Cllr Glyn Preston - Your Parliamentary Candidate for Montgomeryshire & Glyndwr

Llanidloes County Councillor Glyn Preston is standing to be the next MP for Montgomeryshire & Glyndwr

Cllr Glyn Preston currently represents Llanidloes on Powys County Council.  He is also a board member of Theatr Hafren and of Llanidloes Futures Project, a local charity dedicated to increasing the uptake of Solar PV. He also serves as a governor of Llanidloes High School.

Glyn grew up in Llandinam, attended the Welsh language stream of Ysgol Uwchradd Llanidloes and settled back in the Montgomeryshire after finishing his degree in Politics at the University of Birmingham. 

Glyn is keen to build on the hard work of local Liberal Democrats who took control of Powys Council, pushing the Conservatives into third place and winning the popular vote in Montgomeryshire's three largest towns (Newtown, Welshpool and Llanidloes). 

The Liberal Democrats came second to the Conservatives in Montgomeryshire at the last General Election and are the only Party to have ever held the seat, with Liberal and Lib Dem MPs representing the area almost continuously for 100 years prior to 2010. 

Glyn's priorities include: 

• Tackling the healthcare emergency, including poor levels of service at Shrewsbury & Telford hospitals, as well as extortionate ambulance waiting times. 
• Stopping sewage dumping in the River Severn and protecting the area's world-class natural environment. 
• Fighting for better economic investment and job opportunities in rural Wales.
• Making sure local farmers aren't sold down the river in the name of cheap trade deals. 

Commenting on his selection Cllr Glyn Preston said:

“I love where I live. It’s my home. I left for university and came back because it’s such a wonderful place to live, but far too few young people have returned. They love it here, but they don’t see the opportunities for the future. Jobs are the major barrier.

“I’d like to stop that ‘brain drain’, and make sure that more young, skilled people and their families feel able to stay in here.

“Montgomeryshire & Glyndŵr needs an MP that they can trust, one that will represent people, of all ages and backgrounds.

“The Liberal Democrats have always stood up for rural areas like ours, when Montgomeryshire used to have a Liberal Democrat voice in Parliament, you knew you could count on them to raise the important issues.

“Just over the border, we’ve seen how Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan has been a relentless champion for her residents on the poor situation at Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals and long ambulance waiting times, raising it constantly.

“Meanwhile the Conservatives in Montgomeryshire have been totally absent and are letting our residents down. We need a voice that will call for better access to healthcare, call for action to tackle sewage dumping and climate change and who will fight for jobs and help during the cost-of-living crisis.

 “I also want to see more power put in the hands of local people. I believe in community - and that we can help communities do things for themselves. Decisions taken locally are usually better decisions.”

Responding to Glyn’s selection, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Mid & West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds said:

 “We are delighted to have Glyn as our candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr for the upcoming General Election.

 “Glyn is a passionate and committed campaigner from the local area and I am sure that he will no doubt make both myself and the party very proud.

“This seat is a straight fight between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. All we need now is for Rishi Sunak to finally give this country a voice in who they want running the country by calling for an immediate general election. Wales has had enough of the blues, now is the time for change.”

ENDS