New Tory leader to set up cabinet

15 July 2011 Last updated at 15:52 GMT Andrew RT Davies says Conservatives relish holding the Welsh Government to account The new leader of the Conservatives in the Welsh assembly will announce his shadow cabinet in a "couple of days".

Andrew RT Davies said he wanted to speak personally with each of the party's 14-strong group, before making his decisions.

The South Wales Central AM was speaking during a visit to Sharp's solar panel factory in Wrexham, a day after winning the leadership contest.

He beat rival Nick Ramsay with 53.1% of the votes in a party election.

Mr Davies said: "We have a great, talented team in the assembly who have hit the ground running already in the first term since the election.

"And I know full well that each and everyone of them will take up the challenge with relish and hold the government to account and make sure that the people of Wales have confidence in Welsh Conservatives who are on their side fighting their corner."

Mr Davies has been an AM since 2007 and sparked speculation about his ambitions when he suddenly stood down as the party's shadow health minister in November 2010.

'Green growth vital' Continue reading the main story

The Welsh Labour government needs to look hard at its plans for building a green economy and come up with a coherent and detailed strategy”

End Quote Andrew RT Davies Leader, Welsh Conservatives The party leader job became vacant after previous leader Nick Bourne lost his seat at May's election.

During his first engagement as the party's new leader, Mr Davies chatted with staff as he toured Sharp's Llay factory which is doubling the production of solar panels.

"It plainly shows that there's a growing appetite for solar technology and it demonstrates how jobs can be created from renewable energy," he said.

"Green growth is vital for Wales and we need to encourage more companies like this to get involved and play a key part.

"The Welsh Labour government needs to look hard at its plans for building a green economy and come up with a coherent and detailed strategy.

"I don't believe enough is being done to seize those opportunities and reap the rewards.

"There's simply too much Labour emphasis on wind energy in Wales. We need promotion of a diverse range of renewables, including solar.

"Now we need the policies in place to help others follow suit."

'Potential'

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "Our renewable energy statement 'A Low Carbon Revolution' sets out our ambitions for low carbon energy technology in Wales and demonstrates Wales' potential to produce more renewable electricity than we consume as nation by 2025 from sustainable renewable technologies.

"Solar technologies, utilising the relatively good level of solar irradiance in Wales, will play an important role in creating a diverse low carbon energy generation mix and enhance our long term energy security of supply.

"Our aspirations for Solar PV are included within the targets set out in our energy policy statement to install 1GW of electricity capacity from local generation by 2020."

It went on to say: "We now believe we have the potential to annually produce up to 40 terawatt hours of electricity from a variety of renewable sources by 2025 with 25% of this coming from marine, 50% from wind (both offshore and onshore) and the rest mainly from sustainable biomass power or smaller local (including micro) heat and electricity generation projects using wind, solar, hydro or indigenous biomass."

Mr Davies also visited the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, on Friday.

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PUP leader Ervine to stand down

2 June 2011 Last updated at 13:45 GMT Brian Ervine is to stand down as PUP leader Progressive Unionist Party leader Brian Ervine is to resign following his failure to win a seat in the assembly elections.

Mr Ervine said he was going so he could return to his former job as a teacher of young adults with literacy problems.

The east Belfast man, whose late brother David led the party for several years, was elected leader last October.

He took over from interim leader Dr John Kyle, who had taken the role after Dawn Purvis quit the party.

She did so in protest at the UVF murder of Belfast man Bobby Moffett.

Accounts published by the Electoral Commission last month showed that the PUP ran a deficit of more than ?57,000 last year.

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Plaid 'new generation' for leader

24 May 2011 Last updated at 11:00 GMT Ieuan Wyn Jones will stand down as Plaid Cymru leader in the first half of this assembly term Plaid Cymru should look to a new generation when Ieuan Wyn Jones stands down as leader, says a senior party figure.

Mr Jones, 62, will stand down some time during the first half of this five-year assembly term.

Ex-Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said he was not sure if someone of the same generation should take over.

Lord Elis-Thomas, aged 64, who led Plaid 20 years ago, has been nominated by his local party to run for the job.

Ieuan Wyn Jones announced the timetable for his departure earlier this month.

It followed a poor showing at the assembly election when Plaid fell into third place behind Labour and the Conservatives.

Asked if he would put his name forward, Alun Ffred Jones said: "It's unwise to say never but my personal view is that, if Ieuan is standing down, and he is going to stand down, I'm not sure whether somebody of the same generation should be stepping into his shoes."

'Learn lessons' Continue reading the main story

I'm not sure whether somebody of the same generation should be stepping in to his shoes”

End Quote Alun Ffred Jones AM Plaid Cymru He added: "I'm not going to comment on anybody else who may or may not step into the post."

Lord Elis-Thomas was the assembly's presiding officer for the first 12 years of devolution and led Plaid between 1984 and 1991.

He has been nominated by his local party in Dwyfor Meirionnydd to run again for the top job.

Another candidate could be former Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones, who says she will "seriously consider" it.

Plaid will carry out a short review in the wake of the assembly election. Details of a longer review into the party's structure and strategic direction will be unveiled after a meeting of Plaid's national council in July.

Alun Ffred Jones, the AM for Arfon, told reporters in Cardiff Bay: "The review of the election is already underway and there are ongoing meetings... it's intended to be a comparatively brief study, so that we can try to learn as many lessons as we can from the people who were actually involved on the ground.

"It has no bearing at all on the issue of leadership."

He added: "The review of the election will be a comparatively brief one, reporting to the executive committee within a matter of months.

"But the wider review that the party is undertaking has a wider brief, and will involve asking serious questions about our core message and how we reach out to the people of Wales."

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Rennie named new Lib Dem leader

17 May 2011 Last updated at 14:46 GMT By Andrew Black Political reporter, BBC Scotland Willie Rennie was appointed as the new Scottish Liberal Democrat leader without a contest The Scottish Liberal Democrats have appointed a new leader, Willie Rennie, in the wake of their disastrous Holyrood election result.

The party lost 11 seats on 5 May, leaving them with five MSPs, as voters punished the Lib Dems for their role in the UK coalition government.

But Mr Rennie denied the Scottish Lib Dems would have to distance themselves from the UK party.

The MSP pledged to stand up to the "bulldozer" SNP majority government.

Scottish Secretary and Lib Dem MP Michael Moore described Mr Rennie as a "first-class leader".

Mr Rennie, 43, who has been elected to Holyrood for the first time on the Mid Scotland and Fife list, was the only leadership candidate.

The former MP said his party's election performance was "bad", and promised a return to community politics.

But, denying there had to be a split with the UK Lib Dems, Mr Rennie said: "People were angry, frustrated and disappointed about the coalition at a UK level.

"It is vital that people understand what the coalition is about - for me, it is about stopping the Tories doing their worst."

Continue reading the main story

Willie Rennie burst onto the political scene when he won the safe Labour Westminster seat of Dunfermline and West Fife, in a 2006 by-election in Gordon Brown's political backyard.

While at the Commons, he served as a member of the defence select committee and spoke on defence issues for his party, as well as chairing the Lib Dems campaigns and communications committee.

Mr Rennie failed to hold the seat at the general election, but the former PR worker went on to a brief stint as an adviser in the Scotland Office.

Realising elected politics was more his thing, Mr Rennie set his sights on winning a seat at Holyrood, making it in as a Mid Scotland and Fife regional MSP.

The Fife-born 43-year-old is a former chief executive of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and served as the party's chief of staff at the Scottish Parliament.

The father-of-two holds a degree in biology and is a previous runner-up in the Scottish Coal-Carrying Championships.

On his strategy to rebuild the party, Mr Rennie said: "We need to reflect on the disappointment of the Scottish Parliament election results and move on and up.

"Scotland needs a strong liberal voice at all levels of government, and I am determined to see that strong liberal voice flourish."

Turning to his opponents, Mr Rennie added: "I will be working with my colleagues in the Scottish Parliament to stand up to the SNP bulldozer.

"We will not sit on our hands in the face of an SNP majority - we will be that Liberal voice standing up for the values that Scotland holds dear."

Mr Rennie replaces Shetland MSP Tavish Scott as leader, after he quit the post he had held since 2008.

The Lib Dems lost 25 deposits after failing to win 5% of the vote in some areas on election night.

Mr Moore said of the new leader: "Willie and I have worked together for many years.

"His energy, integrity and commitment make him the right person to lead our party in Scotland.

"As an experienced politician and a veteran campaigner he is ideally placed to promote our values in the new Scottish Parliament and throughout Scotland too."

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