Tag Archives: Rhun ap Iorwerth

Thank you very much

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An opportunity at last to sit down and reflect on the election and the result in Ynys Môn. It was a pleasure to work alongside a brilliant Plaid Cymru team on Anglesey and to have thousands of conversations with wonderful people across the island.

I couldn’t have dreamed that the 2013 by-election result could be exceeded, but that’s what happened, with Plaid Cymru’s majority in Ynys Môn now the largest for any party in Wales.

Thanks to everyone who played a part – no matter how large or small – in the campaign, but above all thank you to everyone on Anglesey who once more placed your trust in me and Plaid Cymru to represent you in the National Assembly. I will do my best to repay that trust.
THANK YOU!

No limits – Plaid’s ambition for country offers Wales-wide appeal: Rhun ap Iorwerth

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Plaid Cymru Shadow Economy Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth, will today urge people throughout the nation to unite behind the party’s vision for a well, well-educated and wealthier Wales to end 17 years of Labour-led decline.

Speaking ahead of his speech to the Party of Wales Spring Conference in Llanelli, Rhun ap Iorwerth said that the party’s programme for government was the most innovative in its history, and that Plaid Cymru’s ambition for Wales offered ‘Wales-wide appeal.’

He added that, regardless of people’s background, circumstances, or previous loyalties, the whole nation could unite behind Plaid Cymru’s programme to reverse the fortunes of strained public services and create a strong and resilient Welsh economy.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Economy Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

“We know what kind of Wales we want to see. A Wales where individuals and communities are respected, where diversity is celebrated, and where everyone can get support to realise their hopes and aspirations, for themselves and their families.

“Our goals for the economy are clear – to support small businesses to grow by cutting business rates, to ensure that more public contracts from Wales go to companies in Wales, to sell our products, ideas and skills to the world by creating a new WDA fit for the twenty first century.

“Our new National Infrastructure Commission would build the firm foundations for a strong and resilient economy – investing in our digital, transport and green infrastructure networks in all parts of Wales. North, south, east and west – one nation, one shared ambition.

“To vote Plaid Cymru – through considering and seeing the potential in the programme we’re putting forward – is to vote for a new kind of leadership for Wales that’s both bold and responsible.

“Our ambition for Wales can appeal to all. Regardless of people’s background, circumstances, or previous loyalties, the whole nation can unite behind our programme for a well, well-educated and wealthier Wales.

“Real change is on the ballot paper at this election. Now is the time to decide. For the employee, business owner and entrepreneur alike, looking for a new era of economic confidence. For the teacher looking for respect from government. For the family of dementia sufferers looking for a helping hand. For the young adult looking for opportunities.

“For a new Wales, with a new government. Plaid Cymru is the change Wales needs.”

Reconsider Courts decision and listen to local views, demands AM

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Ynys Môn AM Rhun ap Iorwerth is asking the UK Government to listen to local views and reconsider their decision to close Anglesey’s courts.

Following the recent UK government statement that they are to close the courts at Holyhead and Llangefni, despite local opposition during the consultation process, Rhun has written to them to ask them to reconsider. He said:

“The consultation process proved that there was a clear opposition to closure. Out of all the respondents who commented on Holyhead Magistrates’ Court, for example, not one of them was in support of the proposal to close.

“But despite this, and despite the strong case that had been made by elected representatives from various parties at different levels, as well as by local solicitors, magistrates and other court users to keep Holyhead and Llangefni courts, the UK government came to the conclusion that both should be closed.

“Even though they say in their response that they are exploring alternative provisions for Anglesey, they give no details. Surely these should have been explored before the decision was made?

“I still believe that this decision to close will have a seriously detrimental effect on local justice and I have called on them to reconsider the decision and to take the majority of respondents’ views into account.”

Losing Post Office is big blow to Amlwch, says AM

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Responding to closure of Amlwch Post Office, Anglesey AM Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

“Losing the Post Office is a big blow to Amlwch. Only weeks ago, HSBC announced its intention to close its branch in the town, with customers being told they should access their accounts through the Post Office! I warned in an Assembly debate on banking just a few weeks ago that there was uncertainty over the future of the Amlwch Post Office, and I wrote to Post Office Ltd raising those concerns.

“Although Post Office Ltd says its determined to restore a service in the town at the ‘earliest opportunity’, it’s very disappointing that this could not have been resolved earlier. I’ll be keeping up the pressure on the Post Office to find a new provider as soon as possible – this is a service that Amlwch cannot do without.”

Saddened to hear about Castle Bakery

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Responding to news that Castle Bakery are to close their shops, Ynys Môn Assembly Member Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

“I was saddened to hear the news that Castle Bakery are to close all their shops – including the ones in Holyhead, Menai Bridge and Beaumaris. My thoughts are with the staff who are losing their jobs on Anglesey and beyond.

“Like many others on the island, I grew up on Castle Bakery bread and visiting their shops or cafes was always a treat. It is almost an iconic brand on Anglesey, and the Holyhead branch even featured in the Rough Guide to Britain. It will be very sad to see it go.

“Bad new such as this on job losses and blows to our high streets emphasises the need to do all we can to create new employment opportunities on the island and to revitalise our town centres.”

Video: Rhun raises local fire service concerns with Minister

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Following a meeting with fire officers in Holyhead earlier this year, Ynys Môn AM Rhun ap Iorwerth raised recruitment concerns with the Public Services Minister in the Assembly chamber.

This is not the first time he has raised this issue in the Assembly, having brought it to the government’s attention following the fire at the chip shop in Llangefni last year and the time it took for a fire engine to arrive as Llangefni station was unmanned.

Speaking in the Senedd, Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

“I had an excellent meeting with fire officers in Holyhead recently. They are entirely committed to their work, but it is a cause of concern for them, as it is for me, that the recruitment problem in terms of retained firefighters does create very real problems in terms of providing cover in rural areas such as Ynys Môn. Does the Minister therefore agree that recruitment exercises need to concentrate on the truly local and emphasise that retained firefighters do provide a crucial service for their own communities?”

In his response the Minister endorsed Rhun’s statement in respect of the important role played by retained firefighters in stations such as Holyhead. He also said that he was confident that the recruitment that is being undertaken by the fire and rescue service is delivering what is necessary, after an all-Wales recruitment exercise by the fire and rescue authorities combined had a very high level of applicants.

Video: Rhun’s contribution to bank closures debate in Senedd

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In a debate in the National Assembly for Wales on bank closures, Ynys Môn AM Rhun ap Iorwerth talked of the two local examples in Amlwch and Menai Bridge and argued that banks should give full consideration to the impact of their decisions on communities.

The full text of Rhun’s speech in the Senedd:

Losing a local bank is a huge blow to any community. At best, perhaps, it can mean that one has to change bank accounts to another branch down the road. At worst, and far too often, the reality is, of course, that the bank to close is the very last bank in that community,

The two examples I have from my own constituency are Menai Bridge and Amlwch. Menai Bridge is a prosperous town, full of economic activity, and it makes no sense whatsoever to anyone looking from the outside why HSBC would intend to close that branch, particularly given that it’s only a year or two since the branch in Beaumaris closed, and the customers of that bank were told at that point, ‘Don’t worry, you can go to Menai Bridge to do your banking.’ Now, in Amlwch the branch there is closing. Amlwch is a town that’s going to be at the heart of great economic activity over the next decade, yet it is clear that they are not looking to the future at all in terms of the bank in Amlwch. What have customers been told? ‘Don’t worry, you can actually do your banking in the post office.’ But we know that there is uncertainty about the future of the post office in Amlwch, and we know of too many communities in Wales where the post office has also been lost.

We know that this, according to the banks, is driven by changes in our own banking practices, and, of course, we, each and every one of us in this Chamber, I’m sure, are doing more of our banking online and so on. But the decision to close these branches is happening at a time when our communities, generally speaking, aren’t ready to say, ‘Yes, we are communities that do all of our banking online’. There are too many vulnerable and older people in our communities who aren’t ready to participate in this modern online banking age. Also, we regularly in this Chamber talk of problems in relation to broadband in our rural areas. There are too many areas that don’t have the necessary digital infrastructure to enable them to fully participate in online banking.

What the banks say, of course, is that these branches aren’t profitable. I’m sure that they’re right in terms of the branches themselves. I’ll refer to a paper published by the Competition and Markets Authority in August of last year as part of an inquiry into retail banking:

‘the “retail banking” divisions constituted an important source of income for the five largest UK banks. In 2014, these banks on an average, derived close to 60% of their total revenues from the retail divisions. The retail banking divisions across the five banks reported a total income of £42.1 billion and profit before tax of £14.2 billion in 2014. Figures…show that, while total reported income of the banks has remained relatively stable between 2012 and 2014, the reported profit has, in general, shown an upward trend during this period’

The banks are profiting from their retail banking. What should happen is that the banks operate as a network, with profitable branches assisting, in turn, to maintain the less profitable branches, in a way that regulation certainly happens with the private mobile phone market, for example—the masts in Anglesey don’t make a profit for the telecommunications companies, but as part of the network they do have to provide that wider coverage, of course. So, that is what should happen with the banks, but, clearly, the banks aren’t interested in that. So, we must maintain pressure on the banks and on Governments to ensure that full consideration is given by these institutions to the impact of their decisions on communities.

We can make our own efforts to ensure the viability of our high streets, for example, in order to attract more customers to the banks, but, of course, the bank is one of those things that actually makes for a viable high street. We will play our part, of course, to try to ensure that there is footfall through our banks, but the banks do have to consider their responsibility as part, as I say, of a network that serves not just our prosperous and highly populated areas, but also our poorer, rural areas.