Conservatives become more popular in Wales after backlash over 20mph speed limit

Andrew R.T. Davis would make a better first minister, say 34 per cent of Welsh voters. Photo: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Mark Drakeford, Welsh Labor's first minister, is less popular than his Conservative opponent for the first time amid backlash over the introduction of a 20mph speed limit across the country.

Mr Drakeford said the policy would save lives and help the NHS when it was introduced last month on most roads which were previously limited to 30mph.

But new polls show that Mr Drakeford's popularity suffered greatly after the «botched» implementation of the scheme.

Data from Redfield & Wilton Strategies shows that 34 percent of Welsh voters think Andrew R.T. Davis would make a better First Minister than Mr Drakeford, who is preferred by 33 per cent of those polled.

Mr Drakeford's figure was down 11 per cent. points from the previous survey, which was conducted on September 16 and 17, and Mr. Davis rose four points.

Philip van Scheltinga, director of research, Redfield & Wilton told The Telegraph: «The clear lesson from Drakeford's fall in popularity is that getting the implementation right matters as much as getting the policy right.»

“Our polls show that many Welsh voters were prepared to support the reduction in speed limits before it was introduced, but the Welsh Government then failed so badly to implement it that the public turned against it.”

“ It may be an odd comparison, but Drakeford made a similar mistake with Trass and Kwarteng's mini-budget, moving too quickly and without a detailed plan to phase in such major changes.»

People protest against the 20mph speed limit outside the Senedd in Cardiff earlier this month Photo: REUTERS/Joan Randles

Data from similar schemes suggests the new limits could reduce some motorists' speeds by less than onemph. and that driving at 20 mph does little to reduce tailpipe emissions.

Mr Drakeford says his £32.5 million policy will protect lives and has previously cited public health research suggesting it could cut road accidents by 40 per cent each year.

His personal rating approval fell 11 points in two months, down from a net reading of minus four to minus 15.

Labour leads the Conservatives in Wales by 20 percentage points when it comes to voting intentions in Westminster, roughly the same as other national opinion polls.

However, Labor's constituency lead in the Senedd election has fallen by two points.

The party now has 37 percent of the vote, with the Conservatives unchanged at 27 percent, while Plaid Cymru also remains unchanged at 27 percent. 18 percent.

In the regional list, the Labor Party dropped four points to 31 percent. The pro-Welsh independence party Plaid Cymru is the main beneficiary of this collapse, with its approval rating rising six points to 24 percent.