Plaid’s Election Success on Ynys Môn

With the significant increase in the size of Plaid’s Anglesey group it was a good set of elections on the island. Plaid is now the largest group with the Independents split into 4 different groups. Both the Tories and Labour lost ground, the Conservatives losing their last two council seats.

Plaid made a clean sweep in the Canol ward seizing all three seats including that of the group leader Bob Parry. With 32% of the vote Plaid easily surpassed that of Labour’s 17%, UKIP’s 7% and the Troy 6%. A big mistake is to lump the entire independent vote together.

Another characteristic is that most wards had split representation with differing groups gaining a councillor. There appeared to be little block voting.

One lesson that is all too often forgotten is that elections are won by a tiny difference in some cases. In the Bro Rhosyr Plaid’s Richard Parry received 552 votes only 11 short of success. Seiriol ward was another close contest with Labour receiving 895 votes topping Plaid’s Eurfryn Griffith Davies by 25 votes. It will be interesting to have an analysis of the Postal Vote returns.

Newly-elected Councillor Bob Parry said:

“The interests of the people of Ynys Môn must be placed before all else. There is a lot of trust to be re-built between the local authority and the people of Ynys Môn and I know our excellent team on the island have the integrity, determination and work ethic to achieve this.

“At the beginning of this election campaign we urged voters to make ‘Anglesey/Môn proud again’ and that is what our councillors at the local authority will be focusing on over the next few years.”

Island AM Ieuan Wyn Jones said "I think the power of the independents has been broken despite the fact that there are still a lot of them. We have really seen a sea change in this election". He believes that the newly elected councillors will be determined to ensure that the council services are of the highest quality. He pledged that Plaid would accept responsibility to deliver.

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has hailed her party’s excellent result in the Ynys Môn.

Leanne Wood said the results were not only testament to the hard work of local candidates and members but also reflected the desire of local people to consign the local authority’s chequered history to the past.

see for detail : http://www.anglesey.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/councillors-democracy-and-elections/elections-and-voting/local-election-results-may-2013-isle-of-anglesey-county-council/

	Seats	%
Party name
Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales	12	32%
Annibynol	9	20%
Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru	3	17%
Independent	2	5%
Welsh Liberal Democrats / Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru	1	5%
Independent / Annibynnol	1	3%
Annibynnol	1	2%
Annibynol	1	1%
UK Independence Party / Plaid Annibyniaeth y DU	0	7%
Welsh Conservative Party/ Plaid Geidwadol Cymru	0	6%
Turnout:		51%

Seiriol Ward Candidates - Carwyn Jones, Lewis Davies get a good response in Biwmares/ Seiriol Ward Candidates

YNYS MON LEANNE

Local Government Structure

With the debate on local government intensifying, this item may be of interest :

http://www.bevanfoundation.org/blog/defending-local-government/

Latest Bulletin From Simon Thomas

Simon Thomas questions appointment of Paul Murphy

"I find the appointment of Paul Murphy MP as an Oxbridge Ambassador to be a surprising initiative by the Welsh government. I would have thought the priority for the Welsh Education Minister and Mr Murphy as the MP for Torfaen should be to support and improve Welsh universities so their reputations grow internationally.

Bwletin_Addysg_20_Mai_2013.pdf