Plaid Cymru members in Islwyn have condemned the proposed boundary shake-up which will see the scrapping of Islwyn as an historic Parliamentary constituency.
At the monthly meeting of the Plaid Cymru’s Islwyn Constituency, members said the Westminster government’s plans to cut the number of constituencies from 40 to 30 would lead to Islwyn being carved up into small chunks and thrown to the dogs.
Councillor Carol Erasmus, Secretary of Islwyn Plaid Cymru Group, said: “To incorporate half of Islwyn into the proposed Newport West and Sirhowy Valley constituency just goes to show how far removed this London Government is from reality.
“In fact, part of the new constituency will not just cover Newport West and the Sirhowy Valley but also parts of the Ebbw and Rhymney Valleys as far north as Bargoed and as far west as Nelson.”
Chairman of the Islwyn group and Leader of Caerphilly Council, Councillor Allan Pritchard was even more scathing about the Westminster Government, declaring: “Once again these London based parties are riding roughshod over the valleys of South Wales.
“Their ruthless proposals will cut the heart out of the Islwyn Westminster constituency by incorporating the present wards of Newbridge, Crumlin, Penmaen, Blackwood, Cefn Fforest and Argoed into the Blaenau Gwent Parliamentary constituency. Thereby, erasing the proud name of Islwyn from the political map of Wales forever”.
“Plaid Cymru in Islwyn has vowed to fight these ill-thought changes and will oppose the re-drawing of the constituency boundaries that will consign Islwyn to the trash can.”
