The Labour Group on Caerphilly County Borough Council has named teacher Gareth Pratt as its candidate for the upcoming Penyrheol by-election being held on Thursday August 1.
Mr Pratt was born and brought up in Machen and has lived in the Caerphilly basin for most of his life. He went to school in Bedwas High school, and then studied at Swansea and Lancaster university.
He has worked at the civil service in the National Assembly for Wales in the Agriculture department, and then worked for a number of years with the police in both London and Bridgend.
In 2009 Mr Pratt decided to seek a new challenge and retrained as a teacher. In this capacity Gareth has worked in a lot of schools across South Wales, and has worked with lots of young people and adults – many of whom have had severe emotional and learning difficulties. Mr Pratt has been a Labour party member for many years, and in May 2012 was elected to Caerphilly Town Council for the Bryncenydd ward.
Outside of politics, his main interests are reading, cycling, photography and walking, and he can often be found walking and cycling in the hills around Penyrheol and Caerphilly. His political interests include education, health and the environment, and his main aims if elected, would be to ensure that the voices of local residents are heard loudly and clearly in the council chamber, and to improve the environment for local people.
Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert AM praised the community work undertaken by the Welsh Labour candidate and said: “Gareth Pratt will be a first class choice for the people of the Penyrheol Ward. Since becoming a Caerphilly town councillor he has made it his business to knock doors every week and take up issues of concern on the doorstep. I’m sure that if elected, he will continue the hard work and dedication he has demonstrated and will work tirelessly for all people living in the ward”.
Caerphilly MP Wayne David added: “Gareth Pratt is an excellent candidate. He is a young man with energy, commitment and a proven track record. He is an active member of Caerphilly town council and if elected to serve this ward, I have no doubt he will do a fantastic job.”
I cannot understand why Labour choose a candidate who does not nor ever lived within this ward. As Wayne David states "He is a young man with energy, commitment and a proven track record. He is an active member of Caerphilly town council…" notice it says CAERPHILLY TOWN COUNCIL it also states in the article it was for the Bryncenydd ward again not our ward. When researching Mr Pratt I found out he stood for council previously, however he failed to win a seat, but again that was NOT this ward. I question does he really want to represent this ward? Or did Labour have no other candidate who lived within the ward to put forward? I guess if they had another candidate who lived within the ward they would've put them up.
Wayne David said "Gareth Pratt is an excellent candidate." I'm sure he would be in his own ward. Having read about the candidate I realise he doesn't live within the Penyrheol ward and don't think he ever has. I also read that he has stood for a local councillor before within the Caerphilly area but not for this ward. This makes me question if Gareth Pratt is really committed to the people of Penyrheol ward? It also states that "Mr Pratt has been a Labour party member for many years,and in May 2012 was elected to Caerphilly Town Council for the Bryncenydd ward." Where does Gareth Pratt's loyalties lay in Bryncenydd or Penyrheol? Why didn't Labour have a local person to the ward standing, have they got no one living in the area willing to stand? I assume they haven't as they would've stood.
Does Lynsday Whittle live in the Penyrheol Ward or does he live in the Aber Valley Ward??
Totally agree Steve. They must be desperate for support what with the shambles that the Council has become under Labour. Unfortunately, Mr Pratt gets easily bored as well. In one of his election leaflets, he said he got bored with the civil service, so trained as a teacher. Is he now bored with being a town councillor and wants to be a Borough councillor? How long before he is bored with that ….. if he gets in … a big if… I have never had much faith in Wayne David`s judgement anyway
Yes Tony, Lindsay Whittle does reside within the Aber Valley ward. However he is originally from Heol-Tir-Gibbon which falls within the Penyrheol, Trecenydd and Energlyn ward. I also believe that he lived in the ward when he was first elected as a Councillor for the said ward. He has always held close ties within the ward, whether it be setting up Youth Clubs or on the governing body of Cwm Ifor School where himself was a pupil many years ago! I don't think Mr Pratt has ever had anything to do with Penyrheol ward. Please correct me if I am wrong. I have never voted for Plaid Cymru in my life, however I do feel that I cannot justify voting for a person who has never had any ties to the ward such as Mr Pratt. Also as Huw has stated that Mr Pratt has said he got bored with the Civil Service, I thought he worked for the Police force which I imagine would be far from boring therefore if that was too boring for him, as Huw said how long will it be before he is bored representing us the residents? I feel that the only way to stop Mr Pratt is by voting for Plaid Cymru as though I would normally vote Conservative I feel the Conservative would not have enough support to stop defeat Labour whereas voting Plaid Cymry may stop Mr Pratt.
Tony, Lindsay was born and brought up in Heol Tir Gibbon on Penyrheol and was living there for years after he was first elected. He only moved to Aber when he got married, where his grandparents lived. So whats your point about Mr Pratt?
I find it incredulous that Labour's candidate, Gareth Pratt, lives outside the ward. He has previously stood and flunked an election in his OWN ward yet Labour seems to think he has a chance of winning the forth coming by election.
Personally, I think Mr.Pratt is not at all interested in local issues in the Penyrheol ward but is more interested in being a councillor for his own gain. Maybe the salary of £14000 that councillors get paid is the incentive for him standing.
I hope no member of the ward wants to meet/talk to Mr.Pratt before the election. If so, they will find it impossible, as he is on holiday during the campaigning period, returning August 2nd, the day AFTER the election. It appears that Mr.Pratt and the Labour party are not taking the by election seriously and they are not taking us, the electorate, seriously. Surely Mr.Pratt was not the only person Labour could put forward as a candidate?
Like Steve has mentioned, the only way to stop Labour is by voting Plaid Cymru. Not ideal but at least their candidate lives in the ward and Plaid do appear to be serious about the by election.
A few points that I wish to clarify. I am aware of the fact that I don't live in the Penyrheol ward,but neither does Lindsay Whittle. This is in my view political mudslinging of an unpleasant kind, and something I really hoped to avoid. I should point out that Lindsay represents both the Penyrheol ward as a councillor, and South East Wales as an Assembly Member, where do Lindsay's loyalties lie? Speaking personally I'm not bothered where Lindsay lives, nor am I bothered about which areas Lindsay represents, my only concern for both myself and Lindsay and indeed any other elected representative is that they represent the people who elected them to the best of their abilities. If any elected councillor or AM can do that then I would be happy. My loyalties would, and do lie with the people who choose to elect me, if the residents of Penyrheol feel that I would do a good job for them,and decide to elect me, then I can assure them that I will show them the same devotion and attention to detail that I show to my residents in Bryncenydd.
As to the point about my "easily bored nature". I was in the civil service for 10 years,and spent the last 3 years of my career in a terrible job where I felt I was achieving nothing of value, and that I wanted to do a job where I was able to make a real difference to people, hence my decision to retrain as a teacher. I am "not easily bored", and have found my new job as a teacher much more stimulating and engaging, as I find community politics and helping people accordingly.
I hope that this comment will lay to rest some concerns that some people may have.
Well, after what Plaid have been getting up to and I wouldn't be surprised they were the ones leaking stuff to the press bringing the council into disrepute, I don’t like dirty politics, if they had an alternative that would be something. The truth is, Plaid is desperate nationally and locally as they don’t get enough support because of what they are. The council is in real difficulty in sorting out its management team at the moment and after observing last week’s council meeting I think it won’t be long before things are in place. The council has a whole is a very good organisations and performing very well compared to others who are in special measures – we should consider ourselves lucky. Plaid has lost it and won’t be back in for some time now, I will support Gareth Pratt and encourage as many people as possible as I feel Labour are the ones to stand up for our communities, and after seeing the way that Lindsay conducted himself in council last week I was appalled and I will be telling people exactly what he is – all talk but no alternative.
Thank you Gareth for trying to clarify points made. I cannot understand how you could describe things as "political mudslinging of an unpleasant kind" when people are stating facts. It is a fact you don not live within the ward and have until now had nothing to do with the ward. I did say please correct me if I am wrong on that and as you haven't then I assume you have had NOTHING to do with the Penyrheol, Trecenydd and Energlyn ward. It was acknowledged that Mr Whittle no longer lives in the ward, however, as stated he used to and has always had a great input within matters of the ward. As I said correct me if I am wrong on that one! Yes Lindsay Whittle does represent South East Wales as an AM, but, I believe the ward he reresents as a County Councillor falls with South Ease Wales therefore he is representing them at both levels. Personally, I think he should've given up his seat on the local council when he became an AM, though maybe Plaid Cymru haven't many other people to put forward as a candidate as a replacement for himself. However this election is not really about Cllr Whittle, it is about the the candidates who are standing. It has also been brought to my attention that a certain candidate from a major party will not even be in the country on election day. Maybe the person should NOT be standing, though if he didn't stand was there anybody else willing to?
Lynda: "I don’t like dirty politics" – Yet you support Labour. Let me remind you that Labour are the ones who criticise everything from the bedroom tax to Home Office cuts but later go and reveal that they would not reverse the cuts. Labour use the public dislike against certain policies as a political tool to gain power, they then go and back stab people. That's dirty politics.
Gareth Pratt: "where do Lindsay’s loyalties lie?" Penyrheol is in South East Wales. It would be reasonable for one to assume that he wants to make a difference for our community on a local level and on a national level. He was also born in the ward and has for many years lived in the ward. Until he married, he then moved. He has special interests in the school he attended which is in the ward. What special interests do you have?
You lost the election in your own ward so why are you the best person to elect in this ward? Did Labour not have anyone else supporting them from this ward who would stand? Are you sure you really want to help the ward and are not standing for the money?
Furthermore, who is going to cover your campaign duties when you toddle off on holiday for a week or so over the election? By the way, there's a grammatical mistake in your postal vote letter…Says it all really, out of touch and uninformed.
I hope everyone has the sense to see that Steve is the only way forward.
Correction. It's not the postal vote letter asthatsfrom the council but the first Labour campaign letter.
Mr Gareth Pratt has yet to reply to Ms Gladys Jenkins post. Is this because he is already on his holidays that she mentioned? I cannot believe that a candidate would dream of going on holiday at this vital time. He should have either cancelled his holiday or not stood. Is he even in the country? I guess his vacation is not in this country otherwise he would've checked the internet and replied by now. If he was a serious candidate would he have gone on holiday at this time? If he goes on holiday at such a time, would he take the role of councillor as a serious role or would he play at being councillor? May I ask Ms Jenkins what is the "grammatical error" in his postal vote letter? I don't vote by post therefore I haven't received a letter, saying that though, I have yet to receive any communication of him. I have looked on the internet for him plus the other candidates as have had no information on three of the four candidates. I did have someone someone knock the door on his behalf recently, didn't really say a great deal, didn't introduce himself, totally different to last year when it was the elections the Labour candidate who was elected knocked on my door introduced himself explained a little about himself. He seemed very amenable, though I didn't vote for him at that election, I will say he has been very good to a family member. My cousin had been having a little problem with something and her husband contacted Mr Huw Davies when advised to do so by a different councillor in the ward! She said Mr Davies contacted the relevant people, spoke up for her and managed to achieve the outcome she wanted, though that happened to be a councillor who was from the ward and lived in the ward. He knew the ward. Lets hope the councillor who is elected this time will help his ward members in the same way, however lets hope they know the ward inside out therefore they should be local to our ward! Mr Pratt are you the person who will be expecting your colleagues to get you elected when you are on holiday and if you are elected will you bathe in their hard work and dedication to the Labour party? Just one more thing, hope you have a lovely restful holiday Mr Pratt, after all the hard work you have done for this election!
How bizarre that Labour has chosen a candidate who is on HOLIDAY at the time of the election. Are Labour serious about having a second councillor in this ward. If they are in my opinion they are going a funny way about it, as why chose a candidate who is Lnot here to do canvassing or nor here for election day. It seems absurd. As others have pointed out not only is he not involved with anything in the ward he is on HOLIDAY. Does anybody else think this is strange to have such a candidate standing?
I apologise to you all as my partner and myself were discussing this article together, our feelings on Mr Pratt standing were similar and my partner made a comment on the article, the comment did not appear, therefore in the evening I made a comment which said the same as my partner. We did not realise that comments took such a length of time to be posted.
In answer to Louise I do think it is "strange to have such a candidate standing", I don't think Labour could've put any effort into finding a suitable candidate to stand in the forthcoming by election. Maybe they were not prepared for an election to be held so soon and had not discussed a candidate hence why they have put Mr Pratt forward. They probably thought, like I did, an election would not have been called so soon after the passing of the Plaid Cymru representative.
I live in the ward in Mountain view and the only candidate to have knocked on my door in an election period was the young lady who was the Labour Party candidate a few years ago. She was very pleasant on the eye as well as having a pleasant personality. I had, up until then, never voted for Labour but after having the privilege of spending a few minutes in her company then I decided to vote for her. She had a 'strong' personality and I knew she would take no nonsense from anyone. It is with much regret that not enough electorates voted for her. I have not voted for Labour since and I do not intend to vote for Labour in this by-election.
The young lady candidate was very friendly but also very firm in her opinions and was not afraid to 'argue' against me. She was not a 'yes' person on the doorstep, agreeing with me just to gain my vote. She had an opinion and was certainly not afraid to share it with me. For this reason, I know she would have made an excellent councillor and would have represented the 'ordinary' person to her best ability with finesse and decorum.
To this day, I still wonder why she is no longer the Labour Party candidate. I was looking forward to meeting her again and engaging her in another lively discussion. At my late age in life it is rare that you meet people who can hold your interest for any length of time but she certainly was such a person.
Wayne David….you endorse Gareth Pratt as a candidate. Don't waste your time on 3rd rate people. Bring back the best. Bring back the young lady. We, in the Penyrheol ward, deserve the very best and that means giving us the aforementioned young lady as a candidate.