn't had similar economic pressures. Ultimately, what I'm saying to you, First Minister, is that we are coming out of that. We have built an economic model that has delivered record rates of employment, record rates of pay settlements now over inflation up to 6 per cent as opposed to 2 per cent inflation. And what we are seeing from the Labour Party is the threat of higher taxation, slower economic growth and a following of the Welsh Labour record here in Wales that has delivered record waiting times, falling educational standards and an economy that’s stagnant. That’s the change that’s on the voting paper on Thursday: that you can go backwards with Labour, or forwards with the Conservatives. If you change the narrative economically, every man, woman and child in this country will be worse off, and that’s where I think the good sense of the people of Wales will shine through and ultimately reject Welsh Labour’s record here in Wales and the record of failure to deliver improvements that people deserve here in Wales.

Minister

Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.

Conservatives

The Conservatives are a centre-right political party in the UK, founded in the 1830s. They are also known as the Tory party.

With a lower-case ‘c’, ‘conservative’ is an adjective which implies a dislike of change, and a preference for traditional values.

constituency

In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent