The Party for the people of Wales

It is looking clear from canvassing that Plaid Cymru’s support is set to swell in Bridgend and membership is on an increase. What is even more encouraging is the increase in support from people outside of Wales, especially those from Wales’ nearest neighbour and closest friend England.

Within the Bridgend Constituency we have always had a significant number of English members who have chosen to make Wales and indeed Bridgend their home. However, in the past I have been left frustrated by some people’s misconceptions that Plaid is a party only for Welsh people or even more frustratingly only for Welsh speakers.

The reality of course is that there are more non-Welsh speakers than Welsh speakers within the party’s membership and many of our current politicians themselves were born in England. Plaid is a party for the people of Wales and not just Welsh people, which is why we can boast a diverse and talented range of candidates for this Welsh General Election.

The misconceptions on the doorsteps of Bridgend have been less and less frequent during this campaign. Perhaps testament to how Plaid have benefited all people’s lives while in government.

Time to give the BNP a hammering

Only back in January, the BNP claimed that they were the only party able to solve the economic crisis across the UK. Fascist parties have always made stringent efforts to prosper in difficult economic times. It is highly unlikely that fascist parties headed by both Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini would have dramatically risen if it were not for the Wall Street Crash of 1929, of course, other factors did contribute towards their rise in popularity, but using scapegoats for Germany and Italy’s difficulties was significant.

Just like the Nazi’s of the past, the BNP will look for scapegoats as services are hit and unemployment may rise. They will target disenfranchised workers with racist bile and misdemeanor. The bottom line is can we trust thugs with our health, education, environment and employment schemes – the message I am receiving on Bridgend and Porthcawl doorsteps is a firm no!

Notwithstanding their obvious political inability, their claims that they are the only party who could solve the economic crisis is equally laughable given the dire financial mess that their own party have find themselves in.

With decreasing membership, the party is increasingly in debt and was fined £1,000 by the Electoral Commission for the late and inadequate submission of their 2008 accounts. Indeed, they were fined no less than five times over a two year period for financial irregularities.
Even more farcical, their resent Treasurer has no reclamation of local branch funds of £90,000, which is presumably lost while the party is being crippled by numerous court costs including the inappropriate use of Marmite in an election broadcast.

I hope that the people of Bridgend and people across South Wales West will create a further financial headache for the BNP, by giving them a hammering in the polls and making sure they lose their deposits.

Porthcawl Regeneration shambles

It certainly looks like Bridgend County Borough Council will drag their shambolic handling of the Porthcawl Seven Bays Regeneration Project well in to the year and beyond.

Citizens of the town have every right to voice their concerns over BCBC’s shortfall in meaningful public consultation, the lack of planned public facilities and not to mention the arrogant handling of the local town council and campaigners, which included county councillors voting to exclude community groups from the a recent Regeneration Forum meeting.

I support Porthcawl SHOUT in their decision to call in the Welsh Audit Commission to look into the financial handling of the sale of land to retailers Tesco. The Council’s lack of business acumen was exposed when it was revealed that ratepayers would only receive 30% of the £6.5m profit. The remaining 70% or £4.7m will go to the Evans family despite the fact that the family only own 20% of the land area. All of these discussions were conducted during secret cabinet meetings, when the Council are only custodians to local land.

I recently met a number of people when I set up a street stall on John Street and the overwhelming number of people I spoke with was extremely disgruntled over the lack of facilities on offer in the town. Examples included a cinema, a theatre and a swimming pool. Of course, the demand for a local swimming pool is well documented with the annual Pool-less swimming gala and a petition containing in excess of 5,000 signatures. Alas, these valiant efforts have been ignored by County Councillors.

Porthcawl is an attractive town with the potential to become Wales’ premier seaside tourist venue – if not the UK’s. With stunning sandy beaches, attractive coastlines and ample green land surrounding the town, the natural resources ooze potential for a buoyant tourism industry. However, the regeneration should provide facilities for local people and to draw in a wider number of tourists. Compare the project with the proposed development of Barry a few miles down the road. The Barry regeneration project will bring a major improvement to the town; children’s play facilities, improved transport infrastructure and facilities to improve local health through sport initiatives.

Building a better Bridgend town centre

While talking to people on their doorsteps across Bridgend and Porthcawl, one of the major themes that they want to discuss is the future of our County Borough town centres, which have often been sadly neglected by our Council’s administrations. I believe a Plaid driven government could deliver a better Bridgend town centre and restore similar areas to their former prosperity.

In discussion, one resident described Bridgend town centre as ‘going to the dogs’ and like a ‘ghost town’, which saddened me as this is the town where I live and have chosen to bring up my family in. While I am somewhat more upbeat on the area’s future, town centres like Bridgend would benefit from Plaid’s plans to improve access for local people and visitors, use empty shops as commercial offices, promote local produce, and create more living space in town centres. This would give the area a more vibrant feel and promote small businesses.

If regeneration investment is directed to include facilities for residents and tourists, I believe Porthcawl can unlock its potential to be a major tourism hub pulling in thousands of jobs and boosting the local economy. I am also positive that following the work of Plaid’s Deputy Housing Minsiter, Jocelyn Davies, who succoured a £9m EU backed funding package for Bridgend town centre, we can create a more prosperous, more vibrant and quite simply a better Bridgend town centre.

Improving Bridgend's business potential

One of the main challenges facing, Bridgend, is improving the business infrastructure to help local businesses flourish and grow.

With this in mind, I was slightly disappointed that the UK Government has announced that the electrification of the Swansea to Paddington line will end at Cardiff, missing out Bridgend completely. The people of Bridgend will miss out on quicker, cleaner and quieter transport, while local businesses will also lose out.

Plaid have been proactive in developing an approach to adapting a 21st century business infrastructure for Wales including better mobile, broadband and free Wi-Fi as well as a modern transport system to move Wales forward. Our technological improvements include linking every business and home to fast broadband and creating Wi-Fi hotspots across the country.

Implementing broadband lines will enable speeds of 100 Mbs, which will help make Wales a truly wireless nation, giving Welsh businesses the tools to be competitive. Plaid also has plans to improve mobile reception and to electrify many of our rail lines. Improving Broadband is fundamentally essential in developing the Welsh knowledge economy, which involves economists, computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians, chemists and physicists and any other information based service. Our plans will ensure businesses and individuals can network and innovate.

Bridgend’s geographic location nestling between both Wales’s two major cities, Swansea and Cardiff, often means that businesses overlook Bridgend to favour locating their businesses to areas that have a more advanced infrastructure. However, our plans will open up new opportunities and will make more Welsh communities appealing to businesses. We also have plans to establish a voluntary scheme called Wi-Fi Wales, where social areas such as train stations, pubs, cafes and libraries will sign up to providing Wi-Fi for the community. In a relatively densely populated area like Bridgend, this could allow many businesses and individuals to benefit.

Mobile phone reception has also been identified as a problem. A Plaid Government would lend money to local community groups in order to give them the power to tackle mobile phone signal problems. This has already been a major success in Ceredigion, which is home to the university town, Aberystwyth. A local community not for profit group has received a £164,542 grant to pay for a signal mast, which will benefit 1,500 people. This is an exciting opportunity, which I hope can be put to use in Bridgend and Porthcawl.

With a local train station and nearby motorway, which connects the people of Bridgend to Cardiff, London and to the west, Swansea, Bridgend is already well equipped to support business’s transport needs. We will improve this experience with a new stock of trains and buses that will include free Wi-Fi making commuting in and out of Bridgend an enjoyable experience.

People before profits

Nobody is in any doubt, that following Labour’s laissez faire attitude to financial regulation and an over reliance on the City of London, the economy inevitably overheated resulting in an eye watering national debt. However, the cuts imposed on Wales from the Tory led Government have been too savage and too deep, which has put essential Welsh frontline services in jeopardy such as care for our most elderly and needy.

Many Plaid run councils have showed innovative solutions to not only protecting public services against Welsh local government’s most challenging financial settlement, they have also kept Council tax low -and in the case of Caerphilly- council tax has been frozen. Compare this to the Labour run administrations that has used bullyboy tactics with cuts to hard working public sector workers pay, threats of redundancies and the ripping up of contracts for worse terms of conditions. Meanwhile, Bridgend County Borough Council remains steeped in bureaucracy and top heavy in senior management. Is there any surprise that this tired Labour administration is proposing the privatisation of three care homes and leisure services?

The administration also continue to employ seven officers on a salary in excess of £100k, while the tax payer forks out on a 3.5% increase in council tax. I am delighted to be working with Plaid Cymru Candidate for Ogmore, Danny Clark and South West Wales Regional AM, Bethan Jenkins in a campaign for the restoration of public services in Bridgend. The overwhelming number of residents I have spoken to are completely against privatisation. Even in these difficult times, we must ensure our most needy are put before profiteering.

At a packed public meeting in Tondu, my Plaid colleagues and I raised the concern of what assurances will the Council put forward to ensure private organisations are acting accordingly in their obligations to the elderly and how will the private sector maintain quality of care in these difficult economic times when their primary goal is to maximise profit.

We look forward to discussing the future of care homes and leisure facilities at our next public meeting on Wednesday 6th April from 6.30 pm at the Hi-Tide, Porthcawl.

Calling time on cheap supermarket alcohol

Saturday evening was spent at my local pub in Brackla where I settled down to watch Wales verses France, with the faint hope of Wales clinching the Six Nations Championship following Englands’ defeat to Ireland.

While the chances of Wales achieving glory grew fainter and fainter, I was pleased that my local pub was packed full of people. Although the pub is well frequented, the obvious attraction of the rugby drew a number of additional punters in.

Some time ago, the local media had reported that the Bridgend area had witnessed a number of pub closers, which is obviously as a direct consequence of not only the difficult financial climate, but also the difficult regulatory and taxation burden put on pub landlords. I am glad to say, that many of the closed pubs have since found new landlords and they continue to draw on custom.

Behind every thriving community, there is usually a responsible landlord running a well-run pub. The pub offers a safe environment where adults can chat, meet and discuss the day’s events over a pint. Not only do pubs have social benefits, but also they provide a significant amount of income to the local economy and they employ local people.

In these difficult times, many people are turning their back on pubs and drinking cheaper alcohol from supermarkets. The increase in unregulated drinking has created a significant increase in alcohol related health problems. With this in mind, I am strongly in favour of supporting a minimum price for alcohol. It is simply no surprise to me at all, that when a certain supermarket charges as little as 20p for a can of larger, many of our pubs are calling time on trade.

Labour extend privatisation agenda with Bridgend care homes

While I fully except that we are currently living in times of austerity with the ConDem coalition seemingly reluctant to tackle tax avoidance that would haul in £129bn to the UK Treasury, a number of cuts are becoming increasingly concerning to me, especially those that effect our most vulnerable.

The Plaid driven One Wales coalition delivered a budget that is an alternative to the slash and burn budget witnessed in England, and is further proof, if any was needed, that frontline services can remain publically owned.

With this in mind, I have become increasingly concerned by Labour controlled Bridgend County Brough Council’s growing privatisation agenda. Not only is Labour seeking a private sector firm to manage our leisure centres, at a time when they simply refuse to provide adequate leisure facilities for the people of Porthcawl, but they are seeking to privatise 3 care homes in the County Borough.

I am particularly concerned about the proposed privatisation of Brynycae care home in Brackla, which has served elderly people and the community well. I have been told that care in the private sector would cost £126 a week less per person than an in house service. However, this is simply not expectable if an inferior service is provided. In addition, a private sector firm would be seeking to make a profit, which given the current financial climate would be increasingly difficult.

BCBC must come clean and tell the public what measures are in place, should one of the private firms fail in their duty to care for our vulnerable and elderly.

I am delighted that I am being joined by Bethan Jenkins AM and Plaid Assembly Candidate for Ogmore, Danny Clark, in opposition to this obvious cost cutting measure when the generation that fought in the war and rebuilt our country deserve better.

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Sustainable Wales debate

I am really looking forward to the public debate on Monday 28^th February, at Evergreen Hall, Angel St, Bridgend. If you want to come along, the event is run by Sustainable Wales and will start at 8 pm till 10 pm.

Apart from my good self, other political representatives at the debate will include:

Carwyn Jones (First Minister, Labour)

Suzie Davies (South Wales West Regional Candidate, Conservative Party)

Veronica German (South Wales East Assembly Member, Liberal Democrats)

Keith Ross (Green Party)

Should prove to be an interesting day.

£2m announced for ASD support

I was delighted to learn that the One Wales coalition has announced a new funding package of £2million, which will be used to support adults and children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD.)

I am proud of the fact that, following on from the implementation of the ASD Strategic Action Plan for Wales, Wales is leading the world in raising awareness of Autism and providing improved opportunities for children and adults who have ASD.

This funding will be used to improve diagnosis and counselling for adults and children and will improve lifelong learning for people with autism.

On a personal note, this is particularly pleasing for me as I have a younger sister who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of Autism. However, I am equally delighted that this will raise awareness of a condition that has in the past lacked understanding.

In Bridgend, we are fortunate enough to have Heronsbridge School, which has done a fantastic job in catering for the needs of children with learning difficulties such as Autism across the County Borough.Depending on pupil’s needs, the school provides specialist support for children and has excelled in academic subjects as well as in sport.

I sincerely hope that some of this funding will find its way to Heronsbridge and that Wales’ continues to excel in Autism support and awareness.

No to Team GB

Those who know me well know that I am passionate about sport. I am delighted that Bridgend Ravens have made such a positive undefeated start to the league, and making their claim to the Principality Premiership increasingly strong.

Although a lover of rugby, as an Ambassador season ticket holder and regular away follower of Cardiff City, my main allegiance lies with the round ball. In one of the most competitively thought battles for automatic promotion, both rivals Cardiff City and Swansea City are still in the hunt for an automatic spot to the Premiership Promised Land. Unlike the Ravens, however, there are a pack of teams as far down as sixteenth in the league with similar realistic ambitions. In this battle for Premiership football, one thing that unites many Cardiff and Swansea fans is opposition against a Team GB playing in the London 2012 Olympics.

Lord Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic games, has been putting significant pressure on the four football associations, which includes the FAW, to field a unified Great Britain team for the Olympics. Like many football fans across Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, I am concerned that a Team GB would end the independence of the said football associations.

Some people have pointed out that the British Lions rugby team have not had any effect on national sides. However, I think this fails to recognise the difference between rugby and football. Notwithstanding the fact that football is a more globalised game with a number of highly competitive teams across Europe, Six Nations games between Wales, Scotland, England and Ireland play an integral part in the rugby calendar. Thus, making any suggestion of the Lions jeopardising Wales’ independence insurmountable.

In addition, FIFA President, Slepp Blatter has said he would welcome a Team GB. He has even said that the individual representation of the Home Nations on the international FA board, which entitles special voting privileges, has caused resentment and was the main reason for England’s failed bid for holding the 2018 World Cup.

I remember the delirium from a packed Millennium Stadium when Simon Davies and Craig Bellamy stunned the famous Azzurri into a 2-1 defeat. Alternatively, I remember the sheer disbelief when Paul Bodin missed a penalty against Romania to end Welsh hopes of World Cup qualification.

What ever your memories of the Welsh national side, and even though their fortunes have not surpassed expectation, the independence of the FAW is worth fighting for and I hope you will join me in condemning a Team GB football team.

Fuel price madness

After a busy day canvassing, I decided to visit some friends and purchased some diesel in a service station just outside the Bridgend constituency. The price? A ridiculous £1.39 a litre.

This should be enough to get even the most car dependent family to consider rail use. However, Arriva Trains Wales have significantly increased their prices well above the rate of inflation. The ConDem coalition have increased the cost of season tickets across the UK by almost 6% (so much for David Cameron’s green credentials), but even more alarmingly, Arriva Trains Wales have increased rail travel in Bridgend by almost 10%

A season ticket for use between Bridgend and Cardiff has increased from £732 to £804, while the cost of a day ticket from Bridgend to Cardiff will increase from £5.40 to £5.90. Meanwhile, passengers have not seen any improvements to the quality of the service.

This is why I believe Plaid Cymru’s proposal to put the management of Welsh railways in the hands of a ‘not for profit’ company following the end of the ATW franchise would be extremely desirable to passengers and the Welsh economy.

Instead of extended profits for ATW, more money could be made available to invest in rail travel across Wales with additional services linking Bridgend with the nearby Valleys and major cities.

While this may reduce car dependency, some isolated communities in Wales, will always depend on the car. For some, fuel is a price elastic commodity. No matter what the cost in fuel duty, some people will reluctantly pay the cost.

With the UK governments increase in fuel duty and VAT, I am strongly in favour of a fuel regulator. This would ensure the price at the pump would reflect the fluctuation in crude oil. In essence, when the price of oil increases or the level of VAT increases, the level of fuel tax would decrease.