Yahoo News A Tory MP in Wales says it's tough being a Conservative on the doorstep
A Welsh Tory candidate has described how difficult it is to knock on doors at the moment and introduce yourself as a Conservative candidate. Fay Jones is the sitting MP Brecon and Radnorshire who will be contesting the successor seat of Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe at the upcoming election.
However she faces a tough challege from the Liberal Democrats, whose candidate David Chadwick is projected to be neck and neck with her in the polls by YouGov. Labour's Matthew Dorrance is in third place according to YouGov with Plaid's Emily Durrant-Munro on 11% and Reform's Adam Hill on 9% in fourth and fifth. Amerjit Rosie Kaur-Dhaliwal of the Green Party is also standing along with Lady Lily The Pink of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and Jonathan Harrington of Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party.
Ms Jones, admitted the party has made a "number of mistakes" in the run up the the general election, and said it was "tough knocking on a door and saying you’re a Conservative candidate".
Speaking to BBC Wales, Ms Jones, a junior minister in the Wales Office, said: "I think it's right the Prime Minister has apologised for his decision-making yesterday [on leaving the D-Day commemorations early], I don't think he got it right. But that's one of the things you can expect from Rishi, throughout his time as PM he has always been clear when he can't do something, he's always apologised and been frank."
She added: "It's been a tough start, we have made a number of mistakes. But the scrutiny and pressure will always be on us because we have been in government for a long time. Would I have liked to see this campaign to get off to a better start? Absolutely...
"It's been tough knocking on a door saying you're a Conservative candidate... I'm not getting the sense that we are all doomed in the Conservative party.
Mr Dorrance denied First Minister Vaughan Gething's loss in a confidence vote was the topic of conversation with voters. He said: "What people are talking about are those kitchen table issues, the issues that are affecting family finances, and the way that people are struggling with the cost of living crisis...
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"(Vaughan Gething) won a democratic vote in the Labour membership. He lost a non-binding vote in the Senedd because Plaid Cymru, the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats are more interested in playing political games, and serving the people of Wales."
Plaid Cymru candidate Emily Durrant-Munro said: "I think voters in this area have voted tactically for a long time, because they haven't felt like they have had choice at all. It's always the choice. They feel the only choice to keep the Tories out is to vote Liberal Democrats and we all know Liberal Democrats don't really have much voice in Westminster, let alone Wales. The election is up for grabs.
David Chadwick, of the Liberal Democrats said the NHS was a big issue. He added: "The key to fixing the Welsh NHS, the English NHS and the NHS across the UK is funding and the funding parameters that are set by Westminster... We definitely need a change of government."
Reform candidate Adam Hill said it was time to "shake up the system a bit." He added: "We've got empty buildings, failing businesses and enough is enough. We are losing all our services as rural communities do - we are the first people to lose everything. That's why I'm here to try and defendant that so that we can keep our essential services, our doctors, our police."
