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Your Candidates: Carmarthen West & South Pembs, and Preseli Pembs

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THE PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD invited each of Pembrokeshire’s General Election candidates to provide us with a statement asking them to complete the following in 300 words:

Voting for [candidate name] is best for [this constituency] because…
Eight out of eight candidates have now answered our request.
We present them below in alphabetical order and by constituency contested.

CARMARTHEN WEST AND SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE:

ALISTAIR CAMERON

VOTING for Alistair Cameron is best for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire because he wants to remain within the European Union, tackle the underfunding in our public services and work for new jobs for our area.

Alistair grew up in South Pembrokeshire and he has a positive vision for our area with a stronger economy, better job opportunities, a cleaner environment and better funded public services.

This depends on staying in the European Union which is vital for farming, tourism and future job opportunities. EU membership benefits our Irish ferries and our oil refinery. Staying in will secure a £50 billion Remain Bonus, with the economy 2% larger by 2024-25. This can be invested in our schools, and in tackling in-work poverty and inequality. Staying in allows British citizens to live and work throughout Europe and EU workers to work in our NHS, care homes, farms and tourist attractions. EU action forced us to clean up our beaches and seas.

The Liberal Democrats will tackle the health and social care crises through an extra £7 billion funded through putting 1p on the basic rate of income tax. In the longer term, we support a dedicated, progressive Health and Care Tax, offset by other tax reductions.

We will be carbon-neutral by 2045 through insulating all of Britain’s homes by 2030, ensuring 80% of UK electricity is from renewables by 2030 and planting 60 million trees a year. We will electrify Britain’s railways and ensure all new cars are electric by 2030.

We will provide free childcare for all children with parents in work from nine months and for all children from two years up to starting school.

Contact Alistair on facebook: AlistairCameronPembs, Twitter: AlistairPembs or email: [email protected].

SIMON HART

Voting for Simon Hart is best for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire because leavers and remainers alike share a desire to get Brexit done and get on with the important business of improving the NHS, law and order and sustaining the livelihoods and jobs of those who live and work here.

In my experience though there are plenty of non-Brexit topics that keep us awake at night – our house, our health, our job and our schools. The environment has rocketed up the list of concerns too which is why our new Environment Bill has become a flagship issue.

On top of this we are going to recruit 20,000 extra police officers (50 of them in Dyfed-Powys) invest £34 billion in the NHS (which translates into £1.4 billion for Wales) make major improvements to broadband and mobile phone coverage and invest in schools, housing and jobs – something our Labour colleagues running the Assembly will also receive the funds necessary.

We will increase the national living wage from £8.20 to £10.50 and increase the threshold for National Insurance payments to £12,500 – lifting thousands more people out of paying NI altogether.

I am lobbying strongly against the plans to reopen a Waste Transfer Station in Royal Dockyard in Pembroke Dock and fighting to retain vital services at Withybush Hospital.

I have spent years taking on BT to improve the rollout of superfast broadband and still battle with the Welsh Assembly to improve dangerous junctions such as Nash near Cosheston and Red Roses.

I have now been your MP for almost a decade during which time my local office has helped well over 10,000 local people with a whole range of different issues. Our area is special because we have such a wide range of jobs, from oil to agriculture and such a diverse community. We like to get on, to succeed, to aspire and to look after each other. My ambition is to see that continue.

RHYS THOMAS

Voting for Dr Rhys Thomas, Plaid Cymru, is best for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire because we need an MP who’s lived life: a man with a proven track record of serving his country and saving lives. After 17 years as a front-line army medical officer in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, Dr Rhys co-led on setting up the Wales Air Ambulance service after retiring as a Lt. Colonel to run the family farm and work as a Consultant Anaesthetist in local hospitals.

“The Wales Air Ambulance service is the best in the world and we should also work towards making our NHS the best in the world,” he said.

“While Labour, which runs the NHS in Wales, is dragging its feet, Plaid sees integrating health and social care as the only sustainable future for both services. Meanwhile, at a time of huge staffing shortage and financial cuts due to the Tory UK government’s failed austerity project, front line NHS staff are doing a heroic job,” said Dr Rhys.

“People are fed up with Tory lies and Labour false promises. Westminster is a toxic mess. This election won’t change that. ‘Let’s get Brexit done’ is a misleading lie. Brexit isn’t an event but a process – a long and hazardous process which will take several years. Wales will badly need a powerful voice to get fair play for our nation in a post-Brexit Britain. Here in west Wales, that means ensuring continuing support for agriculture, fishing and small businesses; investing to create jobs in sustainable energy to boost our economy, mitigate climate change and provide future generations with a clean and safe country to live in.

“Plaid Cymru is the only party that exists to fight Wales’ corner. Wales needs Plaid MPs more than ever before,” said Dr Rhys Thomas.

MARC TIERNEY

Voting for Marc Tierney is best for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire because Marc is totally committed to getting things properly done. Unlike the Tory MP we have had for the last decade, he will get the support we need for jobs, the environment, hospitals and surgeries, social care, schools, training and infrastructure.

Marc said: “This has become an election about hope for a better future. I’m really excited about Labour’s plans for green jobs – including the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon, an incredible boost for West Wales. I’m proud of our clean seas and our green farming and I’ll be a strong advocate for our food and tourism sector. Better technology, free broadband, and training in high skill industries mean our young people will no longer have to get out to get on.

“This has become an election about empathy. Like you, I love living here but we see every day the struggles local people have, just like in other areas. I will support a compassionate government that supports you and your family, with better-resourced services and fairer social security. Asking the very well off to pay a little more tax so that others don’t have to struggle. I support the fair pension fight for women born in the 1950s. Labour will deliver that justice. As your MP, I will always stand by your side.

“And this has become an election about trust. Throughout the campaign, I have met people right across the constituency who have told me they don’t trust Prime Minister Johnson. They have seen him lie on Brexit, on hospital funding and on nurses. They are frightened that a majority would give him free rein to pursue a trade deal with Mr Trump using our NHS. We can’t let that happen and if I am your Labour MP, trust me–it won’t.

Change only happens when you vote for it. Vote Marc Tierney on Thursday.

PRESELI PEMBROKESHIRE:

STEPHEN CRABB

Stephen is the only candidate standing in Preseli Pembrokeshire who is on the side of the majority of local people who want to see Brexit delivered.

Pembrokeshire, Wales and the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU.

All the other parties are trying to block the 2016 referendum vote.  We had the referendum, there was a clear result and now it needs to get done. This is a matter of trust.

To become Prime Minister, Jeremy Corbyn has promised another Brexit referendum to try to overturn the result of the 2016 vote. He will also give the Scottish Nationalists a second referendum on breaking up the United Kingdom. This is not in our national interest or in the best interest of Pembrokeshire.

Once Brexit is delivered, we can move on to focus on the country’s other priorities. Lowering crime, record NHS spending and going carbon neutral by 2050.

For more than ten years Stephen has fought tirelessly for local businesses and local jobs. He has an outstanding track record in speaking up for Pembrokeshire in Parliament and has won praise for his ability to work with MPs from other parties to get things done.

Stephen has been a strong voice in opposing moves by the Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff to downgrade Withybush Hospital. Welsh Conservatives will never stop fighting for Withybush.

Only the Conservatives have a clear plan for completing the rollout of fast broadband to all homes and eliminating mobile phone not-spots. This will boost the Pembrokeshire economy and help attract new investment.

Stephen can always be relied on to work hard for Pembrokeshire.

PHILIPPA THOMPSON

We need a stronger voice speaking up for us at Westminster. Philippa Thompson returned to live in Pembrokeshire after serving 30 years in the Diplomatic Service, representing and negotiating on behalf of the United Kingdom overseas.

Philippa Thompson has spoken out about the local issues which matter greatly to our community: our local hospital, our local schools. There were just 314 votes between Philippa Thompson and the Tory candidate at the 2017 election. Preseli Pembrokeshire needs a strong Labour MP again.

The Welsh budget has been consistently cut by the Tories at Westminster and that has impacted on the money available to the Welsh Government to invest in our public services, including the NHS. A Labour Government at Westminster means £3.4bn more a year for Wales.

A Labour Government will invest in our country to bring about the real change we need, investing in our public services, protecting working people, and tackling climate change. Labour’s plans for a Green Industrial Revolution offer huge opportunities for Pembrokeshire, as well as helping our country face the challenge of the climate emergency.

Philippa Thompson will use her considerable experience to stand up for Preseli Pembrokeshire at Westminster, so that we are not forgotten here, on the western edge of Wales.

Please vote for Philippa Thompson on Thursday 12 December

CRIS TOMOS

During the first few weeks of campaigning, I have had many people talk on the doorstep about the loss of trust in politics with many of those who voted to leave the EU who now are not sure if they will bother voting again.

Talking to life-long Labour voters that are not sure about Jeremy Corbyn and the billion-pound promises and then the traditional Conservative voters unsure of how they can trust what comes out of Boris Johnson’s mouth.

I can only explain to people on the door that I have worked closely with communities across Pembrokeshire to develop community-led solutions to social and economic issues and that we have to trust in the process of cooperation and plan for a better future for our communities, Pembrokeshire and Wales. None of the Westminster parties have hardly mentioned what support they will give to Wales and the people of Pembrokeshire but Plaid Cymru will deliver change at all levels and ensure the citizen is at the centre of those much needed changes.

Speaking at my campaign launch in October I noted that I entered politics to make a difference—from fighting school closures to working with communities on energy projects and community facilities. We live in tumultuous times, but we mustn’t lose focus on what is at stake. Each of us needs to commit all our energy to transform our communities and transforming our nation. That’s what I intend to do as Plaid Cymru’s candidate in Preseli, and it is what I would do if I had the privilege of representing our constituency.

At a time when politics seem to be toxic, Plaid Cymru does offer hope and trust to the people of Pembrokeshire and Wales, with recent polls showing they are the most trusted party to represent Welsh values in Westminster. I will also represent the values of the people of Pembrokeshire.

THOMAS HUGHES

The last few weeks has seen a largely Presidential style campaign in which television has largely concentrated on Boris and Jeremy. The other parties have largely been forgotten, including the Liberal Democrats and it has been difficult to get our message heard.

I am a passionate and proud Remainer. The PM tells us that a vote for the Conservatives “Will Get Brexit Done”. But we all know that leaving on 31st January 2020 is not the end of the Brexit saga. It is the start of years of negotiations and uncertainty.

The UK was once one of the strongest growing economies in the G7 nations. Brexit has brought it to a near standstill as we have had over 3 years of dithering by the Conservative who have been in power for the last 9 years.

I grew up in Fishguard and was educated at Ysgol Bro Gwaun and then went to Aberystwyth University to study International Politics and Military History. The family home is in Fishguard and both my parents work as nurses for the NHS.

I was a member of the Fishguard Sea Cadets and I am currently an Army Reservist with the 3rd Battalion, the Royal Welsh.

I have been a member of the Welsh Liberal Democrats for a few years now and I am a strong proponent of electoral reform. In this election, we have seen many talk of tactical voting. This is a strong reason for voting reform as First Past the Post has failed us and I strongly believe that we need a system where EVERY vote counts. You should be able to vote for the party or candidate in a system whereby a party gets a fairer share of seats that reflects the support it has.

As well as being opposed to leaving the EU, particularly because of its negative impact on agriculture, the NHS and the economy, I have strong concerns about the wellbeing of his community and of young people across Pembrokeshire.

News

Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

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It’s crunch time for all rugby clubs around the county, whether promotion is their aim or fighting relegation or even just trying to improve their league position, it’s now or never. 

Last weekend saw an important win for Fishguard in division two west which should put any relegation fears to bed completely. James Griffiths added an impressive 18 points for the Seagulls as they defeated Nantgaredig 33-19. 

Elsewhere in the second division, Milford were beaten 32-8 by a good Lampeter outfit. The Mariners are still a little too close for comfort with the drop zone but should have enough quality to see them safe. 

At the other end of the table Tenby sit in second place and have played fewer games than leaders St Clears and third place Lampeter. They won impressively again last weekend, beating Pontyberem 64-19 at Haywood Lane. Fletcher Broadhurst impressed with two tries as did Hywel Baker who also grabbed himself a brace. Another excellent performance in an outstanding season so far in which promotion would be the absolute icing on the cake. 

In Division Three West, Pembroke were well beaten by Laugharne 74-15 in which the outstanding Liam Price and Nico Setaro both crossed the whitewash 4 teams a piece. The latter also added 7 successful conversions. 

There was a local derby at Pill Parks where Llangwm hosted Pembroke Dock Quins and it was an exciting clash. The visitors won narrowly 28-23, Craig Barnett and Gethin Bradney both scored two tries for the Quins. The Wasps battled hard and will be proud of their performance, Gethin Thomas impressed for the hosts with two tries of his own but it wasn’t enough to secure the points. 

St David’s hosted the high flying Cardigan outfit and were unable to score in reply to the visitors 20 points, with it ending 20-0. The Saints however won’t be losing too much sleep over it as they have had a great season so far. 

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Business

Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Business

Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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