THE MINISTER responsible for implementing the new 20mph default speed limit in Wales will face a vote of no confidence this week.

Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters MS will face a vote of no confidence from the Welsh Conservative members on Wednesday, September 27, in recognition of the record-breaking petition to “rescind and reverse” the 20mph default.

The petition, started by Mark Baker, has accumulated around 400,000 signatures - far beyond the 10,000 needed for the Petitions Committee to consider it for debate in Cardiff Bay.

While some supporters have suggested he cuts the petition's six-month signing period short, Mr Baker has suggested in social media posts he wants to allow more time for it to reach people.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Transport Minister, Natasha Asghar MS, said: “Labour’s Deputy Minister is attempting to undermine the will of the overwhelming majority of Welsh people because he is unable to admit he has got it wrong on his blanket 20mph policy.”

Around 12 per cent of Welsh constituents have signed the petition online.

“The Deputy Minister must park his pride and roll back on his anti-road, anti-worker and anti-motorist agenda,” Ms Asghar said.

The Welsh Conservatives claim the 20mph default limit is slowing emergency services and damaging livelihoods.

The Welsh Government says the reduction will make communities more liveable, safeguard the environment for future generations, and help emergency services and hospitals by bringing down the number of collisions and injuries on the road.

Sharing a poll on X (formerly Twitter) that showed more Welsh voters supporting the change than opposing it, Mr Waters said: “Petitions, and social media, are not representative.”

Another pollster - YouGov - however, found 61 per cent of Welsh adults opposed the change, more than the 33 per cent who supported it, though the fieldwork was carried out in the first week of September before the switch occured.

The Llanelli MS has also suggested “funny business” may be taking place with the petition, citing an increase in Google searches for Welsh postcodes.

A Senedd spokesperson has released a statement saying they have no evidence of "large-scale duplication or tampering" in relation to the record-breaking petition.