Cllr Glyn Preston - Your Senedd Candidate for Gwynedd Maldwyn (Gwynedd & Montgomeryshire)

Llanidloes County Councillor Glyn Preston is standing to be one of Gwynedd Maldwyn's next Senedd Members.

The way Senedd elections has changed and Gwynedd Maldwyn will now elected 6 Senedd Members by a form of proportional representation. A party needs to reach around 12% of the vote to win a seat. 

Gwynedd Maldwyn is one of the Welsh Liberal Democrats' top target seats next year, with both being considered historic heartlands for the Party. The Welsh Liberal Democrats regained the seat of Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe at the parliamentary level last summer following the election of David Chadwick and also has the highest number of councillors across the county.

The party also senses opportunity in the complete collapse of their historic rival, the Conservatives across Wales and Powys, with no Conservative councillors left at all in the South of Powys.

Cllr Glyn Preston currently represents Llanidloes on Powys County Council.  He is also a board member of Theatr Hafren and of Llanidloes Futures Project, a local charity dedicated to increasing the uptake of Solar PV. He also serves as a governor of Llanidloes High School.

Glyn grew up in Llandinam, attended the Welsh language stream of Ysgol Uwchradd Llanidloes and settled back in the Montgomeryshire after finishing his degree at the University of Birmingham. 

Glyn is keen to build on the hard work of local Liberal Democrats who took control of Powys Council, pushing the Conservatives into third place and winning the popular vote in Montgomeryshire's three largest towns (Newtown, Welshpool and Llanidloes). 

Glyn's priorities include: 

• Tackling the healthcare emergency, including poor levels of service at Shrewsbury & Telford hospitals, as well as extortionate ambulance waiting times.
• Stopping sewage dumping in the River Severn and protecting the area's world-class natural environment.
• Fighting for better economic investment and job opportunities in rural Wales.
• Making sure local farmers aren't sold down the river in the name of cheap trade deals. 

Commenting on his selection Cllr Glyn Preston said:

“I love where I live. It’s my home. I left for university and came back because it’s such a wonderful place to live, but far too few young people have returned. They love it here, but they don’t see the opportunities for the future. Jobs are the major barrier.

“I’d like to stop that ‘brain drain’, and make sure that more young, skilled people and their families feel able to stay in here.

“Gwynedd Maldwyn needs a local Senedd Member that they can trust, one that will represent people, of all ages and backgrounds.

“Montgomeryshire is an area with a strong liberal history and even today people remember the great representation provided by former Liberal MPs like Alex Carlile and Emlyn Hooson. I'd also like to contribute to giving Gwynedd, the former seat of David Lloyd George, a liberal voice again.

“If I’m elected, I promise to be a strong voice for this area in Cardiff Bay, ensuring that rural Wales cannot be forgotten by the Welsh Government.”

ENDS