Welsh Conservatives have selected candidates in Labour’s three most vulnerable and high profile South Wales seats. A swing of less than 3% from Labour to the Welsh Conservatives would see all three seats change hands in addition to three North Wales seats. In May’s General Election Welsh Conservatives had a national swing of 5% from Labour.
Welsh Conservatives have selected candidates in Newport West, Gower and the Vale of Glamorgan, all seats where the party narrowly missed out in 2007. The selections were carried out under new procedures, some including open primaries, involving more ordinary votes in choosing their candidate than ever before.
Dr Angela Jones-Evans will be standing where Labour is most exposed, in the Vale of Glamorgan, where the sitting AM held on last time by 83 votes, giving Angela the best opportunity of any female Conservative candidate of being elected to the Assembly.
Anthony Ridge-Newman has been selected for Gower, where the Welsh Conservatives have to overturn a majority of only 1,192 votes, despite Labour having held the seat at every election since the Second World War.
Cllr David Williams will stand in Newport West, a seat which will fall to the Welsh Conservatives with a swing of less than 3%.
Commenting on the selections, Nick Bourne, Leader of the Official Opposition in the National Assembly said, “Labour’s 2007 performance was arguably the worst in the Party’s history. The thought of losing another tranche of vulnerable seats, including seats such as Gower which Labour has never lost, will send shockwaves through the Party.
“A swing of less than 3% would see six seats across Wales change hands from Labour to the Welsh Conservatives, taking the Labour Party down to an historic low of less than half of Wales’ 40 constituencies and give them little reprieve on the regional lists.
“This year we have made changes to many of our selection procedures in a bid to broaden the appeal and support of our Assembly candidates. In the seats selected so far we have a diverse range of candidates, with considerable political, community and business experience.
“I am certain that these candidates will have the experience and community spirit to engage actively and positively with their local communities and give confidence that they can be more effective elected representatives than their rival incumbents.
“I look forward to working with them and my team in the Assembly to ensure that we have a positive and ambitious set of proposals to offer the people of Wales in the months and years ahead.”
