Tudno FM gets another boost from the Welsh Government

Tudno FM has been awarded a grant of over £15,000 from the Welsh Assembly Government’s Community Radio Fund to meet its ongoing costs in providing a service to the local community.

The news was welcomed by local Aberconwy AM Gareth Jones, Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones AM and Phil Edwards, Plaid's Aberconwy candidate.

“I am delighted that Tudno FM has won through and continues to be supported by the Welsh Government through this fund," said Gareth Jones AM. "The whole team does wonderful work for the local community in Llandudno and I wish them all continued success.”

Tudno FM is one of six local community radio stations to profit from a £100,000 fund in this year’s competitive bidding round.

Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones, was himself interviewed live on Tudno FM last year and he added:

“These radio stations play a valuable role reflecting the issues affecting people living in these communities. They also provide opportunities for residents to gain new skills and in some cases employment. I’m very pleased to announce these grants and to congratulate the stations on the important role they play in their communities.”

The six stations were chosen for their commitment to their communities in a number of areas, including; encouraging healthy lifestyles, promoting training and social enterprise for excluded and vulnerable people and strengthening cultural and linguistic identity.

Phil Edwards, Plaid’s Westminster candidate for Aberconwy, took part in Tudno FM's live election hustings debate last week and launched the New Year campaign live on Tudno FM with the Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones. Phil commented:

“The staff and volunteers do a tremendous job in producing a radio station we can all be proud of and their strong commitment to the local community in English and in Welsh is clearly evident whenever I visit.”

Think Different.Think Plaid.

At the end of the live hustings debate on Tudno FM, Head of News, Siôn Pritchard asked all four candidates why people should vote for them at the forthcoming General Election.

Here's my response:

I've been knocking on doors for over twelve months now and people are telling me that they've never felt so angry, so let down, and so sick of the same old politics from the London parties.

Professors, Political Editors and Pollsters tell us that only Plaid can beat the Conservatives here.

So the people of Aberconwy have a clear choice.

They can either have a Plaid MP, answerable only to our communities, standing up for them and for Wales in Westminster, very possibly in a hung parliament, or a Conservative MP who would be bound by what his London party dictates.

A Tory victory isn’t a foregone conclusion here - it doesn't have to happen here in Aberconwy like it surely will happen elsewhere.

I'm standing for election to work side by side with our AM and colleagues in the Welsh Government, working to protect and improve our hospital not to cut NHS spending, working with our police and council officers - not against them, fighting for fair funding for Wales and for a better future for the people.

I'm standing up for our communities here, for farmers in the Conwy valley, for pensioners in poverty, for the small businesses and motorists and the average worker who have all been taxed till the pips squeak because these London parties have let the banks run riot.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

More and more of your listeners are turning to Plaid because they know Plaid offers something different to the rest. I don't have to toe their London party line. I am here to work hard for our people – for fair play, honesty and justice.

This isn’t a time for politics as usual. You can make this happen.

I urge you to Think Different.Think Plaid.

Why don't they sign the Real Policing Pledge?

I took part in a lively and interesting hustings debate with the other three main candidates yesterday live on local community radio courtesy of Siôn Pritchard and friends at Tudno FM.

 

The first of the questions focused on our differing plans to improve policing in Aberconwy and I have to say while my fellow candidates can certainly talk a good game, their actions in reality fall far short of their rhetoric.

Despite a written invitation not one of my fellow candidates has backed the Police Federation of England and Wales in its campaign for Real Policing.

As an ex-police officer myself with thirty years' service, and as the former General Secretary of the North Wales Police Federation I find this complete disregard for their campaign deeply disturbing.

 

I have responded to the pledge and I support all five measures:

• Commit to the office of constable as the bedrock of modern policing 
• Maintain the number of warranted police constables in England and Wales 
• Ensure that all constables are adequately trained to do their jobs
• Commit to maintain an effective ratio of constables to support staff on community policing teams 
• Honour the Police Negotiating Board

It's not too late so I urge my fellow candidates to sign up to the Real Policing Pledge today.

Phil