Liberal Democrat response to government programme announced today

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Kirsty Williams AM concentrated on human rights:

Liberal Democrats blocked Tory plans to weaken our human rights obligations in Government and we will continue to fight to stop them in opposition.

It would appear that David Cameron is waking up to the fact that this ridiculous policy is easier said than done. Not only will he struggle to cobble together a majority of votes to support it, but he clearly hasn’t thought through the ramifications it will have on the devolution settlement.

Europe’s human rights laws were designed by British lawyers to reflect British values of justice, tolerance and decency. The Tories now want to throw all that good work away – we won’t let them.

Ceredigion MP Mark Williams said that our basic rights were hanging in the balance:

Today was an unveiling of the old nasty Tory party; devoid of fairness and intent on curbing our freedoms.

The human rights we hold dear, our right to privacy in an online age and our future as an outward-looking country are all hanging in the balance again because of this Tory Queen’s Speech.

And on the Wales Bill:

A new Wales Bill is a positive step for devolution in Wales, but it’s disappointing that few details were revealed. The Tories must deliver in full on the St David’s Day agreement – no ifs, not buts.

I urge the Government not to dither on the new Wales Bill. George Osborne promised it would be delivered within a hundred days and already that appears to be a broken promise. The Liberal Democrats ensured devolution moved faster than it had done in any time over the previous decade – the new UK Tory Government can’t allow that momentum to be lost.