Having come second in the 2019 General Election, the Welsh Conservative Party is determined to fight for every single vote in the Senedd elections in May and then hopes to field candidates right across Ceredigion in future county and town council elections.
With many of our politicians so often distracted by debates on independence and constitutional change, all kinds of local issues are falling through the cracks and things rarely improve.
Conservatives have not stood for the council round here for years. Our last Tory MP was elected in 1874. But what Amanda Jenner has shown since she stood as the Welsh Conservative General Election candidate and now as a Senedd Candidate for Ceredigion, is that there is a thirst for something different, particularly for an increased focus on local issues. That means getting Conservatives to stand at every level in local politics.
Already Ewan Lawry (Aberystwyth), as a prospective county councillor, has contacted the relevant authorities regarding litter issues and proposed cycle paths in the Penparcau ward. He said that,
“The last year has highlighted that so many of us, myself included, need to get active and lose weight, but this issue also shows that local government could help us achieve those goals. The pandemic has also shown us that we need to innovate and find new ways of rebuilding our local economy.”
Hospitality and tourism have taken big hits in the lockdown and, as we come out of it, we should be doing everything to support these staple industries. We should also be ambitious to generate well-paid jobs that make this a place that young people want to stay and be able to build lives. Sadly, we have seen child poverty rates soar in Ceredigion in recent years. None of us can ignore this. Though there are no easy answers, we have to do our utmost to try and fix these issues. There are debates to be had, because every party does what it thinks is best, but only by competing in elections can we ensure that we get the very best out of politics.
Lesley Bettinson (Penbryn area), who works in the education sector, has picked up on the disillusionment with voting and said that,
“Things can and do change. With the right people at every level, our families, friends, neighbours, the children and carers in our community could benefit from these changes that matter. Of Ceredigion’s 42 councillors, none are Conservative despite nearly 9000 people voting Conservative in the last General Election.”
“Amanda Jenner continues to discover the swell of support for change. She is committed to fighting for better education funding, and improved support for the vulnerable. I want to stand as a local councillor to ensure that we deliver at local level on these issues. Ceredigion needs a balanced voice that makes sure that each and every voice matters and voters feel able to vote for change.”
Adding to this, Ewan Lawry, who came to Aberystwyth as a student, said:
“I was told that I’d either want to leave as soon as possible or stay forever. Five years down the line, I can honestly say that I’ve fallen in love with this area and I want to do my part to make it an even better place to live. I want to spend the rest of my life here and young people should not have to feel that they have to move away to get well-paid jobs. Coming from a single-parent home on a council estate, I know what it is like to be forgotten and ignored by those who claim to represent us. But by fighting for everyone in our community and sharing our ideas, we can change things.’
If we achieve nothing else, it will be a great step forward to draw attention to those issues that get ignored and to start a debate when our representatives fail us. But if we can convince you to lend the Welsh Conservatives your support, we will repay your trust. We are not here to tout for votes and then disappear until the next election. We want to help our communities and, by lending us your votes, you can help us to do that.