A HERALD reporter met with Plaid Cymru election candidate Elwyn Williams in his Carmarthenshire office. Among the clutter of election literature and paperwork, the experienced campaigner told us about his background and hopes for the future for Plaid Cymru. He also expressed cautious optimism about Plaid’s chances in the General Election.
“I was born, brought up and educated in and around Carmarthenshire. I have worked in the insurance business in Carmarthen since 1979 and also on the farm. I have been involved in politics since a young age and would say I am a middle of the road person when it comes to politics.”
Addressing the issue of the English language media’s portrayal of Plaid as a left-wing, fringe party, Cllr Williams pointed out: “I think what’s happened is that the political spectrum has shifted. You have two Labour parties. One claims to be of the left, but the nearer you get to Westminster the further to the right they go, the conservatives are firmly on the right, the Lib Dems have shifted to the right, having at one time been to our left.”
He continued: “I think when it comes to individual policies left/ right is a false divide. There are times when the issues are not on one side or the other but sometimes are based upon how well the candidates are known and can get themselves known. I think my local connections are an advantage. I have roots in the community and people from both sides have assured me of their personal vote at the election. That means a lot to me.”
On Plaid’s policy of seeking independence for Wales, he adopted a pragmatic approach: “I believe Wales is a nation and, while there is not much support for independence (yet), I firmly am of the belief that that it is Plaid Cymru’s duty to the best it can for Wales.”
Funding for Wales from the UK Government is a hot topic in the election debate in Wales and also an important issue for Cllr Williams: “A key issue for me is making sure that Wales has its fair share of the UK budget. We are badly underfunded compared to some other parts of the United Kingdom and I am convinced that if we were to have fair funding it would remove the need for the most drastic cuts that face Welsh local authorities. Compared to Scotland, we are short by £1.2bn and compared to some English regions by £300m to £400m.”
He emphasised that Wales needs to use the funding it gets both from the UK government and from Europe wisely: “We must find a way to create better jobs using European funding. Employment re-energises the economy and the individual. Money circulates, business improves, people feel more positive and there is a general uplift in confidence both in the individual and in business.”
On local challenges, Cllr Williams spotlighted three major areas to work upon: “The important thing is to sustain and maintain the diverse local economy within West Wales. The milk industry has a large problem, we must try to process the milk locally to secure a better price for local farmers. In 2013 milk was in relatively short supply, now production is very high and the demand has not risen to keep pace with an increased supply. We must work to maintain high-skilled jobs in the west of the constituency along the Cleddau. Those are very important not only for the people who work there but for the whole of Wales. The tourism sector needs to be boosted, we need to invest now for the future to ensure people keep coming to West Wales and keep coming back.”
On Plaid’s sometimes negative portrayal as a single issue party centred around the Welsh language, Cllr Williams told us: “What we are trying to do is to take the Welsh language out of politics and form a cross-party consensus. We are able to make common ground on this with all parties. To be bilingual gives a person advantages, especially in relation to the future opportunities. Let’s face it: The Conservatives and Labour are doing nothing for Wales. Only a strong Plaid Cymru presence will negotiate to get the money Wales needs. Only Plaid are offering a positive alternative to austerity for Wales. In politics you have to be practical, we have to look at the situation we are in after May’s General Election.”
He was positive about his own chances for success: “In the Assembly elections we are in the top three and close to victory. We have now separated our candidates between Westminster and the Assembly so that we maximise our chances for success in both to make sure there is no impression that our attention is split between Westminster and the Senedd. There is no second chance for me, this is it. We have had good responses from all parts of the constituency and we will work hard to secure votes from all areas, as well as in Carmarthen Town and West Carmarthenshire.”
On the often difficult relationship between MP’s and local authorities, Cllr Williams suggested that he would try to work with councils wherever possible: “From Westminster, I would still seek to influence local councils. I think with officer-led councils like Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, and I am a Carmarthenshire councillor, the key thing is not to be aggressive but to try and work with them towards solutions to problems. We need more party politics in local government to make sure that voters have clear choices and there are clear policies before local voters. The independents in both Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire are, in many ways more united than the political groups who oppose them. But the voters are unable to properly hold them to account. They promise and deliver little. With more party politics, the power of officers will be reduced as candidates who become councillors will have to deliver on what they promised the voters who elected them.”
On the national prospects for Plaid, Cllr Williams finished on an upbeat note: “I see Plaid gathering momentum to make the kind of big changes that Wales needs. In order to form a government in the Assembly, we will have to form a coalition. The process of forming coalitions means that Plaid takes a realistic and pragmatic view of politics, but we are always mindful that Plaid aims to deliver the best deal for Wales.”
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