Sunday 8 April 2012

Election Tour. Are we nearly there yet? Yes!

Some interesting snippets have been coming in along the way. If you have any (non-libellous) news from the frontline, good or bad, please send them in as comments or e-mail to: trydar@hotmail.co.uk

Outside the fleshpots of Llanelli and Ammanford, life in some parts of Carmarthenshire seems to move at a different pace. What's the time in St Clears? About 1906 would seem to be the answer if Selwyn Runnett, Lib Dem candidate, is anything to go by. For those not old enough to remember (there are a few Independent councillors who might), 1906 was the year the Liberals swept to power with a landslide.

Selwyn even has his own website. For those of you who think that Peter Black is wonderful, Selwyn is your man.

Sorry, Selwyn!

Also standing are the current Independent councillor, Philip Hughes (a butcher and Freemason, according to his declaration of interests), and a second Independent called Edmund Davies. Edmund lives at Gothic Villa. Knock on that door, if you dare.

Back in St. Ishmael, Independent councillor Mair Stephens will have her work cut out fending off a challenge from Delme Bowen who is a professor of cell biology AND Lord Mayor of Cardiff. He is in the process of moving to Ferryside where his great-grandmother was a cockle woman.

Meanwhile, over in Swiss Valley, the youngest of the current batch of Independent councillors, Giles Morgan, is uniquely still some way off his 70th birthday. Giles runs a computer company, a concept many of his colleagues on the Independent benches may have trouble getting to grips with.

Also standing are Ifan Rhydwyn for Plaid and Bill Thomas for Labour.

Next stop Trelech. For anyone unfamiliar with the area, Trelech is a small village in the middle of a vast rural area criss-crossed by a labyrinthine network of mainly single-track roads. There are almost no signposts, and the few that there are have almost certainly been turn round by Young Farmers. Forget GPS; this is the Trelech Triangle. It is said that there are still English tourists  in Austin Cambridges and Morris Oxfords who have been trying to find their way out since the 1960s.

Trelech has been represented since anyone can remember by Dai Thomas who seems determined to be the first serving councillor to get a telegram from Buckingham Palace on his birthday. Hoping to knock him off his perch are Mrs Lindsay Runnett (see St. Clears) and Anthony Thomas for Plaid. Anthony is currently also president of Hoelion Wyth, which I once saw translated as "Big Knobs".

Moving swiftly on, we now approach Trimsaran, the abode of Queen Meryl herself. Before we enter the village, I'm afraid all riff-raff and rabble will have to get off the bus, and everyone else should wipe their feet. People First, Labour, the Tories and Plaid are all hoping to unseat her, and Plaid has been especially clever by selecting a candidate called Mark James. Labour's candidate, Ryan Thomas, is taking time off his GCSE revision to campaign.

All of this contesting of elections business is, of course, an utter disgrace and shows a distinct lack of gratitude to our distinguished leader.

Next up we have another confusing contest in Tycroes, where Calum Higgins (Labour) is standing against Rhian Higgins (Plaid). They are not married. Calum sometimes goes on lads nights out with his good mate Shahid Hussain (see Glanaman).

On now to Tyisha, a two member ward. Defending their seats are Roger Price for Plaid and Keri Thomas for Labour. Keri has been on long-term sickness absence since April 2011. Also standing are Jeff Owen for Plaid, David Griffiths for Labour and Anthony Aubrey for the Tories.

And finally! Our last stop is Whitland where a crowded field of runners is aiming to put an end to the reign of Queen Susan Allen (Independent). Here is our fourth LibDem, Huw Llywelyn Jones, while for Plaid we have Diane Evans. Labour's canary is Dr Steve Morris, about whom nothing is known.




16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mae'n drueni mawr nagych chi di neud Rhydaman cystadleuaeth diddorol diddorol iawn fyna eleni.

towy71 said...

Well done for all your hard work on the council lists, much more interesting than the CCC offering ;-)

Cneifiwr said...

Sh'mae Cymro i'r Carn - croeso i chi gyfrannu post am Rydaman os dych chi eisiau (trwy e-bost).

Anonymous said...

Love the updating on candidates, but

what is going on in LLanfihangel??

Dyfrig Thomas said...

You obviously havnt seen Plaid's newsletters and literature. Press is outside our control

Cneifiwr said...

Thanks Dyfrig - for anyone wanting to know what's happening in their ward, Plaid has a good website here:

http://www.carmarthenshire.plaidcymru.org/

There are some gaps in the information - some wards missing, and some wards blank, but for the most part you can see each of the candidates presenting themselves in their own words.

Cneifiwr said...

And in the interests of balance, here's the Labour website (also with gaps):

http://www.llafursirgar.org.uk/

You can find People First at:

http://www.peoplefirstwales.org.uk/

If the Conservatives or LibDems have wesbites for Carmarthenshire, I have yet to find them.

Obviously, the Independents don't, because officially they don't exist as a group - at least not unti, after the election.

Huw Gilasbey said...

Cneifiwr thank you for an entertaining update on the forthcoming elections, certainly more fun than the real ones, your quite right in how dare anyone challenge "our esteemed leader" in Trimsaran.
As it will be alphabetical order it will be Meryl Gravell, followed by Mark James, then Ryan Thomas Labour and Dennis Willock People First, I do hope when people are voting in Trim, they don't associated Meryl and Mark together and vote for the others.. Perish the thought!

Christine Gwyther said...

Hmm, sunny St Clears will be interesting. Phil and Selwyn, ignore Edmund Davies at your peril. This man has chutzpah in bucketfuls. Enjoy the camoaign, Ed.

Anonymous said...

full blooded warfare in llandybie ward two genuine independents standing against high petrol costs high prices officer led carmarthenshire council, the village treated as if it does not exist and two sitting councillors allowing weekly cloud dusts with glass shards in it to be deposited in the shopping area. who are these white knights standing to kick politics the famous millman nigel humphreys and local government legend cliff johnson

Anonymous said...

Very interesting comments on St Clears i think you should know that St Clears has three Freemasons Standing, two from the same lodge, but i notice that only one has disclosed his hand, interesting to see which brother will be elected.

Emlyn Uwch Cych said...

Anon 9 April 08:29 -

Which Llanfihangel?

Llanfihangel Aberbythych will be a shoe in for the new Plaid candidate, the personable language planner and educationalist, Cefin Campbell. The out-and-proud Conservative Tony Jukes is standing again, whereas the new kid on the block is Ken Griffiths, Independent.

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth will see a landslide victory for incumbent Plaid councillor Linda Evans. Her only competition is Tory Douglas Mearns Spragg.

Emlyn Uwch Cych said...

Any thoughts about Llanboidy? Plaid's popular and capable Roy Llewellyn was unopposed last time, but faces Independent Mark Davies now.

Llanegwad should be a nail-biting contest. In the by election 10 months ago, Plaid's Mansel Charles pipped the Independent Clive Pugh 494 votes to 455 on a 49% turnout. Who knows what will happen this year?

Emlyn Uwch Cych said...

Does anyone have any bright ideas about Betws, Cynwyl Gaeo, Llangadog, Llangeler, Llannon, Manordeilo & Salem, Penygroes (the BNP isn't standing this year; 193 last time) or Pontyberem? Several of these could be interesting contests.

Anonymous said...

i am trying to understand the comment about independents by cneifwr, as i understand it the controlling group are labour and independent labour
in llandybie ward whitety davies is independent labout thats why geniune labour have only stood one candidate anthoney jones, they have an agreement not to challenge each other beacause both so called groups are supporting paying the chief executives legal fees but not telling the electorate that this is their policy.
however the two genuine independents humpreys and johnson have told the electorate for them in their leaflet. and we understand
that the genuine independents refuse to join any independent group as they are vehermently against the indepent labour group and whitety for being dishonest and not standing as independent labour and being proud of the fact they [whitety and co] are happy to use council tax payers money to pay the chief executives private legal costs

Cneifiwr said...

Thanks Anon - this is the first I have heard about the existence of "Independent Labour". The official Independents in Carmarthenshire have a distinctly blue tinge about them, and for the most part would be considered Tories.