Charlie Evans, Welsh Conservative candidate for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, has said he would support legislation to repeal Welsh Labour’s all-Wales NVZ regulations if elected to the Senedd. This comes after the Welsh Government has continued to push through the changes despite widespread opposition.
Mr Evans said, “Having spoken to NFU Cymru, not one incident of pollution has occurred on Dwyfor Meirionnydd’s farms in ten years of monitoring. So it is completely punitive that the Welsh Labour Government has decided to impose Wales-wide NVZ measures.
“Obviously, one pollution incident is one incident to many. Every farmer that I have spoken to accepts this. But complex challenges do require more targeted solutions- where those responsible are held to account, not these blanket approaches that will just put viable farms out of business. And we have seen real unity across the agriculture sector and the opposition parties against this.”
Andrew RT Davies MS, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives said, “Labour’s proposals do not follow the science and their own regulator – Natural Resources Wales – has warned that the proposed new rules will have the perverse outcome of making water quality worse, which is an unacceptable situation in the fight against pollution.
“On numerous occasions during the crisis, Labour promised Welsh farmers that the much-discredited EU regulations would not be introduced during the pandemic and I’m appalled that they have not stuck to their word.
“This is a betrayal of Welsh farming and the environment by the Labour Party and it was a dark day for our rural communities.”
Mr Evans continued, “Make no mistake, if the people of Dwyfor Meirionnydd return me as their Member of the Senedd then it makes the Conservatives being able to govern a real prospect, and then we can repeal these ridiculous regulations. With Plaid Cymru considering propping up the Labour Party after May, they would sell out the very farmers they claim to represent.”
