Something we must all work for

My vision for Cardiff West is rooted in my political beliefs about the creation of a society in which prosperity is created and shared, in which opportunity is fairly distributed and where poverty is an enemy to be abolished. Labour’s ambition for Cardiff and for Wales remains the development of a more equal society, in which everyone is able to make the most of their talents and abilities and to make a contribution to the wider life of the community in which we live. I think any voter in an election deserves to know about the political beliefs and principles which any candidate possesses. Elsewhere on this website, I set out a one page summary of the top ten beliefs and values which I believe should underpin the practical business of policy-making at the Assembly over the next four years.

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At its simplest, for me the future of Cardiff West depends on combining economic and social justice. We need an economic strategy which puts investment at the heart of our recovery. It’s just not possible to cut our way out of a recession – as the ConDem government in Westminster is finding.

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Many of our schools need basic investment in buildings and equipment. I have been a governor of schools in Riverside, Fairwater, Canton and Radyr, and was the first ever chair of governors at Ysgol Treganna. All our three children attended local schools, at Severn Road and Fitzalan. I know just how important it is for all of our young people to get an education which will help them make the most of their chances in live.

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In ten years working as the Cabinet’s health and social policy adviser at the Assembly Government, I was privileged to work with Ministers who were dedicated to the NHS in Wales. The next four years will be a real test. In England, the Conservative-led coalition have embarked on a huge and highly risky experiment which threatens the whole fabric of the health service. Here in Wales we must do things differently. We will not be selling off the NHS to the highest bidder. We will not be handing over our health services to American conglomerates which know the cost of everything, and the value of nothing. We need to press ahead with the Assembly Government’s plans to move more services into GP surgeries – so that tests and treatments which only happen in hospital today will happen closer to home in future. We need to ensure that health and social care services work more closely together for older people, in particular. There is a huge agenda here, and it will all matter to Cardiff West and those who live here.

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Living in the heart of inner-city Cardiff, I know, too, the day-to-day environmental concerns which make such a difference to the quality of life of Cardiff West residents. Car parking, traffic, over-intensive housing development and the protection of local shopping areas and ever-threatened green spaces are issues which really matter to the quality of life in this densely populated part of Wales. Dealing with the small and everyday issues is one of the best ways of making sure that a wider vision for Cardiff West, and those who live here, can be realised.