Cllr Glyn Preston Announced as General Election Candidate for Montgomeryshire & Glyndŵr
Beyond his role as a Powys County Councillor, Glyn 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 town after finishing his degree in Politics at the University of Birmingham.
The Liberal Democrats placed second behind the Conservatives at the last General Election and the seat has only ever been held by the Conservatives or Liberal Democrats throughout its entire history. The Liberal Democrats also won the last Powys County Council elections, pushing the Conservatives into third place and winning the popular vote across Montgomeryshire’s three largest towns (Newtown, Welshpool and Llanidloes).
Commenting on his selection Glyn 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.
“Montgomeryshire & Glyndŵr needs an MP that they can trust, one that will represent people, of all ages and backgrounds.
“The Liberal Democrats have always stood up for rural areas like ours, when Montgomeryshire used to have a Liberal Democrat voice in Parliament, you knew you could count on them to raise the important issues.
“Just over the border, we’ve seen how Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan has been a relentless champion for her residents on the poor situation at Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals and long ambulance waiting times, raising it constantly.
“Meanwhile the Conservatives in Montgomeryshire have been totally absent and are letting our residents down. We need a voice that will call for better access to healthcare, call for action to tackle sewage dumping and climate change and who will fight for jobs and help during the cost-of-living crisis.
“I also want to see more power put in the hands of local people. I believe in community - and that we can help communities do things for themselves. Decisions taken locally are usually better decisions.”
Responding to Glyn’s selection, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Mid & West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds said:
“We are delighted to have Glyn as our candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr for the upcoming General Election.
“Glyn is a passionate and committed campaigner from the local area and I am sure that he will no doubt make both myself and the party very proud.
“This seat is a straight fight between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. All we need now is for Rishi Sunak to finally give this country a voice in who they want running the country by calling for an immediate general election. Wales has had enough of the blues, now is the time for change.”
ENDS