Plaid Cymru choose candidates for key Senedd election battleground seats

Plaid Cymru Mid and West AM Helen Mary Jones has been selected by local members to be the party’s candidate in Llanelli.

The seat is a key target for Plaid Cymru, with two polls last week by ITV/YouGov and BBC/ICM suggesting that Plaid Cymru could win the seat in a Welsh parliament election.

The incumbent, Labour AM, Lee Waters won the seat with a majority of 382 votes in 2016.

Earlier this week Plaid Cymru Councillor Aaron Wynne was chosen to fight the Aberconwy seat, which polls suggest could also be up for the taking in 2021.

The decisions by Plaid Cymru’s constituency parties is subject to ratification by the National Executive Committee of Plaid Cymru.

Mid and West AM Plaid Cymru Helen Mary Jones said: “I have served before as Llanelli’s Assembly Member, elected in 1999, and in 2007 with a record majority for any party in the Llanelli constituency. I know we can win and have learnt from the disappointments in the past.

“These are difficult times, for Wales and for our communities. We desperately need a Plaid Cymru government to stand up for Wales and to begin delivering the vital improvements to our economy and our public services that we all so desperately need.

“I’m asking for the support of the people of Llanelli to play my part in delivering a Plaid Cymru Government in 2021 and in giving Llanelli’s communities the representation in our Senedd they deserve.”

Plaid Cymru’s other key target seats include Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and First Minister Mark Drakeford’s Cardiff West constituency.

The choice of candidate in Cardiff West is likely to be contentious as the previous candidate, Neil McEvoy AM, is currently expelled from Plaid Cymru and is free to apply to rejoin on 19th March.

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