Plaid in Carmarthenshire show the way with high number of young candidates - 21/04/08

Plaid Cymru leader on Carmarthenshire Council Peter Hughes Griffiths has welcomed the high number of young candidates his party has put forward for the forthcoming Council Elections. Plaid will have 7 candidates under 30 years of age fighting it out in Carmarthenshire to win seats in the election on the 1st of May.

Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths said:

"It’s fantastic that we are able to put so many young candidates forward for the elections next month. We always hear people say that young people aren’t interested in politics and that they’d rather vote for the winner of X Factor than vote to elect a politician. It’s important that we engage young people in politics and make it relevant to their lives. I think that Plaid are succeeding to do that because we have a lot of enthusiastic young people involved within the party.”

Twenty seven year old Carmarthen Town South candidate Arwel Lloyd added:

"I’m delighted that I’ve had the opportunity to stand in these elections. The average age of a councillor is 61 and that’s why it is important that young people take an interest in politics so that our views can be expressed when it comes to making decisions that effect people’s everyday lives. I believe that young people are less apathetic and more interested in public issues and current affairs than is commonly supposed."

The under-30 candidates are:
Rhys Davies, Llanfihangel Aberbythych (Current Councillor)
Carl Harris Abergwili
Deian Harries, Ammanford
Arwel Lloyd, Carmarthen south
Owen Hathaway, Llandybie
Anthony Richards, Llandybie
Sion Aled Higgins, Tycroes