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Laura Anne Jones, who represents the Welsh Conservatives, is one of four regional Senedd Members serving the South Wales East region.

Over the past few months whilst the rest of us have been focussing on the cost of living and remerging from the pandemic, Welsh Labour has been too busy debating among themselves and Plaid Cymru over how many more politicians they want in an expanded Senedd.

I believe that Wales doesn’t need more politicians in Cardiff Bay – what the Senedd does need is more time to scrutinise the government and their actions. Sitting for two half days a week is an insult to Welsh democracy. Once again Labour wants more jobs for the boys and not more scrutiny of their actions.

So whilst Labour and Plaid want to spend £100 million over five years on more politicians, the Welsh people want more teachers, doctors, dentists and nurses.

Labour and their nationalist friends should focus on fixing the woeful health service and education system that they have presided over for 23 years.

The Welsh Conservatives have called for a referendum on Labour and Plaid’s policy to expand the Senedd. Even a recent YouGov/ITV Wales poll found that, with ‘don’t knows’ removed, 61% were opposed to Senedd expansion with 39% in favour.

Once again Labour ministers are proving that they are woefully out of touch with the priorities of the people of Wales.

Future generations in Wales need more opportunities to develop their skills in order to access high-skilled jobs, they need to be able to access simple health services like a dentist and many areas across Wales are crying out for serious infrastructure investment.

The cost is expected to be around £100 million over five years at least – for Labour and Plaid’s pet project. Ministers with any sense would be spending that money on tackling the big issues facing Wales, not wasting time and cash looking at upping the number of Senedd members.

We’ve now over a year on since the election and the priorities of this government have become abundantly clear now, they’ve put a ban on building roads, made it harder to build houses and got into bed with the nationalists in Plaid Cymru.

I want a government that focuses on bringing the cost of living down, builds more affordable houses, and lowers taxes, not increases them. 

There’s a clear pattern emerging of what to expect of the next four years, sadly it’s more tax, more politicians and more left-behind communities.