Senedd21: Alistair Cameron | Liberal Democrats | Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire

ALASTAIR CAMERON
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CANDIDATE – CARMARTHEN WEST AND SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE

1. Tell us about yourself:

I’m Alistair. I grew up in my parents’ family hotel in Begelly, Pembrokeshire. My parents worked really hard but it was great meeting the visitors who came back year after year. I later went to Bristol University, then Cheltenham where I became a councillor, chaired the Housing Committee and became Leader of the Borough Council. A councillor can make a real difference to people’s lives. We worked with housing associations to build new homes year on year for families who were stuck in cramped flats.

Most of my career has been in Personnel Management in the electricity industry, but six years ago I retrained as an English teacher and now work in a further education college. I help young adults who did not quite make their GCSE English grades at school retake their exams and, hopefully, get those all important grades.

I live in Stepaside, Pembrokeshire and have been learning Welsh for over 5 years, which I was not able to do at school in Tenby and Pentlepoir.

2. What is the most important thing you think the Senedd should do in the next five years?

Put the recovery first. So many small businesses and self-employed workers have been badly hit in tourism, farming and other sectors. Having been unemployed, I know how this affects your self-esteem and well-being.

Many businesses struggle with businesses rates and I am really pleased that the Welsh Lib Dems want to replace rates with a better and fairer system which allows businesses to grow and employ more people. Reforming business rates will also help our town centres which were struggling well before the pandemic.

I am also very pleased that the Welsh Liberal Democrats have committed to creating a Welsh Towns Fund which will invest £500 million in our town centres and high streets over 5 years. When you see how many of our towns have struggled losing banks and shops you realise how much this investment is needed.

3. What will you do for your constituency/region if elected?

We must use the rich natural resources off the West Wales coast to harness the green energy of offshore wind, wave power and hydrogen technology which will provide local jobs. There are already fledgling demonstration projects and I want some of the £1 billion fund which the Welsh Liberal Democrats will invest in green energy and infrastructure to support these projects.

We must provide full high speed broadband for all of our rural areas, support our ferry ports at Pembroke Dock and Fishguard and remove the barriers to trade with Ireland and the rest of the European Union which are hitting our farmers so badly. Our rural economy and protecting the environment go hand in hand and we must support Wales’ rich farming tradition to protect our land and natural environment, produce local food and support our rural communities.