The Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats must be gearing up for the selection of a candidate to fight the next Assembly Elections - to replace the retiring Mick Bates. As candidate that is. I expect the Conservative candidate to win. I've been hearing a few rumours, but nothing definitive. That of course does not prevent me from speculating - or from inviting you to speculate.
Here's the list of names I've heard. Powys Councillor Liam Fitzpatrick is one of the favorites, while Cllr. Les Davies' name is also heard. Don't think any money is being put on my good ol' mate, Newtown Cllr., Richard White. Most interesting name I'm hearing is 'Independent' Councillor Wynne Jones of Abermule. Several people have telephoned me with this as definite'news'. Not sure myself. Must admit that I didn't even know he was a Lib Dem - but he's a hard working man who would give it a real go. Only other names I've heard are Peter Jones, who is sometimes wheeled out as a 'spokesman', Sue Callery, a capable woman who works in the Lib Dem office, and David Selby, who has often acted as agent in the past. Another possibility must be Dougie Bancroft, well known from his work with the Santa Run. And rather more controverial suggestion I throw in is Lembit Opik, though he's unlikely to be available until after next May! Any more names, let me know. With a bit more information, I could blog some odds on the various runners.
12 comments:
Does the Plaid PPC for Montgomeryshire even live in Montgomeryshire?
If not this suggests that Plaid has essentially given up on winning in Montgomeryshire.
That leaves the Lib-Dem candidate who is wrapped up right now in arguing that the naked breasts of his latest girl friend should not have resulted in her being let go by the bra manufacture she had a deal with. Yes, it’s very bra/breast intense and complicated. It's like Opik has lost the plot and intends to go out in his own immutable style.
One thing for sure, the Plaid PPC isn't going to win in Montgomeryshire.
So, we are left with the only serious contender on the block, Glyn Davies - who lives and breaths Montgomeryshire.
VOTE, BUT VOTE FOR GLYN DAVIES - the only candidate that is totally committed to Montgomeryshire.
Anyone but Lembit Opik please. God forbid that we get rid of him at the GE and then have to put up with his dire nonsense in the Assembly. Wales and Powys deserve better!
Who's going to be the Tory Candidate in 2011?
Assuming you don't win in 2010 will you run again Glyn? You've already said you'll never go for the list again and you still have your taxpayerfunded flat down there.
Aled Griffiths ex chair YFC Wales, farms in Montgomeryshire, Welsh speaking, and works for NFU is a name I have heard mentioned.
Brass tacks - No, but Heledd has Montgomeryshire connections through her family. And she tells me that she is intent on winning. I would not question her committment myself.
Anon - I wasn't being serious about that.
Paul - No decisions have been taken about that. And if you are the Paul I think you are, I'm very surprised that you make any reference to taxpayerfunded flats. There have never been any questions of inpropriety about the funding of my flat, (which is not the case with everyone) and I have retained it at considerable personal expense - just in case I need it, which would be so if an Aberystwyth bus were to visit the worst upon Nick Bourne.
Anon - A good call. I know Aled, but not his politics. Always thought him a good man. If he goes for it, I'd make him one of the favorites. He's put a stop to all those Lib Dem monolingual leaflets!
Glyn> I'm just curious about Plaid is 'all.
For example, didn't Plaid Cymru just complain about the Welsh Labour candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan not currently living in the Vale of Glamorgan?
I've experienced this myself, that according to some in Plaid I am not a Cardiffian if I don't currently live there, even though I was born there, that all my siblings were born there, that me and my siblings all spent a chunk of our childhoods living on council estates there (if memory serves, my sister was actually born in a council house on Llanishen Council Estate, that I bought my first house in Cardiff, that I worked in Cardiff (and at a hospital in Mid Glam) - that, for example, my Welsh maternal grandparents ran the White Hart Inn in Bedwas for some 20 odd years, that my mother won a place in Bassaleg Grammar School in Gwent near Machen - all that doesn't matter because I or my mother don’t currently live in Wales (she's with me waiting for a big spine operation in Virginia Hospitals - an operation that was not offered to her in her native Wales where she lived all her life except for around 10 years in London when my Welsh father moved us to London in search of work and what he believed at the time would be a brighter future for his four kids). Again, according to Plaid that does not matter.
Just curious is all.
Aftera all, if Plaid think it’s an issue if the Labour candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan is an issue because he doesn’t currently live there …
I would like to assume that Glyn will be victorious in 2010. Montgomeryshire needs you!
We can also look forward to Tory candidate being victorious against Bates Mk2 in 2011 all things being well. Who knows, I might put my name forward at the open primary? Meanwhile, none of the proposed LimpDims mentionned would stand much of a chance in my view. If 'independent' councillor Wynne Jones is adopted, will he repeat his offer of donating part of his salary to local good causes if elected? He did this during his last County Council campaign. I don't know about you, but such an offer does seem a little suspect during a campaign.
I very much doubt I’m the Paul you think I am Glyn - There are quite a few of us you know!
Brass tacks - no I don't live full time in Montgomeryshire but I am there almost every weekend, and at least a night every week for meetings and so on. It's not ideal, but I have a full time job that takes me all over Wales and I'm always travelling. I can assure you that I'm totally committed to the campaign, the seat, and the people of Montgomeryshire and I will be there full time to campaign when the election is called taking unpaid leave from work. If I win the lottery, then yes, I will be there full time before then I can assure you! I'd love nothing more than to be able to be in Maldwyn with my family full time, campaigning. The need to pay bills is the only thing stopping that from happening.
I understand HF, that needing a job that pays the bills is very important - and sometimes means, because of the local job situations in Wales, that Welsh people like yourself, like myself, like others born in Wales, have to work "where the money is" to pay bills etc. My family knows all about having to move to find work so I fully understand your predicament, it's just a pity that members of your party often look down their noises at Welsh people obliged to live away from their beloved Wales, and use this to undermine others who don't live full time in districts they hope to win for their parties.
So why do Plaid members try to undermine someone in another party who is not living full time in the district where they intent to sin a seat?
Why is it that Plaid members often look down on Welsh expats? I have lost count the number of times it was implied to me by members of your party that I am not Welsh or not “Welsh enough”.
I get it all the time that I'm no longer Welsh even though I have family in Wales, that I was born in Wales, that I still have a British passport, that I have a degree from a Welsh university, that I spent much of my childhood growing up on council house estates in Wales, and though I live outside Wales for job purposes I still travel to be back in Wales for important events, and to bring my Welsh mother back to see her friends, especially the women she worked with at the HQ of Wales's leading building society (HQ is on Queen Street, Cardiff, her Welsh building society work mates (most now retired) threw a party for her at the Marriot in Cardiff – one of them was in the news because her family won the lottery, she and my mother were co-workers.
So yes, I understand and I sympathize, but your party to this day often looks down on Welsh people who don't fit in with Plaid's view of what it is to be Welsh.
PS, the silly thing is, my Welsh mother voted for Plaid when we moved back from London via a council house exchange back to Wales. May Welsh father from Cymer moved to Cardiff for work, met my Welsh mother who used to commute into Cardiff from the White Hart Inn (where she lived with her Welsh parents) in Bedwas, and they married and rented rooms in Cardiff, eventually becoming homeless to get on the Cardiff Council housing list, and then moving to London via a council house exchange with a Welsh family living on the eastern edge of London anxious to return to their native Wales. So I do understand, just a pity that some in your party look down on us poor Welsh people who, at least for a time, move to find work outside Wales!
So I understand, but your Party often uses such moves against Welsh people seeking to run in a district in Wales. I am pretty sure that if I returned to my native Wales, such tactics would be used by your party if I ran for election in a part in Wales even if I have family connections in that part of Wales.
So if I return to Wales and run in Cardiff - would your party use it against me that I am parachuting in? That I am not really from Cardiff? You live in my native town, the town I was born in, and for much of my childhood lived in, etc.
Heledd Fychan> so what then if there was a PPC aiming to win a seat in Wales, but who lives further away from Wales to the extent they can't get back to the constituency they are running in as often as you do, would your party be so accommodating? Not raise this as an issue? Some Welsh people from South West Wales live further afield (like in Glasgow), with strong connections to that part of Wales, but can't afford to rent a place or have an address other than their Glasgow address. Would your party ignore that?
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