CONGRATULATIONS to the Conservatives for winning the Assembly seat in last week’s elections.
Commiserations to my friend Wyn Williams who, in my view, would have made an excellent Assembly Member: but this was not to be.
It seems to me that the political situation on May 5 did not favour the Lib Dems, who lost two out of three Assembly seats, though these losses were, to an extent, compensated by gaining a number of regional list seats.
Yet, overall, it was a dreadful night for Lib Dems, and one which must be analysed and understood for the party to make progress in future.
In the campaign, the Tories made some heady claims.
Chief amongst these was the commitment to oppose the windfarms and the electricity hubs and pylons which go with them.
This was a very specific commitment, and one which it will be easy to measure. Either the windfarms are constructed, in which case the Tories have failed – or they’re not, in which case the Tories have succeeded in their campaign commitment.
This will determine whether their opposition to the proposals was effective.
I myself held a meeting in Abermule about the subject last week.
I am in no doubt of the strength of feeling – and, basically, the anger – which the proposals have generated.
I presume that our elected representatives will also be meeting with local people in that area to hear their views.
The windfarm issue is a result of environment energy targets this government has set.
It is good to see Tories sticking up for Montgomeryshire against their government’s badly thought out plans for wind energy.
They are in the very best position to influence their colleagues in Cardiff and Westminster.
The County Times will be able to update the area on their progress.
Politics is a rough business – a ‘winner takes all’ game where coming second is the same as coming last.
I am sad a long tradition of liberal representation has, for the time being, hesitated. I know that liberals will be back.
For now, the torch of representation has been passed to others.
I hope and expect they will honour that responsibility as liberals have done for so many years – including living up to the defence of the constituency itself, which stands to be abolished under boundary changes.
People have great expectations for what is done in their name in the Assembly, and in Parliament. It was a challenge I did my best to live up to.
I think that, in these difficult times, it has never been more important for our successors to do the same.