Why Jane Dodds shouldn’t resign as leader of the Welsh Liberals

Gwern Gwynfil

Following some stirring of the pot by a small number of Welsh members of her party who suffer from a visceral hatred of Jane Dodds, the federal party leader, Ed Davey, has suggested that the Welsh leader should ‘consider her position’.

This is political code for calling for a resignation.

But it is not for Ed Davey to dictate to the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. It is not for the Federal party to throw its weight around as the much larger presence within that structure. This is not a liberal thing to do.

It is also surprisingly naive and a little foolish of him to be sucked in by a little negative briefing from within the party in Wales.

Hats off to Nation once again for its outsize influence because of the quality (and existence!) of its reporting and scrutiny.

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Disgruntled members

No party should allow a small handful of disgruntled members to use an old story, seize upon it and spin it (with some skill) in light of the resignation of Archbishop Welby.

We should commend them for actually demonstrating that the Welsh Liberal Democrats have some grasp of elementary communications but the Welsh party leader should treat their attempt with the contempt it deserves - reiterating her original apology (as she has) and moving on to matters of substance.

Mr Davey should apologise for his own interference and assure Jane Dodds that Welsh party matters are for the Welsh party leader and Welsh membership to address without interference.

This is not a resigning matter. It is certainly not wise to call on the only Senedd member the Liberal Democrats have to step down 18 months before a Senedd election. An election in which polling suggests the Welsh LibDems will do very poorly - the median prediction is the retention of their single MS.

Additionally, the new MP, David Chadwick, is woefully ill equipped to lead the party in Wales. I was at the Welsh Liberal Democrat conference in Llandrindod this weekend and he clearly does not grasp the Welsh mindset, does not understand devolution and is guilty of the classic sneering and patronising mentality that Welsh MPs so often have towards their ‘lesser’ Senedd siblings.

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New Leadership?

The Welsh Liberal Democrats must have a leader embedded in Wales if they wish to have any traction whatsoever in the 2026 Senedd elections. It is imperative that the party’s leadership resides in the Senedd and not outside Wales in a distant legislature.

Too many Liberals in Wales are tired of a feudal arrangement of external instruction. It does not fit with the party’s own federalist beliefs to impose outside leadership on a party that should be here to be in, and of, Wales.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have no choice but to hold on to Jane Dodds as she is their only option.

This is far from ideal and if members are disgruntled and wish to oust their leader their best course of action would be to throw themselves into a transformative plan to revitalise, renew and refresh their party so that it can return more members to the Senedd in 2026. That will be the time for leadership change.

Replacing an experienced Welsh leader, who has some grasp and understanding of Wales and Welsh politics, with an inexperienced and underwhelming new entrant to a legislature in a different country would simply hasten the slow unravelling of the WLDs as a political force in Wales.

Zombie Party?

Ironically, on the first day of the conference there was a wake being held in the same venue. An uncharitable observer of the conference would wonder whether delegates would be able to tell the difference between the two events. We might wonder whether anyone found themselves in the wrong room, with some considerable delay before realising their mistake.

Jane Dodds

Unexpectedly, the highlight of the conference was the keynote address by Jane Dodds as leader. She outperformed her Parliamentary colleague handily. Delivering a speech which felt authentic, Welsh and optimistic. She accurately recognised that there was an opportunity for Liberalism in Wales in 2026, she acknowledged some of the challenges faced by the party, she spoke with an authenticity and passion often missing from her public appearances.

The void in her speech was the absence of a plan to seize that opportunity. This is unsurprising when she is under attack from a small number of disgruntled oddbods in her own party and where the English Federal party is yet to be persuaded to back the Welsh party. However, the Welsh Liberals need a plan, it needs to be radical and they need it yesterday if they wish to make an impact in 2026.

Bold Leadership

Jane should now push back with vigour. She should demand support from the federal party for radical change in Wales and a very clear and distinct path for Welsh Liberalism which will work for Wales, one which can complement but not ape the liberalism being developed in England to appeal to a very different electorate.

The UK liberals should lean hard into their federal structure to optimise its success and functionality. If they are serious about power in Wales, about power in Westminster, then this is the only route to the kind of success that is needed.

Wales in Westminster

Meanwhile, the sole Welsh Liberal MP, David Chadwick, needs to develop his understanding of devolution, his understanding of Wales and Welsh politics and his understanding of his own role as a Welsh representative in the London Parliament.

He would do well to sit down and listen to some of his Welsh peers in the Parliament for a long and elucidating discussion. I recommend tapping Ben Lake, that eminently Welsh liberal Plaid Cymru MP from Ceredigion and North Pembrokeshire.

I am sure that David could learn an awful lot if he listens and learns with an open and enquiring mind - it will help him enormously in learning how to strike the right note when he next addresses his own party and constituency here in Wales.