Evan Price is Number Two on the Conservative Party's list in Wales at next month's European election. Here he records his experiences on the campaign trail around Wales during a week where MPs' expenses has dominated the news agenda.
The Conservative Party has never won the popular vote in Wales. Labour has won it in every year since 1922. The fact we think we might be able to beat them in the elections to the European Parliament on 4th June is testament to the progress we have made in Wales since our wipeout in 1997.
If we do complete that historic win, Gordon Brown will be the first Labour Prime Minister to ‘lose’ Wales. As an incentive to Conservative supporters there is almost nothing more likely to get them going than that prospect. And with the Welsh economy in the doldrums - having gone backwards in the last 10 years - there is very real anger on the streets.
Sadly that anger is, at least in substantial part, directed at MPs' expenses. During the course of the week this issue has grown to dominate the news agenda like no other political story I can remember. The Daily Telegraph’s disclosures reveal a culture that is, including on the doorsteps I’ve visited this week, unacceptable. The purchase of furniture, furnishings, and food and the so-called ‘flipping’ of the choice between properties for their first home, are the things that anger people the most.
Monday
I jumped on the motorbike to meet Dick Wishart in Llangollen. I changed out of my motorcycle gear and we drove to Flint to meet Francis Maude. Then we drove to Holywell to see a factory owned by Kingspan where they make insulated panels for industrial buildings. This being the Delyn constituency, we met Antionette Sandbach, our PPC (pictured). After some discussions about what the company does and how it does it, we toured the factory. Essentially, the company takes sheets of steel and fixes them on either side of a foam to create an insulating board to be used on commercial premises. It is developing all sorts of other ‘green’ solutions for industrial buildings and it was a very interesting tour.
Next, we drove to Llandudno where we visited a community radio station, Tudno FM. This is an example of local people ‘doing something’ – providing local news, chat and information as well as providing a training ground for local volunteers and young people. Just the sort of thing we should be supporting.
We then drove to Wrexham for a meeting with some local business leaders in the Clwyd South constituency, along with John Bell, our PPC. The recession is biting hard in this part of Wales, with jobs being lost at Kellogg as well as smaller employers. One of the businessmen we met was very sad to explain that he had struggled to keep on his 11 employees and had been forced by the downturn to lay off 5 of them. Difficult times...
Finally, after saying good-bye to Francis Maude and his aide, Giles, I jumped back on my motorbike and rode home to Crickhowell (pictured, right).
Tuesday
Jumped in the car to go to Cardiff where I was planning to spend a bit of time preparing for my first ‘hustings’ of the election in Swansea. Research completed in a couple of hours – feeling nervous about this evening, but at the same time keen for the test – ‘up for it’!
I drove to Porthcawl to meet David Deere (one of our Town Councillors) and the Bridgend PPC, Helen Baker, for some canvassing and to hand out leaflets. The weather was wonderful as we walked down the high street visiting local businesses – everyone we spoke to was rather sceptical to begin with, but warm to us as we chat.
On to Swansea for the Stop Climate Chaos ‘hustings’ – met up with Jill Evans from Plaid Cymru (currently an MEP), Lisa Stevens from Labour (number 2 on their list) and Alan Butt Philip for the Liberal Democrats (their number 1) – as well as the hosts, Peter Jones from RSPB Cymru and the chairman for the event, Phil McDonnel. Fewer people arrived than were expected which was a little disappointing, but given the press coverage of politicians, not that surprising. The event went reasonably well, although the audience did not contain many natural Conservatives.
Wednesday
I started the day by driving to Haverfordwest for a meeting with Grant Shapps, the Shadow Housing Minister, and some of the Housing team at Pembrokeshire County Council. We had a very interesting discussion with the team in the Council offices and it is very clear that there are anomalies in the system of provision of affordable housing that will be grappled with by an incoming Conservative Government.
I then drove Grant into Powys where we met the local PPC, Suzy Davies, and a ‘Lady J’ who is the leader of a residents’ association that has been active in trying to overcome the difficulties that life throws at them. The most depressing thing about the litany of complaints from local people is that there are elected politicians, local and national (Wales and UK) who appear not to have acted... leaving a remarkable lady to bully, cajole and charm the local authority into doing things to help her community. Her spirit reminded me of my mother... someone who acted when others merely talked.
Suzy then took Grant to the station for his trip home and I popped home to carry out some personal administration – ironing, washing... all the boring things that need to be done.
Finally, I popped over the hill, past Llanthony Abbey (pictured, right) and Capel-y-ffin, to Hay-on-Wye for a spot of canvassing with Suzy and the chairman of my local Conservative Association, Jonathan Reeves. Again, real anger at the expenses – somewhat ameliorated when Suzy and I explain that we get none! Finally returned home in time for the Ten O’Clock News ...
Thursday
Today, it was originally intended that I would meet up with Baroness Warsi in Cardiff and Swansea. Sadly, problems arose with her programme, so I shall have to wait to meet the noble Lady – I rather wanted to speak to her, as a few weeks ago, I was rather impressed by her performance on Question Time.
Instead, and by no means a lesser option, I accompanied Angela Jones-Evans, our PPC for Cardiff West, to visit Radyr. Radyr is a rather nice part of Cardiff that sits on a green hill and there we met one of our councilors, Roderick McKerlich. After that we went back into Cardiff and towards Llandaff where we had a very nice lunch with Dylan Jones-Evans and I discovered that Angela and Dylan knew an old friend of mine from the Army.
Finally, I returned home via a small function near Brecon where, yet again, MPs’ expenses were the main topic for discussion. Rather sadly, with debt (both national and individual) at an all time high, with the economy in the doldrums and the gunwales at risk of being overcome, no-one can talk about anything other than MPs’ expenses... Angry as I am at what has been going on, I really don’t think this is as pressing as the issues of the economy and I do hope that the next two weeks will not continue as the last one.
Friday
Back to Haverfordwest... where I joined a group of Welsh Conservative members of the Welsh Assembly (William Graham, Brynle Williams and Nick Ramsay) on a tour of the First Milk Creamery at Haverfordwest. We had a briefing and a tour and then a taste – and my wife will be surprised to hear that I very much enjoyed it all (as I don’t eat much cheese).
For midday, we (William Graham, Alun Cairns and I) visited the Bluestone Leisure facility near Narberth in Pembrokeshire. This is a very interesting holiday venue where there are rather nice lodges surrounding a ‘village’ and outdoor activities for all the family, all contained in the Pembrokeshire National Park.
Interestingly, while it was possible to find it, unlike many other tourist attractions and facilities in Pembrokeshire that have a ‘brown’ sign from the main road – we were told that this was something to do with the fact that the Welsh Assembly Government were aware that they wanted one, but weren’t acting very quickly on it!
After lunch we visited the National Botanic Garden in Carmarthenshire – it has become a very impressive attraction which is, despite the rain today, in a beautiful location and is very beautiful. The team explained their plans for the future and these were also very impressive and with a little luck will make it a very attractive place for people to visit and learn more about the environment that we live in.
Some final thoughts about the week
The problems people in Wales are facing, from the director of a company I met a couple of weeks ago, who told me that he was about to close his company as a result of the slowdown in manufacturing, to the individuals that I have met who have lost their jobs, to the people who have complained to me about the lack of certainty in their employment of funding streams, are both real and very serious indeed. That these stories are being eclipsed by the extraordinary claims of some of our MPs is extremely frustrating, especially to a candidate who has no expenses to claim. It is remarkable how many people do not realise that candidates are uncompensated for their time and expenses.
Understandable as it is for people to be frustrated and exceedingly angry about the antics of those MPs, when visiting people, businesses and places and when talking to people I have tried to concentrate on the serious problems that people in Wales are facing today.
I have explained what I want to achieve in the European Parliament if I am elected and what I believe the Conservatives in Wales will try to achieve for the people of Wales if and when we have the chance to do so.
Sadly, I suspect that the old favourite for European elections, the absent voter, will dominate. We shall see if the vote manages to pass 25% of the electorate, but after the last two weeks of press reports, I fear that it won’t. We shall see.