WELSH Conservatives have officially launched their campaign to try to retain the Monmouth constituency at next month’s general election.
Parliamentary candidate David Davies was joined by members and activists on Saturday at Croesyceiliog Cricket and Rugby Club. The 46 year-old aims to be re-elected for a fourth successive time, using the recent council election results as a springboard for further gains.
While the constituency boundaries for Westminster are slightly different, including 10,000 voters living in Torfaen, Mr Davies is hoping to capitalise on the rise in local support after the Conservatives won outright control of Monmouthshire County Council.
“The first duty of an MP is to be a champion for the constituency and this has always been a priority for me,” said Mr Davies, who was first elected to Parliament in 2005.
“I have held regular advice surgeries, taken up hundreds of cases for individuals and been active on many local campaigns, such as cutting Severn Bridge tolls.
“The key battleground for this general election is going to be Brexit. We are about to begin a complex series of talks with EU officials in Brussels. The decision for the British people is whether they want these negotiations to be led by Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn.”
Mr Davies said getting the right Brexit deal for the UK was “vitally important” but there were other issues facing the country, such as controlling immigration, maintaining an adequate defence system, continuing to reduce government borrowing and keeping down taxes.
“The Labour-run Welsh Government is responsible for schools and hospitals in Wales but the Conservative government in England has already shown how to lower waiting lists and increase the number of students getting good grades at GCSE and A-Level,” he added.
“June 8 will be a political milestone and every single vote in every seat will help give Theresa May the mandate she needs to negotiate from a strong position with the rest of the EU, delivering a historic new deal for the United Kingdom.”