Welsh Lib Dem Conference a "massive success" for party

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 20th Oct 2006

Lib Dem Regional Assembly candidate, Cllr. John Dixon, addressing the Welsh Lib Dem autumn conference in Aberystwyth

The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth played host to this year's Welsh Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference. The conference was well attended, including a number of representatives from Cardiff North Liberal Democrats. The conference provided a great launch pad for next year's Assembly elections.

John Dixon, top regional list candidate for the party in South Wales Central, told us: "Conference was a massive success. We have laid out some important new policies here, and shown that we are serious about moving forward in next year's Welsh General Election."

New policies passed at conference covered a broad range of policy areas, including health, social services, post offices, school class sizes and renewable energy.

Local Lib Dem candidate for the Welsh Assembly, Ed Bridges, said: "It is great to see that ahead of next May's elections, the Welsh Liberal Democrats are leading the way in making strong, distinctive policies."

Cardiff North Liberal Democrats were strongly represented at conference. Local party Chair, John Dixon (who also oversees Cardiff Council's Social Services portfolio), proposed a motion on continuing healthcare, which was passed unanimously.

Other local contributions came from Tongwynlais member Alex Evans (who spoke very powerfully on a motion criticising Labour's record on managing the Welsh ambulance service) and Cllr. Ed Bridges (who spoke on a motion about youth hostels in Wales).

Amongst other things, Conference approved the following policies:

• Better funding to local councils for continuing healthcare, with better assessment and improved appeals procedures.

• Primary school class sizes to be capped at 25 to improve discipline and help pupils to learn.

• A comprehensive housing policy which will suspend the right-to-buy in some areas, help key workers to get onto the housing ladder and protect rural communities from second home owners.

• Better local management of ambulance services.