Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
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petedroberts.bsky.social
Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
@petedroberts.bsky.social
270 followers 330 following 43 posts
Lib Dem Councillor for Llandrindod South Ward on Powys County Council
Portfolio Holder for a Learning Powys
Promoted by Lib Dems, Hazelmere, Llandrindod Wells, LD1 6AB
Posts Replies Media Videos
petedroberts.bsky.social
Next stage of Ninas rehab walking for 3.5km with a height climb over 100m new record on both counts since her op.
Nina , a tripawd Japanese akita looking out over Llyn Clwyedog in Powys Nina , a tripawd Japanese akita walking near Llyn Clywedog in Powys View over llyn Clywedog in Powys
January 25, 2025 at 3:53 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
The knowledge of the Powys County Council Transport team under the leadership of Welsh Lib Dem Portfolio H
Holder Cllr Jackie Charlton is recognised as the county is one of two to be recognised for early adoption of the new public transport model for Wales.

t.co/nb6MNgWSuN
https://www.gov.wales/new-bus-franchising-test-set-benefit-rural-communities-mid-wales
t.co
January 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
At least the First Minister is being consistent.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

But the real question now is, if she won't raise Welsh income tax levels to fill the gap why does she expect me as a Council cabinet member to recommend huge, regressive council tax increases instead?
Welsh councils not expected to go bust, says Eluned Morgan
Her prediction follows warning from a Labour council leader that bankruptcy risk had not gone away.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 12, 2024 at 3:41 PM
Reposted by Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
charleyhasted.bsky.social
Very happy to have been able to work with my counterparts in the SNP, GPEW and Scottish Greens to get this out quickly.

To all the trans young people out there- we do see you, we will always support your right to the long, happy and fulfilled lives you deserve!
uklgbtpol.bsky.social uklgbtpol.bsky.social @uklgbtpol.bsky.social · Dec 11
A Joint Statement from LGBT+ Lib Dems, Out for Independence, LGBTIQA+ Greens and Rainbow Greens on the UK Puberty Blockers ban.
The decision to ban puberty blockers across the UK, by the Westminster Labour Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, is incredibly distressing and dangerous. Putting thousands of young trans people at immense risk. We have seen young trans people scale buildings, march in the streets, and camp outside England’s Department for Education, for days on end. And for almost a hundred days, left paper coffins outside the constituency office of the UK’s Health Secretary, Labour MP Wes Streeting, warning him of the dangers of a ban.  And despite urgent pleas by trans people. It was ignored. The inhumanity of weaponising the healthcare of marginalised young people, putting lives at risk, is unforgivable. As justification, decision makers keep pointing to the Cass Review, which has been previously condemned by medical organisations, and ourselves. It has been found to be poorly researched and cherry-picked for political purposes; its scientific literacy is on the level of the anti-vax movement. The review, we note, is deeply ableist towards neurodiverse trans young people—further pathologising and infantilising them, clearly ignoring the principle of Gillick Competency. We have seen the review being biased against trans people, favouring the opinions of conversion therapists over trans communities. The review recommends forcing patients to engage in a medical trial to access a treatment for which there is over 40 years of evidence in favour of its overwhelming safety. These trials would be grossly unethical and medically incompetent. The proposal of double-blind tests goes against any standard practice for a medical trial of this kind. The pseudo-scientific decision of an unqualified, non-clinician, to impose a ban on accessing essential healthcare is already a dangerous precedent to set, with other potential long-term ramifications for the continued safety and independence of our NHS systems from politicisation. Additionally, the undermining of Scottish and Welsh devolution by the UK Labour Government – by making a unilateral decision without consulting the devolved Health Secretaries and Parliaments – further erodes the already strained relationships of the public with the UK Government, as well as their health security under Westminster. We call on Wes Streeting and the UK Labour government as a whole, and progressive parties in the Northern Ireland Executive, to both condemn, and reverse this ban immediately. We also demand that the UK Government commit to working with the devolved nations, rather than using or imposing upon them. To the young trans people reading this, we hear you, and we will push as hard as we can, as you deserve better than this.
December 11, 2024 at 5:52 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
@welshlabour.bsky.social have a habit of throwing money at the NHS in the hope of solving its problems. But if instead it invested in Adult Social Care it could prevent a potential collapse of the sector and might free beds to bring waiting lists down at the same time
nation.cymru/opinion/the-...
The vicious cycle of care
Pete Roberts The Welsh Labour Government is weeks away from a decision that could destroy local government, the care sector, and the NHS in Wales. A few weeks ago, the First Minister implied that the ...
nation.cymru
December 9, 2024 at 9:54 PM
Reposted by Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
libdems.org.uk
“This song Love Is Enough, written by six carers, talking about their experience really moved me and it was interesting listening. When I read the words, I thought, well, that's how I felt.”

Ed Davey shares his experience as a chorister and a young carer.
youtu.be/EaDHCTyDoEc
'Singing was my break as a young carer' - Ed Davey
YouTube video by Liberal Democrats
youtu.be
December 5, 2024 at 2:11 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
I'm really pleased to have spoken in favour of motions standing up for our family farms and seeking the rightful devolution of the Crown Estate revenue to Wales in today's
Powys County Council full council meeting.
Liberal Democrats image shows support for ending the current plans to tax family farms.
December 5, 2024 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
carolinevoadenmp.bsky.social
Just love this Guardian front page 😊
December 3, 2024 at 5:36 PM
Reposted by Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
matthew-green.bsky.social
Just in case anyone was tempted to believe Putin’s propaganda - here is a reminder that this week, 33 years ago, Ukraine 🇺🇦 voted for independence. A staggering 84% of the electorate voted, and over 90% of them voted for independence.
#Ukraine
December 2, 2024 at 9:13 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
Its an international arrest warrant for 2 men accused of starving children to death. Why is it so hard for the PM to say yes the UK will execute the warrant?
Every day he stays silent he fuels the conspiracy theories of antisemites & places the Jewish community at risk.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
No 10 indicates Benjamin Netanyahu faces arrest if he enters UK
Downing Street refuses to comment on the case but says the government will fulfil its
www.bbc.co.uk
November 22, 2024 at 6:17 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
The final fig leaf is gone. The Foreign Secretary should be at the dispatch box as soon as possible, confirming that the UK will enforce these warrants if the opportunity arises and stating that previously prepared sanctions against Gallant will be enacted.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas commander
International Criminal Court judges say there are “reasonable grounds” they bore
www.bbc.co.uk
November 21, 2024 at 2:25 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
With 77 residents, and 130 staff Cariad Care Homes in Gwynedd have revealed the NI hike will directly cost them £95,795. They dont know the supply chain impact. They are in the Local authority market and will increase costs to the council to stay afloat.
A 🧵
nation.cymru/news/__trash...
Welsh care home faces paying extra £95k in NI contributions after budget
Emily Price The manager of a Welsh care home says the UK Government’s national insurance hike  “poses a threat worse than Covid” as it faces paying an extra £95,000 in NI contributions Chancellor Rach...
nation.cymru
November 20, 2024 at 11:18 PM
Reposted by Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
georgetakei.bsky.social
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. Each year, the trans community loses too many lives, especially trans women of color, to hate and violence.

More than ever, we must stand by our trans family and support them, hold space for them, and insist the scapegoating and targeting stop.

Now.
November 20, 2024 at 3:18 PM
Reposted by Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
electionmaps.uk
🥳 10,000 Followers on Bluesky 🥳

To say thank you, I'll be giving away a 2024 General Election poster to one winner who reposts this (and is following) in the next 24 hours!

Best of luck :)
November 20, 2024 at 4:20 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
I really don't think the Chancellor has thought through the huge impact her NI changes are going to have on the contract inflation costs of local government next year.
November 19, 2024 at 9:17 PM
Reposted by Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
matthew-green.bsky.social
We should find out that the use of Storm Shadow has been authorised, when airfields and ammunition dumps in Russia, being used to terrorise #Ukraine, are struck by the missiles, and not before.
The only people who benefit from advanced knowledge of the use of Storm Shadow is Putin and the Russians.
jessicaelgot.bsky.social Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · Nov 19
New - Speaking in Rio, Starmer says pointedly that "Ukraine must have what it needs for as long as it needs. Putin must not win this war." But won't go further on whether permission granted yet for Stormshadow missiles into Kursk.
November 19, 2024 at 1:24 PM
Reposted by Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
barristersecret.bsky.social
I see that a collection of MPs have taken it upon themselves to “launch” a private prosecution, in relation to a case which is still awaiting a CPS charging decision.

What might be the problems with this? 🧵
November 18, 2024 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
georgetakei.bsky.social
Indeed. When they rounded up the Japanese Americans, myself and my family included, for internment during WWII out of fear over Japanese spies and saboteurs, two thirds of us were U.S. citizens.

Don’t think it won’t happen again when they come for the “undocumented.”
Post from Latino pollster Mike Madrid: “Doing some research for an upcoming article on the last “mass deportation” of Mexicans during the 1930’s. Over half of those deported were US citizens.”
November 17, 2024 at 9:23 AM
petedroberts.bsky.social
I think the only thing I am missing from Twitter is the post views counter. It's really useful to know if what you are saying and how you say it are resonating.
November 16, 2024 at 11:46 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
I'm no tax expert but if the £1m Farm allowance is £3m when you add other inheritance tax exemptions. Why didn't the Chancellor merge them all together and say that for estates involving the transfer of farmland within the family, there is a single £3m allowance and nothing else.
November 16, 2024 at 10:39 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
I am really pleased to have proposed the emergency motion on the crisis facing adult social care in Wales at the Welsh Lib Dem Conference this afternoon.
While Labour talk about pumping millions into the NHS we recognise the real need is to fund social care properly.
Welsh Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference 2024 EMERGENCY MOTION Funding the Crisis in Adult Social Care PROPOSED BY 20 PARTY MEMBERS Conference notes: A. The Welsh Local Government Association have identified £106m of in-year pressures and £223m of pressures in the 2025/6 Social Services budgets across Wales1. B. That social care makes up 40% of the overall pressure on local government budgets (£559m) in 2025/6. C. The failure of the UK Labour Government to exempt care providers from the employer NI rises. Conference believes: I. Local Government is essential for the delivery of day-to-day services. II. The NHS crisis cannot be addressed without also fixing the crisis in social care. III. That the Care Forum Wales2 prediction of care sector collapse could be realised. IV. That without significant additional support to local authorities there is a risk that councils will be unable to set a balanced budget without double-figure council tax rises or major cuts to vital frontline services. Conference calls on 1. The Welsh Government: i. To provide a major in-year package to support the provision of adult social care in Wales. ii. To ensure the 25/6 social care pressures are properly addressed when setting the Welsh Government budget in December. iii. To support calls for the exemption of care providers from the Employer NI contribution rises. The UK Government: 2. To extend the exemption from the employer NI rises to GPs, pharmacies, and social care providers and provide funding for the Welsh Government to match the exemption in Wales
November 16, 2024 at 10:12 PM
Reposted by Cllr Pete Roberts 🔶
josiah.writes.news
NEW: "Moving Off X: An Open Letter from UK Journalists"

UK political journalists: "Twitter was, for a long time, the place to be for UK politics. We believe that time is now over...

"We have taken the decision to move over to other platforms, in particular Bluesky" docs.google.com/document/d/1...
We have used Twitter – now X – for many years. It has been a resource for story-gathering, network-building, and a megaphone for getting public-interest stories to a wider audience. And it has been a well of ideas and discourse. Unfortunately that well is now poisoned. All of us have seen X become more toxic and broken since Elon Musk took over in 2022. Feeds have become less useful. Engagement has plummeted, except for those who will pay. Replies gain traction not through merit, but through the corrupted blue-tick system. We have seen hate speech and abuse deliberately dialled up and amplified, boosted not just by the algorithm, but by the owner himself. And England’s racist summer riots were one of many factors suggesting to us that X is not a neutral platform, but a space that now seems to glorify misinformation at a great cost to our public sphere. Millions of people are ditching X, and we are doing so, too. We have taken the view that it is no longer a useful tool for objective reporting, but a weapon being wielded by a narrowing ideological set. A tipping point is coming. Perhaps we are already in it. After much consideration, we have taken the decision to move over to other platforms, in particular Bluesky. For some of us that means instantly deleting our X accounts, for others it is a more gradual process. But we are all putting the majority of our efforts into building more constructive online spaces elsewhere for political dialogue and reporting. Bluesky is becoming a new hub for political discussion, and we encourage other UK journalists to join and become active. We are already seeing far higher engagement on our posts there than we’ve seen recently on X. And importantly, the mechanisms to limit abuse actually work. We enjoyed Twitter while it lasted. It played an important role in shaping many of our careers. And it was, for a long time, the place to be for UK politics. We believe that time is now over. Twitter is dead. Long live Twitter
November 15, 2024 at 11:51 AM
petedroberts.bsky.social
I've seen the occasional glitch here in the past couple of days. I wonder if this is all the new people and a capacity issue. If so, perhaps the techies should have a chat with @theonion.com, I hear they landed quite a bit of hardware on the cheap in the last day or so.
November 15, 2024 at 5:17 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
A very interesting choice of wards by Jnr. "Promises Made, Promises Kept" is this an admission of an illegal inducement to an opposing candidate to drop out of the race in exchange for a Cabinet seat?
Twitter Image of Donald Trump Junior announcing the appointment of the new Health Secretary with a quote implying a promise being kept by his father
November 14, 2024 at 11:47 PM
petedroberts.bsky.social
One of the refreshing things about the Bluesky algorithm is that it is steadily showing me the like-minded accounts that I follow on Twitter in my discover feed.
November 14, 2024 at 10:38 PM