Political heavyweights hit island campaign trail
TWO of Wales’ political heavyweights crossed the Menai Strait on Monday morning as campaigning hots up in north Wales’ most marginal seat.
With just 229 votes seperating Labour and Plaid Cymru on Ynys Môn two years ago, both Carwyn Jones and Leanne Wood hit the streets to try and gain support during the last week of General Election campaigning.
The First Minister, who arrived in the village of Llanfechell before moving on to the former copper mining town of Amlwch, was adamant that a vote for Labour was the only way to stop the Tories.
Backing the party’s candidate Albert Owen, who ‘s held onto the Parliamentary seat since 2001, Mr Jones said: “Albert is a true son of the island and has fought hard for Ynys Môn in Westminster.
“Wylfa Newydd is being supported not only by Albert, but by Labour across the UK. You won’t get that with Plaid Cymru. We’re also pressing very hard to see the electrification of the main line to Holyhead, and we need as many Welsh Labour MP’s as we can across the north, to press the case for that.”
When asked why vote for Labour instead of another progressive party, in the form of Plaid, Mr Owen responded: “Its going to be close here, Ynys Mon always has been a three way marginal.
“But Labour is the progressive party, we’re not whinging about the United Kingdom, we want to be part of the United Kingdom.”
Less than an hour later, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood arrived in Newborough where she popped in to the village’s Wiwer Goch cafe as party campaigners delivered leaflets.
The party’s candidate, a former deputy First Minister and Plaid Cymru leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones, was adamant that Labour remains too divided to adequately represent the island’s needs.
Stressing his backing for Wylfa Newydd, he said: “My fear would be that if Labour won here, they would spend the next few years arguing amongst themselves, as they have done recently.
“They’re going to be distracted from giving Anglesey a strong voice.
“I will be pushing to make sure we get the money that’s owed to us after leaving the European Union.
“To support the agricultural sector and new enterprises, what we must have is tariff free access to European markets.”
Mrs Wood, meanwhile, said; “Unless we get a strong team of Plaid MP’s, Wales will continue to be ignored.
“Wales has elected Labour MP’s for over a century but if we keep doing what we’ve always done, we’ll keep getting the same results.
“If Wylfa Newydd happens, we need to ensure that the jobs are able to be filled by local people.
“So its essential that the local colleges are able to provide the skills that are needed, which is what Plaid representatives here on the island have been fighting for.”
This week, however, Conservative candidate Tomos Dafydd Davies has accused both Labour and Plaid of trying to “scupper” the Brexit process.
Mr Davies, who will also fancy his chances on the island come June 8, said: “The Prime Minister needs every vote from every part of the country to give her the best hand at those negotiations just 11 days after we vote.
“Every vote for any other party – including Labour or Plaid Cymru – is a vote to send Jeremy Corbyn into the negotiating chamber on our behalf.”
The other candidates standing on Anglesey are Sarah Jackson (Liberal Democrat) and James Turner (UKIP).