Council Election Results 2012

COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION

Aberavon:- 3 seats

Deputy Mayor Jeff Dinham loses his seat.
(1) Dinham...................................................SDP.................550
(2) Golding....................................................LAB.................751 elected
(3) Jones.......................................................LAB.................740 elected
(4) Nicholls-Jones...........................................Plaid...............185
(5) Sullivan....................................................SDP.................556
(6) Taylor......................................................SDP.................702 elected
(7) Trahar......................................................LAB.................613




Baglan:- 3 seats

1) Clement..........................................Lab.................1038 elected
2) Coslett............................................Ind....................881
3) Greenaway......................................Lab...................906 elected
4) Lewis..............................................Ind....................861
5) Morgan..........................................Con...................186
6) Richards.........................................Lab.................1190 elected
7) Tallamy..........................................Ind....................862






Briton Ferry East:- 1 seat

UNCONTESTED




Briton Ferry West:- 1 seat

UNCONTESTED






Bryn and Cwmavon:- 3 seats

1) Lewis........................................................Lab...............1168 elected
2) Roblin.......................................................Ind..................631
3) Shepherd..................................................Ind..................358
4) Whitelock..................................................Lab.................987 elected
5) Williams....................................................Lab............... 1321 elected
6) Willimas....................................................Ind..................500






Coedffranc Central:- 2 Seats

1) Bebell............................................................Lab.............382 elected
2) Davies...........................................................Lab.............616 elected
3) Fellowes........................................................Plaid............125
4) Morris............................................................Plaid.............90
5) Richards.........................................................Ind.............297
6) Saunders........................................................ind.............206 




Coedffranc North:- 1 seat

Davies................................................Lib D.....................268
Harvey................................................Lab.......................451 elected 






Coedffranc West:- 1 seat

1) Bebell.................................................Lab.....................406 elected
2) Clarke.................................................Lib Dem..............317 




Cymmer:- 1 seat

UNCONTESTED






Glyncorrwg:- 1 seat

1) Milsom...............................................................Ind.......................201
2) Rawlings............................................................Lab.......................271 elected 

Gwinfi:- 1 seat

1) Jones...................................................................Ind.................153
20 Thomas...............................................................lab..................502 elected 






Margam: 1 Seat

Caroline Yvonne Jones ...............Con......................................110 
Robert Jones .............................Lab..................................... 402 Elected 
Mathew Thomas McCarthy ..........Lib. Dem................................61 
George Roy Ridgeway .................SDP ....................................129 
Scott John Sullivan .....................NPTInd.................................166




Port Talbot, 3 seats

Stephen Griffiths......................NPT Ind.................................479 
Ian Ben Jones.........................Lab....................................... 831 Elected 
Marge Jones.......................... NPT Ind ................................528 
Dennis Keog.......................... Lab........................................782 Elected 
Keith James Miller .................Cons ................................... 107
Saifur Rahaman ..................... Lab...................................... 707 Elected
Andrew James Tutton..............NPT Ind.................................592




Sandfields East:- 3 seats.

Captain Beany ...............................NPT Ind .......................669 
Collin Crowley.................................Lab.............................879 Elected 
Lella Helen James ...........................Ind 1...........................116 Elected 
Pat Jones ...................................... Lab.............................750 
Ted Latham.................................... Lab ..........................1041 Elected 
Len Willis .......................................Ind ............................622






Sandfields West:- 3 seats.

Audrey Chaves ..........................Lab ............................. 1173 Elected 
Oliver Stewart Davies..................NPT Ind..........................368 
James Stephen Evans .................Lab.............................. 1088 Elected 
Olga Jones .................................Ind.................................242 
Wayne Morris.............................SDP ................................219
Suzanne Paddison .......................Lab ..............................1078 Elected
Keith Suter .................................NPT Ind..........................377
Joan Targett ...............................NPT Ind..........................363

Tory comments on Remploy reinforce Plaid’s devolution calls

Time for Labour to stop the rhetoric and take action

Plaid Cymru has reiterated its call for the Welsh Government to take real action to protect the interests of Welsh Remploy workers by bringing it under Welsh control following callous comments made by the Tory Pensions Secretary. Comments by Iain Duncan Smith which suggest that Remploy factories do not offer ‘proper jobs’ have revealed once again that the UK Government fails to understand the importance of continued support for disabled and vulnerable workers.

The Welsh Government has been accused of hypocrisy by Plaid Cymru after a Labour Minister declared the decision ‘wrong’ on social and economic grounds. This is despite a similar move by the former Labour Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain to close Remploy factories in 2007, where the closure of 28 factories was approved.

Plaid Cymru has now called on the Welsh Government to actively seek the devolution of the budget so that it can be protected and to avoid the closure of Welsh Remploy factories.

Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on Equal Opportunities Lindsay Whittle said:

“Plaid Cymru has long called for the budget for Remploy to be devolved so that it can be protected, and that is what the Welsh Government should be seeking to do. Clearly the Tory Secretary for Pensions doesn’t understand the importance of Remploy. These are factories that employ thousands of disabled workers who will find it extremely difficult to find work anywhere else.

“Remploy workers are facing redundancy and all the Labour Government is doing is wagging its finger. This rhetoric has no impact on the workers who want to know that their government is actively looking to support and protect their livelihoods.

“It is high time Labour listened and took action. Thousands of workers are facing redundancy and any hope of future employment is slim. Talk is cheap; Labour now needs to act.”

Onwards and upwards

The Aberafan Constituency of Plaid Cymru had mixed fortunes in Skewen in the local Council Elections . Whilst Russell Gwilym Morris and Pauline Fellowes didn't manage to gain County Council seats , mainly due to Labour fighting an Election as if it was a General Election instead of a local campaign with local issues at the forefront . Pauline fellowes and Jennifer Davies did secure Community Council seats for Plaid Cymru in Skewen .
We wish them well in their role for the next 5 years and do Skewen proud as we sure they both will .

Pauline Fellowes Coedffranc Central Community Councillor

Jennifer Davies   Coedffranc North Community Councillor

Come the next Council Election in 5 years time , we hope to not only get more Community Councillors in Skewen but also get County aswell .

Leanne Wood: After the elections

Its been a diffucult election for Plaid. Despite holding up our vote and seats in a number of places, we've lost some long-serving, hard working community activists, some of whom have dedicated many years of service to the party, their community and their country.  I am personally sorry for each and every one of them, but also grateful for all that they have done for their communities and for the party.

Some results were very close.  On a night when there were massive swings back to Labour, especially in their traditional heartlands, where the cuts are being felt particularly acutely, Plaid Cymru took less of a hit that the other two parties as well as the independents.  The call to 'send a message to Cameron & Clegg', to turn the election into a referendum on the UK government's austerity measures was clearly attractive to people and that message was sent in a spectacular fashion.  People are fearful - the economic crisis has created great uncertainty and people voted for safety.

This election has highlighted those communities where there is deep strength to the support for Plaid Cymru. We must work now to further deepen and broaden that base of support.   And despite the difficult night, we also saw some new councillors make gains in parts of the country which aren't traditionally the strongest areas for us in places like Trebanos and Bangor town, we have new champions for Plaid, new beacons of progressive politics. 

We know from the findings of our internal review Moving Forward what we need to do to turn Plaid Cymru into a successful party capable of making inroads into new territory.  Plaid Cymru activists must now be ready to roll up their sleeves to carry out the hard work needed to re-build our internal party structures so that we are able to effectively communicate our messages to large numbers of people.  For strong communities in a strong Wales, we must have a strong Plaid Cymru.  The re-building work starts now.

A vote for Plaid Cymru - a vote for jobs

 

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood has called for people to vote for jobs on Thursday by voting Plaid Cymru.

Leanne said that Plaid Cymru councillors will act as local champions for their areas and Plaid run councils will be powerhouses for their local economies.  She said that the party is focussed on ways to raise finance and work with small businesses and social enterprises to promote schemes that can create jobs and apprenticeships.

Following these elections, Plaid Cymru plans to: 

• Create and save jobs by keeping more taxpayers’ money local. Using for example, our fantastic Remploy factories as well as other local firms to supply goods to the public sector.
• Fund apprenticeships for our young people.
• Provide practical support for small businesses and social enterprises - to help them to take on more staff as well as other measures - like help with marketing and the forming of consortia aimed helping them to apply for public contracts - action to help them grow and thrive.

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood AM said:

"When the economy is in so much difficulty, all levels of government must step up to the plate and do whatever can be done to create jobs and stimulate economic activity.  All levels of government have to take their share of responsibility for making things better.

"Plaid Cymru's focus is on what our local councils can do to help to create jobs.  Councils can play an important role - but they have to be led by people who have the determination, will and ambition to make such a plan happen.

“Plaid Cymru councillors have a proven track record of taking action to boost their local economies.  Plaid Cymru in Gwynedd launched the 'Gwynedd Loans Fund' which has protected or created more than 300 jobs in the county.  In Cardiff Plaid Cymru introduced the ‘Capital Cardiff’ public investment scheme which has helped to create more than 600 jobs in the city.  And 160 young people in Caerffili have so far benefitted from the apprenticeship scheme that Plaid Cymru introduced.  Schemes like these can be extended and expanded by Plaid Cymru run councils - our work begins next Friday.”

Labour led NPTC Neglecting Skewen

Skewen Plaid Cymru candidates for the local council Elections on May 3rd , Russell Gwilym Morris and Pauline Fellowes  feel angered that Skewen constantly gets forgotten about by the Labour led council . One example is the local park , where there seems to be no major effort to invest to make it into an attraction Skewen can be proud of .
Below are photos taken by Russell and Pauline whilst walking through the park yesterday .

As  you can see the Park is really showing its age and needs investment , something Labour don't seem in a rush to come up with .

£1bn boost to local economies

“Spend Councils’ money locally – and we’ll save jobs”

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood has outlined her party’s plans to spend more of councils’ money locally to safeguard jobs and provide a boost to local economies.

Wales’ councils spend billions of pounds worth of public money and Plaid is pledging action to ensure that more of that money remains in the local economies – which provide employment and support to town centres.

Currently around £4bn is spent by the public sector in Wales buying goods and services. Plaid Cymru has called for government action to ensure that a greater percentage of that money can be spent in Wales. Plaid’s target of 75% of the public sector spend in Wales would mean around £3bn pounds of tax-payers money staying in Wales.

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood AM said:

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and of the wider Welsh economy. Plaid Cymru wants to see our public sector supporting small businesses by allowing them to bid for contracts to provide goods and services.

“The more public money we can lock into our communities, the more jobs will be safeguarded and created, the more businesses will flourish, and the more prosperity we’ll have as communities and as a nation.

“As part of the previous Welsh government, Plaid Cymru increased the number of public sector contracts going to Welsh companies to 50%. More work can be done to increase this figure to 75% which would lead to a £1billion boost for our economy.

“Plaid Cymru wants to see the Welsh government working together with local authorities to make this happen. Plaid Cymru councils will introduce procurement models that are accessible to smaller businesses and contracts which will include social and environmental clauses to promote the sustainable development of our economy.”