Plaid, Green and Propel profiles for May 5 Newport local elections

HOPEFUL candidates from the Green Party, Plaid Cymru and Propel Wales are standing in the upcoming Newport City Council elections.

On May 5, the candidates hope to be successful in order to represent a party which currently doesn’t have any councillors on the council.

Here’s what the three political parties are pledging.

GREEN PARTY

The Green Party has said it is “close to a breakthrough” in Newport as the council elections approach.

Chair of Gwent Green Party, Lauren James, said: “Our year-round hard work in areas that have previously been neglected has voters from all sides pledging to switch to the Green Party.”

Four candidates are standing for the party on May 5, here’s exactly what they are pledging:

Restore trust in the council and councillors, working with residents to make sure their voices are heard and their areas are not forgotten;

Ensure every resident has access to a regular and reliable bus service, and safe and accessible active travel routes;

Deal with fly-tipping, littering, and anti-social behaviour that blights our city;

Revitalising our struggling city centre, giving support to businesses with a community or environmental focus;

Improve and protect our parks and green spaces;

Work to improve early years provision, particularly playgroups; and

Make sure our schools get the funding and support needed to thrive.

Lauren James, who is standing in the Shaftesbury ward, said:

“Gwent Greens are campaigning hard to make the world better for everyone. Every action, big or small, paves the way to a greener, fairer future for Gwent.”

The Green Party is standing in Allt yr yn: Three seats; Shaftesbury: Two seats and Tredegar Park and Marshfield: Two seats.

PLAID CYMRU

Plaid Cymru has two candidates standing in Newport pushing for flood avoidance, a green energy revolution, and tackling the housing crisis.

Here’s what the party is pledging for the area:

Tackle the housing crisis with more affordable homes, by working with housing associations and the Welsh Government;

Develop and encourage local supply chains and forces on the creation of local business, to create more local flexible job opportunities, within the city centre;

Ditch the Cardiff City Region and the Western Gateway;

Flood Avoidance not Flood Prevention. Urban areas should be redesigned or designed from the start to soak up, and store deluges of torrential rain to prevent damaging and dangerous flash flooding but without the construction of large scale flood defences;

Be at the forefront of the green energy revolution with its deep water port, our highly skilled adaptable workforce, our city should be a natural centre for the development go off shore wind energy, tidal lagoons in the Severn estuary, and underwater tidal turbines; and

A railway station to serve Caerleon and Ponthir.

Allt-yr-yn candidate Jonathan Thomas Clark said:

“Newport has suffered because of the unhealthy obsession with directly competing with Cardiff and Cribs Causeway.

“We seriously need to focus on growing small local businesses that supply our needs as well as hosting the usual suspects to bring economic life back to our city centre. If we can do this then we can bring sustainable economic growth and some life back to our city centre.”

Plaid Cymru candidates are standing in Allt yr yn: Three seats and Pillgwenlly: Two seats.

PROPEL WALES 

Propel Wales is a political party that was formed by former MS Neil McEvoy in January 2020, it has two candidates standing in Newport in the upcoming council elections – both in the Tredegar Park and Marshfield Ward.

The party’s pledges for Wales include:

Conduct a “root and branch” review of council management;

Decentralise recycling by creating not for profit community enterprises, develop partnerships to “exploit Wales’ gas reserves without fracking”; and

Build more houses on brown field sites.

Leader of Propel Wales, Neil McEvoy, said:

“Propel is delighted to be breaking ground in Newport with such high calibre candidates.

“Shane is a working class boy, who has done well. His longing for Wales has pulled him back home and he wants to roll up his sleeves and get stuck in.

“Celia Jones is a great campaigner for openness in health care, which is sadly lacking in Wales. Celia is a woman of resolve, who has used her personal tragedy to fight for justice for others. We are delighted they are both standing.”

Propel candidates are standing in Tredegar Park and Marshfield: Two seats.