Yahoo News General election 2024: The candidates standing in Monmouthshire
The current Welsh secretary, David TC Davies, has been Monmouthshire MP since 2005. This election, the constituency will change to include almost a quarter of the current Newport East seat.
The boundaries of all but one Welsh seat have changed ahead of the 2024 election, only Ynys Mon (the island of Anglesey) remains untouched, all others have seen changes which could impact the results on election night. You can read the background to the changes here.
Instead of 40 constituencies, there are now 32 in Wales and the idea behind it is to make all Westminster constituencies the same size. Using figures from electoral calculus, we can see how this constituency is changing. The Monmouthshire seat going forward will be made up of 88.2% of Monmouthshire and 23% of Newport East, a Labour-held seat.
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The election is taking place on Thursday, July 4 and 32 MPs will be elected to represent Wales.
Where does the constituency cover?
It includes parts of Caldicot, Abergavenny and Chepstow.
You can also find your constituency by entering your postcode here:
What happened in the general election in 2019
Who is standing?
Ioan Rhys Bellin (Plaid Cymru)
Ian Chandler (Green Party)
David Thomas Charles Davies (Conservatives)
June Davies (True and Fair Party)
Catherine Ann Fookes (Labour)
Owen Lewis (Independent)
Emma Meredith (Heritage Party)
William Denston Powell (Lib Dem)
Max Windsor-Peplow (Reform UK)
The candidates
All candidates are being asked the same questions, and their answers will be added here once received.
Ioan Bellin - Plaid Cymru
I’m 49-years-old and a former journalist and broadcaster with experience working in Cardiff for ITV Wales and Belfast for the BBC. I have had the pleasure of working in the Senedd for Plaid Cymru for 20 years. I currently work for Plaid Cymru’s Deputy Senedd Leader Delyth Jewell MS. My mother was a teacher and my father was a university lecturer. I live with my partner and our three children.
I was born in Reading, educated in Cowbridge Comprehensive and Aberystwyth University. I enjoy playing 5 a side football and I am an occasional runner.
Name a policy you want to see become law if elected as an MP
I would campaign for a Fair Funding Act for Wales (2024) to scrap the outdated Barnett formula that decides the cash for Wales. The current formula is based on population, rather than need. A fairer funding package for Wales would help everyone living in Wales.
Welsh public services have been choked of funding by Westminster. Our public services are underfunded. Billions of pounds worth of Welsh taxpayers’ money is spent on England-only projects, rather than on investing on public services in Wales.
We must make sure whichever party that is in government after the election on Thursday 4 July does not take Wales for granted.
Plaid Cymru is the only party that will fight for the fairness that Wales deserves. Unlike other parties, we won’t settle for less.
What's the biggest issue facing Wales and what will you do to fix it?
The climate crisis is the biggest issue facing us in Wales and the world. I would work together across parties to find solutions to the impact of the climate chaos, such as flooding that is affecting us now.
Who has been the best British Prime Minister and why?
Harold Wilson, partly because he was the Prime Minister when the post of the Secretary State for Wales was created in 1964, a role now that we have our Senedd and a Welsh Government should be abolished. He also was Prime Minister when we had a European referendum in 1975 to remain in the European Community, the Welsh language act was introduced in 1967 and we saw the creation of the Open University when he was Prime Minister.
Ian Chandler - Green Party
Ian was elected in 2022 as a County Councillor in Monmouthshire and is the Cabinet Member for Social Care, Safeguarding & Accessible Health Services within the Labour-Green Coalition. Ian identifies as non-binary and is Monmouthshire Council’s LGBTQI+ Champion.
Born in an Essex council estate in 1958, Ian’s mother was a nurse and father worked in the motor industry. The first in their family to go to university, Ian has a degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in business. After working in the private sector, Ian then worked for over 30 years with charities promoting international development, human rights, health and environmental protection.
Ian has four children – one lives in Bristol and the others go to school in Monmouthshire, where Ian lives with their wife. Ian has done lots of voluntary work, including being an FA accredited youth football coach. Ian loves music and walks in nature.
Name a policy you want to see become law if elected as an MP
The Rights of Nature Act that the Green Party are advocating would establish legal recognition and protection for natural ecosystems, ensuring their right to exist, thrive, and evolve. Such an act would be crucial for addressing environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, promoting sustainable practices, and safeguarding the ecological health essential for human well-being.
By recognizing nature's intrinsic value, the act would shift the legal framework from an anthropocentric to an ecocentric approach, fostering a deeper respect and responsibility for the natural world. This legislation could enhance climate resilience, support conservation efforts, and provide a robust legal tool for communities to defend local environments against harmful activities, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the UK's natural heritage.
What's the biggest issue facing Wales and what will you do to fix it?
Poverty. It is unforgivable that nearly 1 in 3 children in Wales are living in poverty and this is a failure of both the UK and Welsh Governments. High inflation, low incomes and inadequate housing have led to hunger, poor health outcomes, reduced educational attainment and limited future opportunities.
To break the cycle of child poverty in Wales, Green MPs will make targeted interventions, including insulate homes to reduce fuel bills and keep people warmer, bring in rent controls and scrap the bedroom tax and the two-child limit for benefits, increase universal credit by £40 per week and end the 5 week wait for benefit that pushes families into debt. Through the Green New Deal we will also provide better job opportunities and we will increase the minimum wage to £15 per hour for workers of all ages.
Who has been the best British Prime Minister and why?
Caroline Lucas is the best Prime Minister that Britain never had. Not afraid to speak the truth, Caroline’s commitment to the poor, marginalised and future generations was never questioned.
Other than Caroline, I have to say Clement Atlee. Not without faults, but his achievements in reconstructing Britain after WW2 were remarkable, not least the creation of the NHS and the expansion of council house building. The challenges we face today – a creaking NHS and care system, the climate and nature emergency, growing inequality and poverty – require similar leadership and decisive action. With those qualities absent from the current Labour leadership, Green MPs are needed to push the timid Labour government to be bolder and do better.
June Davies - True and Fair Party
58 year old Welsh speaking mother of three June, originally from Cardigan moved to Monmouthshire in 2001 and now lives in the heart of the Wye Valley near Monmouth. June holds degrees in English and History; MSc Tourism Management and PGCE/QTS in Economics and Business Studies. After a varied management career in the energy, brewing and consultancy sector, June subsequently taught Business Studies for eight years before choosing to dedicate her energy to full-time volunteering and campaign and policy development as Welsh Affairs spokesperson for the True and Fair party -the new challenger party led by Gina Miller,since 2022 to clean up politics, modernise democracy and end corruption.
Active as a volunteer for the last 25 years, June currently serves her community as Chair of Newland community council and Trustee of two Wye Valley based charities. In her leisure time June enjoys singing with a community choir and exploring heritage in the outdoors.
Name a policy you want to see become law if elected as an MP
The UK political system is broken and trust in politics and politicians is at an all time low. Our party’s core purpose is to clean up politics, modernise democracy and fight corruption so I propose a new Ethics in Public Office Act. The people of Wales are fed up with watching scandal after scandal play out in Westminster and the Senedd so of 38 published True and Fair policies to fix politics, an Ethics in Public Office Act that enshrines standards, rules and structure for all UK ministers and public officials into law is my priority .
By enshrining ministerial code into law, encompassing the standards of conduct based on the Seven Nolan Principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability,openness, honesty and leadership, we get a robust legal framework to make office holders legally accountable to act in the public interest. Independent bodies at Westminster and Senedd Cymru would be granted statutory oversight and authority to enforce misdemeanors.
What's the biggest issue facing Wales and what will you do to fix it?
25 years after devolution the constitutional future of Wales is in crisis and the relationship between Westminster and the Senedd is not fit for purpose, neither is the funding settlement. Labour and the Tories lack the will, the vision and the plan to fix this. I will collaborate, rebuild relationships, working cross-party, especially smaller parties including the Green Party and Plaid Cymru to demand Westminster replaces the outdated Barnett formula with a needs based system.
Represent robustly and oppose those in the next government and in opposition who resist change for the better. Act to shore up the Sewel convention using case law already tested by our party leader, Gina Miller. Demand an urgent review of the devolution settlement to expand Senedd powers, examining energy, crown estate management, justice and policing.
These solutions are key to unlocking a better Wales. To achieve this we must encourage more young people to stand up for Wales and participate in public life.
Who has been the best British Prime Minister and why?
David Lloyd George, a Welsh speaker who from humble beginnings escaped poverty and achieved influence and power by grit, intellect, charisma. To me he is the epitome of what grassroots politicians can achieve to change the status quo whilst representing the people robustly. Before he became prime minister, he secured hard fought, ground-breaking assent from parliament to tax the wealthy to fund social welfare programmes for the less fortunate, supported women’s suffrage and created a road map for further reforms reducing power of the Lords and shorter parliamentary terms.
His tenure as PM from 1916 cemented his reforming zeal, he demonstrated the ability to lead effectively in coalition, independence for the Irish free state ,demonstrated statecraft on the world stage and left a lasting legacy of constitutional and social reform for the under-represented and vulnerable in society. A century later we are at another constitutional crossroads , inequality, abuse of power and corruption is rife; we are facing immense geo-political challenges including war and the climate crisis.
These quotes from him resonate as much today as they did a century ago:“The greatest reward of leadership is making a difference in the lives of people” ‘The true test of a nation's greatness is not the size of its population or the extent of its resources, but the character and wisdom of its leaders.”
Catherine Ann Fookes - Labour
I’ve lived in Monmouthshire for 25 years – it's the perfect place to raise our two boys. I've been involved in the local community for decades, most recently as a Councillor and School Governor.
As Chief Executive of a charity advocating for a fairer Wales, I'm proud to have doubled its funding and won important campaigns. In the 2010s, I served as a board member on the Food and Drink Wales Industry Board, helping to grow and promote the industry in Wales.
Before that, I advised the UK Government on organic food and farming as well as working as a campaigner for an environmental charity. I am particularly proud to have established the Children's Food Academy at the Abergavenny Food Festival, providing children with free cookery sessions. In my downtime, I enjoy going to our sons' gigs, popping into our local pub and walking Beanie, our family dog.
Name a policy you want to see become law if elected as an MP
Banning disposable vapes. Vapes are a problem where children’s health, environmental damage and the cost to the NHS in years to come - all collide. Their use has doubled in the last year and that’s why it needs addressing.
In Monmouthshire, I have been campaigning for a crackdown on the regulation and advertisement of vapes marketed to young people. Shops should not be displaying vapes next to toys, sweets or crayons and they should be sold in plain packaging. Disposable vapes are both a huge health and environmental issue and banning them is something I want to see become law.
What's the biggest issue facing Wales and what will you do to fix it?
The cost-of-living crisis, mortgages, energy bills, the food shop – everything is so expensive. After speaking with residents, businesses and charities in Monmouthshire, it is clear that no one has got off lightly from Conservative mismanagement of our economy.
A Labour government in Westminster will make economic stability a priority, raising living standards with a long-term plan for growth that secures the highest sustained growth in the G7 with good jobs and productivity in every part of the country, making everyone, not just a few, better off.
As your Labour MP, I will tackle inequality and fight everyone’s corner, boost living standards and deliver stability. Monmouthshire’s families simply cannot afford five more years of the Conservatives.
Who has been the best British Prime Minister and why?
Labour’s Clement Attlee – After leading Labour to a landslide victory, Attlee rebuilt our country after the most challenging and difficult circumstances of WWII. With support from his Welsh Health Secretary, Aneurin Bevan, Attlee delivered our treasured National Health Service, making Britain the first Western country to offer free medical care at the point of use, paid for by setting up National Insurance. He also housed our nation and built one million new homes, many of which are still standing across Monmouthshire today.
Owen Lewis - Independent
I was born in September 1990, and I grew up in and around Abergavenny. Someone in my family has a long-term chronic illness, which has caused me to have quite a lot of understanding about the most vulnerable people in our communities. After finishing school, I worked at Tudor Street Day Centre for several years, before moving to Bristol to pursue a career as a writer. I have two novels out, one of which (Vulnerable Voices) is inspired by my time working in care and the friends I made there.
I returned to Abergavenny last year, in large part because I found out Tudor Street Day Centre had closed down and was due to be demolished. I've spent my time since campaigning for this decision to be reversed. I'm not a career politician - I have no personal goals here, I just want to stand up for the most vulnerable.
Name a policy you want to see become law if elected as an MP
I would support a wealth tax to put more money into health and social care, including community-based services and making sure everyone has access to primary care including dentists. I think it's a disgrace how difficult it is to access even basic services nowadays, especially if you're disabled or struggle to access the world in any other way.
What's the biggest issue facing Wales and what will you do to fix it?
Although I'm very glad to have moved back to Wales, one thing I do miss about living in Bristol is how easy it was to walk everywhere. Wales is naturally a lot more rural than England, and if you don't drive (which I don't) that can be quite isolating. I would like access to cheaper and more reliable public transport.
Who has been the best British Prime Minister and why?
I personally don't think there's been a single Prime Minister who has been satisfactory, certainly not in my lifetime. I supported Jeremy Corbyn and I think he would have been a fantastic Prime Minister, but even he was tied to a party. I think independence is the way forward - I would never consider standing as an MP representing any party, because that would mean my decisions were driven by my party rather than by the needs of my constituents.
