Senedd elections: Kait Duerden (Labour)
It’s election week and in the interests of fairness, MyWelshpool has invited all of the Montgomeryshire candidates that have engaged with us over the campaign period to provide 750 words on why they deserve your vote this Thursday.
They will be published alphabetically based on their party name.
Covid-19 challenged the world, and the people of Wales rose to that challenge, coming together, and looking after each other. Welsh Labour did all it could to keep Wales safe and Mark Drakeford demonstrated competence, credibility and determination in his handling of the pandemic.
As we move forward, we will work together and channel those values - that competence and determination, and the solidarity of our communities. Welsh Labour will restore our nation - tackle the climate emergency, create jobs, build social homes for rent, and bring healthcare closer to home.
Welsh Labour has ambition and we look forward with renewed hope and optimism. Our future will be built on fairness and on addressing the greatest challenge of our lifetimes; the climate emergency. Our greatest shared obligation is to those who come after us. Our legacy must be a Zero Carbon Wales.
Creating Green jobs, so needed in all our communities, will be realised by investing in community owned clean energy: wind, solar, wave and hydrogen. We guarantee a job, apprenticeship, education, training, or self-employment to everyone under 25. Building low-carbon homes for social rent and working with the construction industry to train workers to retrofit existing housing to a lower carbon footprint will create skilled jobs. We will invest £15bn in infrastructure to achieve a zero-carbon economy.
Covid has changed the way we work forever. We will further invest in broadband, enabling many to conduct 30% of their work from home, improving work/life balance as well as expanding the job market.
Transport: We have to talk about transport - green transport. We will deliver a zero-carbon bus and taxi fleet by 2028 and ensure that 95% of rail journeys in Wales are via new trains by 2024. We will promote active travel (walking and cycling) integrated with public transport.
Our NHS has never been more appreciated, and more needed. Welsh Labour will continue investing in community health facilities like Bro Dyfi and in building facilities such as Newtown’s new medical centre. Modern facilities, exploiting digital technology for GP consultations and to access specialists, will revolutionise healthcare in Montgomeryshire.
We recognise the need to focus on wellbeing and I am particularly pleased that Welsh Labour are introducing social prescribing which takes a holistic view of your health, connecting you to the practical and emotional support available within your community.
Our Carers need more than claps. In Wales, they will be guaranteed the real living wage and we will bring contracts back into the public sector, tackling the unfair working practices of some private employers.
Our Schools: We will continue to build our 21st Century Schools and make sure these, and other public buildings, are zero carbon. We value community-based schools and the crucial role they play in rural areas. No-one will be left behind with our school’s catch-up programme and its additional 1,800 tutors. We will address mental health problems by investing in services that are based in schools.
“Spend Welsh Money in Wales” is a cornerstone of rebuilding our economy. For example, we will ensure that we give contracts for the supply of food to the Welsh NHS and schools to local businesses and food producers. Our communities already have strong bonds which will be even stronger if we can easily support local farms and businesses. Welsh Labour will strengthen regional supply chains, supporting businesses to have an online presence and convenient, local delivery services. Forget Amazon; shop online, but still be supporting your local economy.
A zero-waste Wales is possible if we recycle, repair and reuse. Repair Cafes will be supported in 80 towns. In addition, there will be funds for communities to create meadows, orchards and food growing spaces, which will strengthen food resilience and tackle biodiversity loss.
If you Value it, Vote for it: Under Welsh Labour, prescriptions will remain free, (in England, every item currently costs £9.15). Car-parking at hospitals will continue to be free. You will still keep £50,000 of your savings before you pay for the cost of residential care, and non-residential care fees will remain capped at £100 per week.
The pandemic has shown us that in Wales we can do things our own way. Wales has shown it is as world class in rolling out vaccinations as it is in rugby and recycling. We can show the World how addressing the climate emergency, looking after our communities, and rebuilding our economy, high streets, jobs, and homes can be done.
Put Montgomeryshire at the heart of Welsh Government. Elect Labour in Montgomeryshire.
The candidates in Montgomeryshire
Alison Alexander - Liberal Democrats
Kait Duerden - Labour
Gwyn Evans - Gwlad - The Welsh Independence Party
Russell George - Conservatives
Oliver Lewis - Reform UK
Elwyn Vaughan - Plaid Cymru
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|