Conservatives launch Assembly campaign

Glyn Davies MP (standing centre) and Russell George (seated centre), the Welsh Conservative Assembly candidate for Montgomeryshire have officially launched the local Welsh Conservatives Assembly campaign, which includes a strong opposition to the proposed substation and pylons being located in Montgomeryshire.

The Welsh Conservatives are opposed to large scale wind farm development, and if elected Mr George has vowed to pressure Ministers to have the policy withdrawn and redrafted.

Other priorities announced include a proposal from the Welsh Conservatives to directly fund schools, cutting out local education authorities and enabling schools to control their own budgets. Mr George has also pledged to fight the proposals to take sixth forms out of secondary schools.

Mr George has led a campaign to ease Newtown’s traffic problems and has pledged to improve the North South road links, including the Newtown by-Pass.

He said at the launch:

“We have many local issues that are threatening our communities. I am particularly focused on the issues that matter to people in Montgomeryshire; the Welsh Conservatives will help to create jobs by abolishing business rates for the majority of small businesses. My party opposes large scale wind farms and if elected I will take the opposite view from Mick Bates, our outgoing AM for Montgomeryshire and bring pressure on Ministers to have this disgraceful policy withdrawn and redrafted.

 

“I also propose to fight plans by Liberal Democrat Councillors to remove sixth forms from some of our excellent community schools. I believe that schools should make the decisions over their future and have control over their budgets. Although we have had a recent commitment from the Transport Minister regarding Newtown’s traffic problems following my campaign, I will keep fighting until we get that first vehicle onto the bypass and the Kerry Road Roundabout restored. My party is fully committed to delivering a bypass for Newtown.”

Mr George also claimed that “The Welsh Conservatives are the only party to commit to increasing the NHS budget in Wales”.

Mr Davies also showed his support for Mr George at the launch.

He said: “Russell is an experienced County Councillor and a true local man who is already fully involved in the issues that matter to people. The Welsh Assembly has let us down in Mid Wales, and the plans that designate our area as suitable for wind farm development which have been fully supported by the Liberal Democrats are disgraceful. I fully opposed these plans when I was an Assembly Member and I am pleased that Russell will call for this disgraceful policy to be withdrawn. Russell will give Montgomeryshire the representation it needs and deserves.”