News. . . .
November 5th, 2010
Plaid take Cenarth Ward in By-election
Carmarthenshire remains a Conservative free zone as Plaid take Cenarth Ward with ease
Hazel Evans
Despite an energetic campaign by Tory candidate Henrietta Hensher, Plaid’s Hazel Evans took the Cenarth Ward comfortably in the by-election which followed the death of Cllr Haydn Jones.
The result was Hazel Evans 636 votes to Henrietta Hensher’s 141 on a turnout of 47 per cent.
The Conservatives could be forgiven for thinking they had a chance in this north west corner of Carmarthenshire given that no Independent was standing. After all, in 2004, three Independents polled 368, 350 and 155 with Labour coming a dismal 4th with 68. In 2008 the Independent sitting councillor polled 653 with Plaid on just 190.
So this straight Plaid – Conservative contest was new territory for both parties locally. Theoretically at least, either could have prevailed if they could win over Independent voters.
Realistically however, the Conservatives best hope was a very low poll and to get their core vote out, thereby sneaking a victory with the help of Tory wing of the Independent electorate. The result would have been ground breaking for the Conservatives, turning a solitary ward in Carmarthenshire blue.
What the Tories failed to appreciate in rural west Wales was that people who vote Independent in County Council Elections are generally voting for candidates they know or who have grown up in the area. If there is no Independent candidate they will vote for someone else they know, with party banner a secondary consideration. Henrietta Hensher was simply unknown in Newcastle Emlyn town, home to half of the electorate. Hazel Evans on the other hand has deep local roots in both Capel Iwan and Newcastle Emlyn plus years of sitting on the Newcastle Emlyn Town Council.
The Tories to their credit took the election very seriously employing multiple traverses of the ward with a loudspeaker van the day before the election. They even carried out telephone polling. Such strategies may be sensible in a closer contest, but when you only have a fraction the core voters of your opponent, you are merely reminding the other side of the need to vote against you! This might explain why the turnout was reasonable at 47 per cent, and the result so one-sided.
Hats off to Henrietta Hensher for making a contest of this by-election. Thanks also to Henrietta’s campaign manager, who provided me with much emailed amusement and an object lesson in how not to conduct public relations. In answer to a question posted on this website
“Where do the candidates stand on the controversial Cawdor supermarket planning application?”
he replied by email:
“This question is fantasy based. Has a planning application been made for a supermarket in Newcastle Emlyn? No planning application is lodged on CCC website.”
Oops!
Finally, well done Hazel Evans, who I hope will be back on campaign trail for Plaid in 18 moths for the 2012 elections.
Jeremy Clulow
As Henrietta’s campaign manager I must correct you. No Planning Application has been made for a supermarket in NCE however, there is a Planning Application for a convenience store on the Cawdor site. Fact. Do not attempt to spoil Hazel’s excellent win Jeremy by the use of cheap and inaccurate jibes.
Tony Jukes
Tony, You are missing the point yet again! Anyone who had a scintilla of local knowledge would have known that the biggest single issue in Newcastle Emlyn for the last 18 months has been the Cawdor Supermarket planning application. It is a local joke that a proposed store two and a half times the size of CK’s had been laughably described by the applicant as a “convenience store”. Sorry, but for a campaign manager not to have known that they are one and the same I think is very poor.
Jeremy, you make a fool of yourself yet again. You must deal with facts and avoid gossip and fabrications. Politics is about presenting facts to the electorate and not about pulling the wool over their eyes. We were quite aware of the “debate” about the proposed development. You make totally misleading assumptions in order to promote your highly biased view on issues and events. You are a declared Plaid Cymru supporter/activist and it does you no credit to manage your website on the basis that it is a neutral forum. Try an injection of honesty. I suggest you cut the fabricated comments and confine yourself to the facts.
I should also point out that public objections which are outside planning law and protocols only muddy the waters. I suggest you aquaint yourself and your supporters with the appropriate objections which may carry an agrument forward to the Planning Committee. Should you struggle in this area the Welsh Conservative Party can always be of assistance.
Tony Jukes
so how active is hazel going to be in stamping out corruption in our local government, to prevent the closure of our schools, to see the removal of support for dead beat rugby clubs and over priced council officials with all the cut backs we are facing? and don’t blame the necessary actions of central government and the current economic climate for continued bad behaviour of our local government and mis appropriation of local funds.
quite frankly who gives a flying f*** about one single store when the prosperity of the whole county is at stake. it simply shows how small minded some of you people really are!
Oh dear, here we go again. As Jeremy points out, the Cawdor application does say that it is for a convenience store, but it goes on to say that the proposed store would be operated by one of the big 5 (Tesco, etc.), and it would have a projected turnover of £12 million and account for £1 in every £2 spent in the area on food, etc.
Very detailed objections have been sent in, including a very well researched dossier.
Although not myself a member of Plaid, I have to say that the support we (local residents objecting to the scheme) have received from both Adam Price and Jonathan Edwards has been fantastic, and the Plaid group on the county council has time and again questioned the scheme. Plaid Cymru has therefore lived up to its claim to be a truly grass roots party.
The Conservatives may be a grass roots party in the south of England, but realistically they are no more likely to prosper in Wales than we are to see herds of zebra grazing the hills of Carmarthenshire.