Ed Davey Says He Has No Regrets After Public Rebuke of Welsh Lib Dem Leader

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, said he had no regrets about publicly urging the party's Welsh leader, Jane Dodds, to reflect on her position over her handling of a historic church abuse case.

Speaking ahead of the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth, Sir Ed said it was "important that people are held to account from wherever they are," and described Ms Dodds's apology as "good." Dodds, the party's only Member of the Senedd (MS) for Mid and West Wales, has previously said that her relationship with Sir Ed would "take time to repair" after his public comments.

A 2021 report found that Dodds made a "grave error of judgement" by not organising a meeting to discuss a particular case of abuse by a late former bishop. The matter re-emerged last November, prompting Dodds to apologise; she was subsequently backed by the Welsh party. Dodds has said Sir Ed's public calls for her to consider her position damaged their relationship. Sir Ed told BBC interviewers he had last spoken to Dodds "earlier this year" and, when asked whether she was the right person to lead the Welsh Liberal Democrats into next May's Senedd election, appeared to stop short of full endorsement, saying: "She's going to lead us into the Senedd election, it seems."

On policy, Sir Ed said the party remained focused on social care in Wales, arguing that Labour had failed to deliver solutions. He said the Liberal Democrats were putting their biggest campaign force into the field for the proportional Senedd contest and expected to perform well. He denied that the Welsh Liberal Democrats had missed an opportunity to secure more funding for social care when they abstained to allow this year's budget to pass, noting that Welsh government ministers made roughly £100 million in commitments to secure that abstention, including about £30 million aimed at tackling delayed discharges.

Polling published alongside the party's preparations shows the Liberal Democrats trailing in Wales. A YouGov MRP model for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University released on Tuesday projected the Lib Dems at 6 percent support and forecast they would win three seats if a Senedd election were held now. The poll placed the Liberal Democrats fifth in Wales behind Plaid Cymru on 30 percent, Reform UK on 29 percent, Labour on 14 percent and the Conservatives on 11 percent. Cardiff University's projections for an expanded Senedd gave Plaid Cymru 38 seats, Reform UK 37, Labour 11, the Conservatives six and the Greens one.

Dodds led the party to a single Welsh seat at the last general election, winning Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, and has at times used that position to exert influence in the Senedd beyond the party's numerical strength. Sir Ed said the party was "on a roll in Wales" following the general election performance elsewhere in the UK, but acknowledged the Welsh contest would be competitive and that the party faced challenges from Reform UK and the Greens for votes on overlapping issues.

Sir Ed also addressed his decision to boycott a state dinner with US President Donald Trump over the war in Gaza, saying the move was intended to spark debate and provide an opportunity to speak for farmers, steel workers and others rather than a missed chance to raise trade concerns. "I've been to state banquets, they're lovely, but you never get to speak to the visiting head of state," he said.

The public exchange between the UK-wide leader and the Welsh party head comes as the Liberal Democrats prepare for their annual conference and as they plan their Senedd campaign, with party officials aiming to expand beyond their mid-Wales stronghold. Some party figures and commentators have suggested that visible tensions between leaders may complicate efforts to present a united message during a campaign in an increasingly crowded political landscape.