Montgomeryshire & Glyndwr MP candidates say why you should put your faith in them

Candidates looking for your support have been invited to share their views on a range of issues.

As part of our election coverage ahead of the poll on Thursday we asked all candidates a range of questions, with a theme based collection from all candidates below. You can also read individual answers to all the questions here on our Election 24 page, plus links to party manifesto, supplied bios for candidates and links to find out where exactly your polling station is!

Question: Trust in politics is at an all time low. How will you engage with residents if elected and work to rebuild that trust and more importantly, why should voters put their faith in you?

It is understandable that many people have this view. The adage “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” definitely has some truth in it. I believe that most people enter politics with good intentions, wanting to help their fellow citizens and the different parties are just different interpretations of the best way doing this. But over time some become led astray, perhaps by living within the echo chamber which is party politics.
One solution might be to limit the length of time that a person can remain in a position of responsibility, and the rule in the United States of limiting a president to 8 years is one small but sensible safeguard that we should adopt here for senior politicians.
I hope that my record of being involved with many not-for-profit social enterprises over the last 15 years, many in a voluntary role, demonstrates my commitment to community. Sorting the waste and recycling, including picking the stray plastic plates and cutlery out of the food waste collected from the public events in Montgomery is a task I am regularly seen doing and I hope that by continuing to roll up my sleeves in this way helps to rebuild faith in the political system.

This is an issue that has come up on the doors a lot for me. Scandal after scandal in both Westminster and now Cardiff Bay with the First Minister’s donation scandal has seriously damaged the public’s trust in politicians. Adding to this, we have seen our current Conservative MP embroiled in a scandal just a few weeks before the election.
I am running on a platform to clean up our politics and restore public service and integrity to the role of being an MP. I’m already elected as a local County Councillor and have a track record of working with my community for my community. It is these values I would seek to replicate if I was elected as an MP.
Being a Liberal Democrat, we tend to have much closer links with our constituencies than those from the two major parties who get sucked into a large party machinery. The Liberal Democrats have also unveiled plans to restore trust in politics including: a cap on political donations, making the voting system fairer and banning the use of deletable WhatsApp messages for Government business.

I recognise that many people think that politicians are ‘all the same’. I have heard it on the doorstep and there is a trust deficit in our communities. One reason is because, those that represent us, don’t really understand the challenges people face on a day-to-day basis. Rishi Sunak’s biggest hardship was going without Sky, whilst many in our community struggle to buy school uniform, visit foodbanks and struggle to make the weekly budget stretch as far as its needed.
My lived experience is different, I was diagnosed as dyslexic late in my childhood, meaning I was illiterate until my teenage years and my parents fought hard for the support I needed. My wife works in the NHS and I earn a wage as a teacher.
If elected, I aspire to bring my own lived experience to Westminster along with those of my fellow constituents – whether it be low pay, poor or no housing, young people being blamed for the ills of Tory Party policies which have reduced their opportunities year on year – I want to be their voice. I will stand with them and champion policies that will increase faith in politicians within our constituency.

Trust in politics is low because far too often politicians are seen as avoiding issues or in it for themselves. As a Powys County Cllr i’m known for plain speaking, for saying things as they are, for not being afraid to challenge those in power, for fighting for what is right. That is why i’ve been heavily involved in supporting whistleblowers at the council and in pushing for openness and transparency to the extent where chief officers at the council don’t like it. BUT if we are to gain the trust of the public they need to see that politicians will stand up and be counted, will fight for what is right. I would reinforce these principles with regular community meetings, have a open access policy and put community politics at the heart of my work and actions.

This is probably my pet peeve. The expenses scandal told us all we need to know about how the majority of our political class treat their positions of influence; too many British politicians are careerists who are in the business of politics for the wrong reasons. We seem to no longer have politicians of calibre – I think of Shirley Williams, or Kenneth Baker, or Denis Healey. Electors’ main priority must be in choosing people who they can see are not motivated by what they can earn from Parliamentary service, or the connections they can make for when they leave Parliament. A new political party bereft of vested interests (Reform!) is a good start.

No response to our Q&A has been received

You can read more Q&A answers here on our Election 24 page along with more election information – remember to GO VOTE ON THURSDAY!

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