Wednesday 27 June 2018

Tory Time in Saron

Update 28 June

Last night saw another meeting of Llandybie Community Council, normally an event which resembles the Carlsberg Complaints Department in those ads of old. Having had the dubious pleasure of Rob James's company for the recent AGM, it was Aled Crow's turn this time. Like most community council meetings, watching paint dry is normally more exciting, and councillors have been left scratching their heads at their sudden popularity. Perhaps the LibDems will turn up for the next bash.

Unlike Rob, Aled can at least claim a family connection with Llandybie council because his uncle, Meirion Bowen, was a member representing the BNP a few years back.

While all this was going on Rob James was out canvassing, with one lady voter of mature years telling him to stuff his leaflet where the sun doesn't shine.

That'll be a "don't know" then.

_____________________

Back in 2002 Theresa May famously told the Conservative Party Conference that some people thought that the Tories were the "nasty party", to the stunned disbelief of her audience whose understanding of the world is limited to whatever the Daily Mail or Daily Torygraph have to say.

At the time many observers made the mistake of thinking that this was Theresa criticising her party and that what she really wanted was a softer, cuddlier and altogether kinder political movement, but her long stint as Home Secretary and more recently as a strong and stable prime minister make the Tory party of old look almost pleasant.

Fortunately so far Carmarthenshire has remained steadfastly resistant to the Tory message, although almost 11,000 fans of the not so strong and stable Theresa voted for Havard Hughes in last year's general election in Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, their excuse presumably being that they were just following the orders of the Daily Mail and were blissfully unaware of just how inept and dire Central Office's choice of candidate was. Voters who had the misfortune of seeing Havard in action in the hustings and in what was surely one of the most cringeworthy broadcasts ever aired on S4C (and that's saying something), still bear the psychological scars.

With hindsight, the reason why Havard Hughes won so many votes probably had a lot to do with his strategy of staying as far away from the punters as possible, and the same went for his party leader.

Fast forward to the sizzling summer of 2018, and it's all change. The Tories have managed to find a local candidate to stand in the forthcoming Saron by-election for Carmarthenshire County Council, and they have been out in force trying to drum up support.

Like everywhere else, the Amman Valley has moved on, but Tories remain a rare breed in the area. Finding enough people to nominate a Conservative candidate could be tricky, so it was fortunate that  the Tories were able to track down five people willing to sign the nomination papers for that nice young man in a blue suit in the local Young Conservatives Club, otherwise known as the Ael y Bryn care home.

Step forward young Aled Crow who clearly has ambitions which stretch way, way beyond Saron. If his Facebook page is to be believed, Aled used to like nothing better than an evening out on the Felinfoel down at the Welfare Hall.


But as we all know, horizons and waistbands tend to expand over time, and Aled is now rubbing shoulders with some very interesting people - the sort of people most of us would run a mile to avoid.

Here's our boy with the fragrant Alun Cairns who has just killed off the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project which would have given a massive boost to the local economy, while putting the finishing touches to a gala event to rename the second Severn crossing in honour of HRH, in accordance with the wishes of a very silent majority.

Thanks to Cairns, rather more people will now think of the bridge as "Pont y G*nt".



Scroll down Aled's Facebook page, and you will be treated to many more pictures of Aled posing with popular figures, including Michael Gove, Carmarthenshire's very own Mark James and the reptilian Gavin Williamson, Theresa May's new Defence Secretary who appears to be as deeply loathed within the Conservative Party as he is outside it.



Somewhat incongruously rubbing digital shoulders with Gavin Williamson is a smiling Mr Igor Shchegolev, an Aide (note the capital 'A') to President Putin, and Vlad's former Minister of Communications and Mass Media.

How times have moved on from the days when would-be councillors would sell their grandmothers to get a mugshot in the South Wales Guardian. 







6 comments:

Anonymous said...

A man who wanted to buy an Ass went to market, and, coming across
a likely-looking beast, arranged with the owner that he should be
allowed to take him home on trial to see what he was like. When he
reached home, he put him into his stable along with the other asses.
The newcomer took a look round, and immediately went and chose a place
next to the laziest and greediest beast in the stable. When the master
saw this he put a halter on him at once, and led him off and handed
him over to his owner again. The latter was a good deal surprised to
seem him back so soon, and said, "Why, do you mean to say you have
tested him already?" "I don't want to put him through any more tests,"
replied the other. "I could see what sort of beast he is from the
companion he chose for himself."

Anonymous said...

So we have a Welsh speaking Tory {a rare animal} just out from University with no experience of local community affairs , no great knowledge of the area . Obviously ambitious to get elected in Tory UK or into AM via a Regional Ballot standing against the widow of the late seat holder, someone who knows her area , is on the local community council . Where to these party hacks dream up these people . Labour under the dynamic Rob James have found another no hoper failed in Iscennen Ward Of Ammanford Town where else will Rob James try him out . LIB DEMS closet Tories what is the history on this person Cneifwr

Anonymous said...

As there are no elections now across the area until 2021 all sorts of hopefuls have only the community Council by-elections to show their mettle. In Pembrey and Burry Port the Liberal Democrats are in full campaigning mode after a by-election was announced for July 12th. Nominations have closed and the Libdem fightback has started and residents of Pembrey have had 2 orange leaflets already, although nothing mentioned specific to the area .

The big story is CCC's long standing cuts to pest control which kicked in some years ago. A moving story of a Mrs Childs in Llandybie is used to show how the Libdems persuaded CCC to poison her rats. They are rolling this service out county wide, or as the unfocused advice quoted below suggests, possibly not.

"If you are having trouble please contact us or refer to the British Pest Control Association for accredited pest control providers at https:bcpa.org,uk or you contact Carmarthenshire County Council on 01267 234567". ??

They then give credit to Kirsty Williams for the small increase in the pupil development grant and mention possible evil Russian Interference in the Referendum.

The leaflet is printed and promoted by Hilton Marlton, on behalf of candidate Chris Passmore and Carmarthen Liberal Deomcrats, "all at Pant y Ffynon. Llanfynydd", strange because Chris gives his address as Sandy Road , LLanelli. Another 4 horse race but will it be an orange comeback? AS they say in the leaflets "Proudly the International Party of Wales"

Anonymous said...

Hilton Marlton - professional election agent , South African , author , also disdainful of the locals

Anonymous said...

To enlighten a few of your readers. Chris Passmore was born in Pembrey.
Caryl lives 6 or 7 doors outside Saron ward in Penygroes and was active on the Penygroes Ward forum for many years working alongside a number of the current Plaid Counsellors and she is defiantly not a closet Tory.
Hilton Marlton is the appointed election agent for the local LibDem candidates just like Dia Thomas (the Plaid County counsellor for Penygroes who lives in Llanfihangle Aberbythych electoral Ward) is the Agent for Karen
As for showing voters how Rats and Flies infestations in llanelli are a problem of cuts in county council budgets, it shows how both Labour who got rid of the pest department and Plaid who haven't reinstated it are failing both their constituents and statutory obligations in county hall in this area.

Anonymous said...

This Crow turned up at the meeting last Friday at Ysgol y Bedol, Garnant, a meeting to protest the possible loss of beds/closure of Ysbyty Glanaman.
He insisted on putting in his twopennorth, letting everyone know that he was the Tory candidate in the Saron by-election, and that 'only about 30% of the people he had spoken to knew anything about the Health Board's current consultation'.
He can't have spoken to many ....