I read Fay Jones MP’s column on the politics surrounding proposed school closures with a mixture of consternation and dismay.

Her comments are disdainful of campaigners motivated not by petty point-scoring but by the plight of children and families facing enormous upheaval during an already precarious time.

Welshpool Town Councillor Richard Church has called for an end to a dispute over a disused footpath that has put the construction of a new school on hold. Builders cannot start work on Ysgol Gymraeg y Trallwng on the old Maesydre site until an agreement is reached on the footpath to nowhere.

Cllr Richard Church & the old Maesydre Site.

Mid and West Wales Senedd Member (MS) Jane Dodds has taken part in today’s debate on the housing crisis in Wales calling for action on housebuilding, second homes and measures to protect the Welsh Language.

Mid & West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have accused the Conservatives of betraying farmers that placed their trust in them during the last election, as well as consumers in its trade deal with Australia.

A leaked memo from the Australian Trade Department shows that the originally proposed pledge by the British government to protect farmers for 15 years has been dropped, effectively handing tariff-free access to Australian producers to the UK and Welsh market from day one, with a “cap” on sales that is 60 times the current level of imported beef.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Mid & West Wales MS Jane Dodds

The inclusion of Powys schools on a website listing allegations of rape culture within British schools has been highlighted by Powys Liberal Democrats.

Welshpool Highschool (pictured), alongside Machynlleth and Llanfyllin were cited on the list. 

Jane Dodds, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and your Senedd Member for Mid & West Wales yesterday questioned First Minister Mark Drakeford on what is been done to protect women in Wales from violence against women and girls.

Jane Dodds, Senedd Member for Mid Wales outside the Senedd.

Powys Lib Dems today have called for the Powys County Council to organise open-air consultation events for all schools planned for closure including Castle Caereinon Church in Wales School and Churchstoke County Primary School.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats on Powys County Council have criticised Conservative-Independent plans to shut four primary schools.

The Tory-Independent Council Cabinet conducted consultations on the closure of Castle Caereinon Church in Wales School, Churchstoke County Primary School, Llanbedr Church in Wales School and Llanfihangel Rhydithon County Primary School this Spring, whilst the affected communities were still under COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and without the involvement of the children who would be most impacted.

Questions have also been raised about whether the planned closures are compatible with the ‘presumption against closure for rural schools’ policy introduced into the School Organisation Code by former Welsh Liberal Democrat MS for Brecon & Radnorshire and Education Minister Kirsty Williams.

Alison Alexander, the Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Montgomeryshire, has urged MP Craig Williams not to break his election commitment on international development spending by voting to abandon the UK’s 0.7% of GNI target in a potential vote on 7th June.

Powys Liberal Democrats have criticised NHS England’s imminent rollout of changes to the way that the identifiable personal and health data of patients registered with GP surgeries in England is shared with third parties which affects patients throughout Powys.