Been out leafleting today - supporting Steve Kaye, a Conservative candidate standing in the Welshpool 'Castle' ward in the imminent elections to Powys County Council. I'm going to be doing a lot of this over the next six weeks. In Montgomeryshire, we could have 10 or more candidates carrying the Conservative banner. This is an entirely new situation and it will be the first time I will be so committed to a council election.
Many Montgomeryshire people do not like the idea of 'political' councillors, and if I'm honest neither did I. During the 13 years I served as a councillor myself, I was the 'Independent' member for Berriew. Only when I decided to enter 'national' politics did I declare my party affiliation. In the 1980's, almost all of us in Powys were undeclared. The first party to challenge this tradition were the Liberal Democrats (though there had been the odd Labour councillor in Ystradgynlais for years). Everybody seemed to think only 'Independents' could win - and then the Lib Dems shattered the myth by winning about 10 in a row. The final blow to the old way was the decision by all the councillors to join 'groups' last year. So now we have the Lib Dems, Labour, the Montgomeryshire Independents (Migs) and the Powys Independents (Pigs). The true 'Independent' has gone already.
So its inevitable that my party enters the race with serious intent. After May 1st, I hope there will be a Conservative Group on Powys Couty Council that will work with me (and Suzy Davies, our Parliamentary candidate in Brecon and Radnorshire). If we demonstrate that we can win standing as Conservatives, and we demonstrate that our engine is driven by the public service ideal, the days of the Independent councillor will be numbered. I'll be out for an hour again tomorrow. We will be doing our damndest to win.
15 comments:
Shamless Plug follows:
In view of the BBC putting up a link to Glyn Davies’s web site what follows is a “fairly shameless post touting for business”.
“As it happens” (Tommy Cooper line), “As it happens” my specialization is mechanical and biotechnology patents.
I am a Welsh lawyer-scientist based in the Washington, DC metro area close to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). In view of my close proximity to the USPTO I frequently conduct F2F interviews with Patent Examiners.
The DC metro area is bursting at the seams with biotechnology R&D, NIH (National Instituted of Health) with a billion dollar budget is located 30 minutes drive from my office, and then there’s the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) also located just 30 minutes from my office. Did I mention that biotechnology is BIG here? Make that MEGA big – far bigger than New York City. Bigger than a boil on the tip of a blue whale, yes, that MEGA BIG.
I have drafted some VERY valuable biotech patents on behalf of one of an American top 100 (if not top 10) agriculture-biotech companies? One of the patents was so valuable that the client paid for it to be filed in some 30 countries around the world (I wrote this patent while working at a top Chicago IP law firm).
I would love to represent a Welsh biotech start up before the USPTO, and can help them realize their dream of conquering the largest and best patent protected market in the world, the USA. One patent here covers all 50 states of the Union – one filing fee (far less than the cost of filing in the EU), one Federal patent law system, and what’s more Welsh clients/inventors do not require US citizenship for me to file their patents in the USA (at the USPTO).
Clients don’t pay through the nose for air flight tickets to prosecute their patent cases F2F with Patent Examiners (something that really up-to-speed US firms do, like Texas Instruments). Can’t beat a F2F meeting with the Patent Examiner handling a case – and I do them without having to fly to DC and without passing on hotel costs, because I am located five minutes from the USPTO campus in Alexandria near DC.
Yours,
Dr. Christopher Wood, PhD, JD
http://www.premierpatents.com/
http://www.woodeisenberg.com/
Why do you not stand, give you an official role, rather than been on the sidelines.
Somebody suggested yesterday you knock the ppc business on the head and stick to council.
Not a bad idea that Glyn, balls to national politics.
anon - We are already served by a good councillor in Berriew. I do see advantage in and 'national' candidate being involved in local politics. Some Assembly Members (Peter Black and Dr Dai Lloyd I think) doubled up. Perhaps some MPs do, though I don't know any. I've arranged my time in a way which wouldn't allow that, because of several other roles that I've taken on. I daresay there are people who would want me to stand down from my quest to become the MP for Montgomeryshire - but there is not the slightest chance of that. Determination grows by the day.
One would imagine your determination grows the more we learn about Lembit Grope-it's behaviour. Good on you Glyn. You have masses of support here in rural Wales. The Liberals would love you to stand down. They know, that for the first time in ages, they have a real fight on their hands. Be prepared for really dirty tactics......
The difference between genius and stupidity
is that genius has its limits.
Well if you wish to continue in the quest for a parliamentary seat then you shall have to rein in your Boyo views.
All well and good your support from fellow bloggers, but there is an element of discretion needed from all wanna be MP's.
Smart arse comments don't do you any good, and are you daft enough to think your own party don't view your blog, did it have to be a Liberal that tipped off Cornock?
No of course not.
I personally think it a matter of time before you come a cropper.
The cheeky chappy, jack the lad comments will bite you on your arse!
Mark my words1
And I am a paid up Conservative!
The part-time MP, as he's often referred to by people posting on this blog, didn't turn up for Post Office vote, didn't show for a local Wind Farm meeting, hangs baubles from a Cheeky Girl's ears in Hello at Christmas, makes an idiot of hiself on The Apprentice, please could someone tell me why Montgomeryshire Lib Dems back him at all? And do so in such a bitchy way?? It's not Sian Lloyd's fault that the seat's in danger....it's all down to the sitting part-time MP
bryn - I think I've already made it clear that I agree with you. I don't think anyone 'tipped off' David Cornock. It was his personal opinion that my post was inappropriate. It could be that he then asked Jenny for her opinion. It all seemed very innocuous to me, but I cannot write posts which don't pass the BBC's morality test. And I've said that I'm not going to - because my assessment is the same as yours. It would be letting down my party and its just not going to happen again.
anon - Its not for me to defend Montgomeryshire's MP, but I think he is also an able man. I want people to support me because they think I would be a good MP, and not because I'm not someone else.
anons - I'm willing to let commenters be as rude as they want to and about others on this blog, including Dr Christopher (which happens more and more often) but I don't allow comments that I think are intended to just be personally hurtful or which use the 'f' or 'c' words. I've refused three comments on this post. Sorry about that. It may be OK on some blogs, but I'd be in trouble if I allowed it.
Old woody must be pretty thick skinned don't you think?
Bit of a billy no mates!
Keep writing the blog Glyn. Your comments are always refreshing even when I disagree. Parliament needs personalities not clones who are frightened of their own shadow. On the wet T shirt remark I thought that it reflected rather badly on those who made it into a story. It makes you wonder when will they will ever grow up.Important issues that affect the lives of ordinary people are being ignored every day of the week and they decide to make a remark which any man hetrosexual man would make into an earth shattering story.
anon - like an elephant's hide I'd say.
stuart - just imagine the hoo-hah if I'd said that. Actually, I think that Parliament is full of people with personality - even if I thought 'New' Labour was built on an attempt to create clones.
personally i think Powys Council lost a great deal hen it lost the independent make up it had, I'm not sure why the lib dems did it, but its a shame.
" After May 1st, I hope there will be a Conservative Group on Powys Couty Council that will work with me (and Suzy Davies, our Parliamentary candidate in Brecon and Radnorshire). "
As the councillors are the elected body, and you two not, surely it is a case of you working with them, not the other way around!
rather pedantic Ted. Have to admit that I preferred it when Coucillors were 'Independent' - though it did make it very difficult to maintain consistancy in policy making. But it happened, and we have to respond. What we have done is look for candidates where councillors support other parties, and only stand against genuinely independent councillors where candidates have approached us. In 4 years time I expect there to be a full slate of Conservative candidates - if our resurgance gathers pace.
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