PLATFORM
"I'm standing for selection because I believe next year is crucial in the fight to maintain and progress the cause of devolution, against the threat of those who wish for our country to go backwards and be ruled once again entirely from Westminster. Rather than wishing it away, and pretending it doesn't exist, I am willing to face up to that challenge and present a vision for a better Cardiff and a better Wales, to prove that devolution is something we should embrace and work to grow and mature."
LIST OF ISSUES
DEVOLUTION
Riding off the wave of delivering Brexit, and the divisiveness of pitting different government approaches to Covid-19 against one another, I predict that the Abolish the Welsh Assembly party will piggy back off the resentments that the far right have so successfully exploited over the last few years, and return Members to the Senedd for the first time next year. We cannot allow this to happen.
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME
We need proper exploration of Universal Basic Income (UBI), initially as a solution to the financial hardship being experienced as a result of Covid-19, but subsequently we should look into the long term implications of giving everyone a minimum standard of living, so as to create a more compassionate society in which everyone can thrive, and not just survive.
CITIZENS ASSEMBLIES
We need to set up Citizens Assemblies – at Welsh Government and local government level, we must make our democracy more inclusive and engaging, especially as politicians face the big challenges coming at us thick and fast. It is no longer enough to go from one election to the next, assuming a mandate to do anything and everything political parties in control want. This approach to politics leads to short term decision making which is disastrous in the long term and is of f putting to many voters who feel ignored outside of election time.
MENTAL HEALTH
Public health must be treated as a priority – we must stop addressing health problems in a reactive way, that treats sickness as an isolated occurrence rather than the result of the environments we live in. Poverty is the biggest driver of health inequality, and UBI would go some way to addressing it, but we need to get ahead of health problems and create a more holistic approach to health – by for example introducing annual mental health check-ups for all who wish to receive one. We have our eyes and teeth checked annually, why not afford the same priority to our mental health and general well-being, dealing with difficulties in a more proactive and preventative way?
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
We need innovative public transport solutions to save services – demand responsive bus services are currently being trialled by Welsh Government in Cardiff, and I believe these should be rolled out more widely in areas that have lost bus routes, to serve current demand in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way, to help drive up patronage so that more traditional bus services have a chance of becoming financially viable again.