Nick Byrne was asked to answer this question- You should vote for me in the New Inn election because– and this is his answer.
A Pontypool boy born and bred, I’m proud to be standing as one of Labour’s three candidates for New Inn, alongside my friends Jon James and Rosemary Matthews.
I’m the owner and landlord of The Dragonffli just off Albion Road, the only venue dedicated to live music in Torfaen. Over the past ten years we’ve built up a reputation for hosting charity and community events, raising tens of thousands of pounds for good causes, both local and national – as well as showcasing some bloody good music!
When not tending to The Dragonffli or my creative urges, I’m a member of Pontypool Community Council and work for the John Lewis Partnership. During lockdown I moved over to Waitrose and Partners as a delivery driver, making sure people got what they needed re: food and supplies.
It sounds corny but helping others through Covid is one of the reasons I decided to stand in next week’s elections. Seeing the community pull together brought one of favourite sayings – ‘be the difference you want to see in the world’ – fully to life for me. I think that electing a new Labour administration in Torfaen is the best defence against the cost-of-living crisis that Boris and his pals have dumped on the country. We’ve got some great policies and are committed to working with local businesses and supply chains in order to keep people in Torfaen working – and hopefully thriving.
For too long, the Tories have taken New Inn for granted. It’s a tall order, but we’ve had some fantastic conversations over the past couple of months and it’s clear that people there think that Boris is taking the mick. If you live in New Inn and you want to help us create a fairer, stronger, greener and more prosperous Torfaen over the next five years then please use your three votes for Jon, Rosemary and me next week – and let us work with you to make the difference we all want to see.
Click here to read a full list of all the candidates standing in the Torfaen County Borough Council elections on Thursday 5 May 2022.