WELSH Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire William Powell is stepping down from this role as a trustee of the Bevan Foundation.

Named after NHS Founder and Labour MP for Ebbw Vale in the 1940s and 50s, Aneurin Bevan, the foundation is Wales' leading think tank in fighting poverty and promoting social justice.

Having joined the board of trustees in 2018, Powys county councillor for Talgarth Mr Powell has sought to support the foundation in its understanding of the nature and extent of rural poverty, which Mr Powell has described as ‘not captured at all by established Welsh Government indices and support measures’.

In recent months, the foundation has done significant work around the impacts of Covid-19 on the poor and the 'seldom heard’ and engaged with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in a major report on the effects of poverty and the importance of government intervention to alleviate injustice. It has also produced a widely acclaimed report on the experience of EU nationals in Wales, in the post 2016 referendum years.

“I am really sorry to be stepping down from my role as a Bevan Foundation trustee, but in its constitution, the foundation is committed to strict party political neutrality, which is ultimately not compatible with my running for the Senedd for the Welsh Liberal Democrats here in Brecon and Radnorshire,” said Mr Powell.

“Longstanding Bevan Foundation staff member Helen Cunningham, who leads the Welsh Labour list for the South Wales East region, is similarly impacted and will take unpaid leave until the Senedd poll in May.

“I will remain a member and strong supporter of the Bevan Foundation and hope to continue working with them on the vital equalities and social justice agenda in the coming years.”