Brendan was asked to answer this question- You should vote for me in the Two Locks election because– and this is his answer.
As someone who is LGBTQ+, autistic, and a care leaver I’ve had to overcome many trials in my life. However, it is because of this I am standing as a candidate in the first place. I believe I can offer real value and experience as a councillor, not just for my ward but the whole of Torfaen.
Being one of the younger candidates going into this election at the age of 21, I want to be a champion for the rights of children and young people. I want them to be able to go to a school where it isn’t in special measures, where there isn’t a bullying culture, or where they’re not having to jump hurdles in order to get on in life.
I also would like to see a Torfaen in which young people are supported to get themselves onto the property ladder, so they’re not living with their parents until the age of 30+. This of course requires building real affordable homes, not just for young people but for all those who live or wish to live in Torfaen. But our current Labour administration just can’t seem to grasp that. A house worth £250,000 for which you need a deposit of £12,500 is not affordable, this is why I am heavily in favour of expanding the Rent to Own scheme.
We also need to become a more environmentally-friendly area. This is why me and my colleague Mark Davies have already made a commitment to try and secure more electric car charging points, especially in the Two Locks ward where there are none. My own personal ambition would be to also have an electric-bus trial in the ward, Newport and Cardiff are already leading the way on this with continuous investment in their bus fleets. Alongside, we’re also aware that the football field by Henllys Nature Reserve is in desperate need of some good maintenance work. If we are to protect our health and wellbeing, we need to protect open spaces like this.
Let us not forget either that many streetlights in the area are switched off, cost-saving and energy-saving is important. But so is seeing where you’re meant to be going in the night, which is why me and Mark will advocate for using low power LED lights.
Not only do we need to protect our open spaces, we also need to protect our democracy. The current voting system used for council elections (First Past the Post) simply does not work. It leaves voters disenfranchised, and communities being misrepresented by somebody who didn’t get more than 50% of the vote. This is why I will campaign for the council to change its voting system to proportional representation (Single Transferable Vote), otherwise the current one party monopoly we have here in Torfaen will just continue.
Last, but not least. The cost of living crisis, what is to be said about that? In my line of work I see on a daily basis the impact this is having on people when they’re given the bare minimum to live on, especially as the £20 uplift in Universal Credit had been taken away earlier this year. Everything has just started to increase in the blink of an eye. Inflation, NI contributions, food prices, fuel prices, energy bills, and council tax. We need councillors who care about being financially responsible, who will spend your hard-earned money effectively and efficiently.
As a civil servant it is already my job to protect the public purse. The areas of Two Locks, Henllys, and Hollybush have a choice. 5 more years in the hands of Welsh Labour, or 5 years of common sense politics with 2 Welsh Liberal Democrats?
Click here to read a full list of all the candidates standing in the Torfaen County Borough Council elections on Thursday 5 May 2022.