Lib Dem MPs act to help save Lloyd George village school

11.36.48pm GMT Tue 4th Dec 2007

Fifteen members of Parliament, including all four Welsh Liberal Democrat MPs, have signed an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons protesting against the threatened closure of the village school at Llanystumdwy attended as a child by David Lloyd George. They linked their protest to the recent unveiling of the statue of LG in Parliament Square.

The full text of the EDM is as follows: That this House welcomes the unveiling of a statue of David Lloyd George in Parliament Square; recognises his achievements as the only Welsh Prime Minister in the UK's history, the longest serving Chancellor of the Exchequer of the 20th century, the initiator of great social welfare schemes such as the state pension, his reinvention of the tax system to pay for large scale projects without burdening the poor, and his wartime leadership; notes the proposals that 29 schools in Gwynedd may be closed and replaced by eight area schools; further notes the alarm and concern surrounding news of the possible closure of Llanystumdwy Village School, Lloyd George's old primary school; further recognises that it was this school where Lloyd George's taste for politics began and where he led his first struggle for religious freedom and equality when he led a boycott of the recitation of the Creed and the Catechism in English; and in the spirit of Lloyd George, who would have supported local schools and rural communities, requests Gwynedd Council to reconsider its proposed closures and come forward with alternative plans which retain Llanystumdwy School.

The EDM was put down in the name of Roger Williams, Lib Dem MP for Brecon & Radnor. The other Liberal Democrats signing the motion were: Mark Williams (Ceredigion), Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey), Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central), Lembit Opik (Montgomeryshire), Paul Holmes (Chesterfield), Colin Breed (South East Cornwall), Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South), John Pugh (Southport), Andrew George (St. Ives), Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale), Adrian Sanders (Torbay) and Mark Hunter (Cheadle). They were joined in their protest by Angus MacNeil of the Scottish Nationalists and Gregory Campbell of the Democratic Unionist Party.

It is hoped the EDM will heighten awareness of the issue and add strength to the campaign to keep open LG's childhood school. Use the link to the Save Llanystumdwy website, on the Society's main page to keep up with all the latest news from the campaign.