General election 2024: Meet the candidates for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney

Anne lives in Blaenau Gwent and is currently studying Environmental Management and working part time in health and safety. She is a keen photographer and also volunteers with several local community groups.

Anne’s love of nature began when she moved to the suburbs as a teenager and had a garden for the first time. This love led to her first job as a gardener in a local hotel. Her love of nature has never waned and she is a keen nature photographer as well as a Green Party member.

Anne says: “I care passionately for the environment and social justice and have been involved in many campaigns over the years. I have lived in Blaenau Gwent since 2017 and feel honoured to have this opportunity to stand as the parliamentary candidate for the new seat of Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney.

“I have been active in the community, supporting local food banks, helping to upgrade a neglected local park, supporting many local events such as the Horse and Dog show and Cwm Carnival.

“If elected I would spend my time in Westminster on issues that concern us all: to protect the NHS, for improved transport links plus more jobs and affordable housing as well as protecting our environment.”

Information taken from candidate profile on party website.

Jackie Charlton is an experienced county councillor in Powys, right on the border of Blaenau Gwent where she is cabinet member for a greener Powys. She has served as a county councillor for Llangattock since 2017 and, with the merger of Llangattock and Llangynidr in 2022, she defeated the sitting Leader of Powys to win the new ward.

While in opposition between 2017 and 2022, Jackie successfully presented and carried forward several motions to the council, including more recognition for unpaid carers and declaring a climate emergency in 2020. 

Jackie has lived in Llangattock since 1989 and has been an active member of the community in many roles, as well as being an equality professional working for the Welsh Development Agency for six years. Jackie was a Welsh Government appointee to the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority for ten years and a non-executive director of Powys NHS Trust from 2000 to 2003. Jackie was additionally vice chair of both the trust and local health board.

Jackie Charlton and the Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated that Labour has taken Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney for granted for generations. It’s time for a change and a new direction. The party believes that it can offer a positive alternative to both a Labour-dominated Wales and the chaotic mismanagement by the Conservatives.

Commenting on her selection, Cllr Jackie Charlton stated:

“I have lived on the border of Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney since 1989 and worked in Ebbw Vale for six years as a tutor for access students who wanted to make a new start. It’s time for a new start now and a move away from Labour. The people of Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney are talented and committed to their communities. My job will be to harness that for a new beginning.

Labour have taken local people for granted for too long in Wales and the Conservatives hardly know Wales exists. It’s time for a voice in Westminster that will speak up for people in Blaenau Gwent instead of focusing on London and the south east. Much of what you see day to day in Blaenau Gwent is delivered by the devolved Labour Government in Cardiff. There is little to address the level of child poverty, access to care and delivering on transport. The dangers of climate change cannot be over-emphasised but Labour have reneged on that commitment too. You will get more of the same with Labour.”

Information taken from candidate profile on party website.

Born in Cardiff, he has worked and lived in Gwent for much of the past 40 years. A former tutor with the TUC and Workers Education Association, he has campaigned on a wide range of issues, including public services, rights at work, nursery education, leasehold reform, anti-racism and – for many years – freedom for the Palestinian people. Rob is former Welsh president of the engineering white-collar union TASS and a delegate to Newport Trades Union Council and the Wales TUC. He also chaired election and referendum campaigns for a Welsh Assembly and against membership of the pro-big business EU, and was a founding member of the People’s Assembly against Austerity. Father of three and grandfather of eight, a former boxer and rugby player, he is the author of books and pamphlets in English and Welsh on the economy and Welsh and working-class history. His campaign is supported by ex-Labour Party members, including two former leaders of Blaenau Gwent council. Robert says: “I’m nobody’s poodle. As your MP, I would challenge the powers that be, demanding support and investment for one of the poorest constituencies in Britain”.

Statement from whoicanvotefor.co.uk

My name is Choudhry Yasir Iqbal and I am a prospective Member of Parliament for the Workers Party of Britain. I am deeply committed to the principles and values of our party, and I am dedicated to serving the people of our community.

My political philosophy is rooted in the ten-point plan of the Workers Party of Britain. I believe in the importance of public ownership of key industries, the provision of decent housing for all, and the protection of our NHS. I am committed to fighting for workers’ rights, advocating for a living wage, and ensuring that everyone has access to quality education and training opportunities.

In line with the manifesto of the Workers Party of Britain, I am dedicated to promoting peace and cooperation on the international stage, and I am opposed to imperialist wars and interventions.

I am Choudhry Yasir Iqbal, and I am ready to represent you and fight for a fairer, more equitable society.

Information taken from candidate profile on party website.

A public relations consultant, Hannah Jarvis stood as the party’s candidate in the recent Police and Crime Commissioner election for Gwent.

She does not believe policing powers should not be devolved to Wales.

The mother-of-two from Abergavenny is a former soldier who has served in Iraq.

Born to working class parents in Newport, Niamh attended Ysgol Cymraeg Cwmbran, and then Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw.

She continued her education and went onto study international politics in Aberystwyth University, where she left with a Bachelor of Arts and Masters degree.

Since then, she briefly worked as a substitute teacher in a Welsh speaking secondary school, before getting a job with the Plaid Cymru Senedd group as a political researcher for social justice, education and the arts.

As a strong advocate for social justice and equalities, Niamh will ensure that her campaign priorities focus on tackling child poverty, supporting people through the cost-of-living crisis, reducing the attainment gap and improving prosperity across Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney.

Niamh is excited to get out and campaign in the Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney constituency, meet local people and listen to their concerns.

Information taken from candidate profile on party website.

Tell us about yourself
I attended Tredegar Comprehensive. I helped my dad in his job for Brace’s Bread, travelling around Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney. It’s where I grew up and where I now live.

What do you have to offer if you are elected? Why should people vote for you?
I’ve been an MP since 2010, serving in the Public Accounts Committee and as shadow deputy leader of the House. I’m an experienced MP who is able to get things done. I’m resilient and focused, I know how to get complex problems sorted and how to successfully campaign in Parliament. 

Why are you a party member?
I joined the Labour Party when I was 16 because I wanted to see a fairer society. The Labour Party is the best vehicle for producing the progressive policies that will benefit people in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney and across the whole UK.

What are the main issues in the constituency?
Wales is continuing to pay the price for Tory economic failure. Energy costs, food bills and mortgage rates are sky-high. People work harder than ever for less reward. Labour will deliver economic stability. We will bring forward a decade of national renewal, kickstarting growth, boosting jobs and making work pay.

After 14 years of Conservative rule, nothing seems to work anymore. I want to get our public services on their feet and help drive up living standards. With two Labour governments working together we can cut NHS waiting times, put more police on the streets and work to lower your bills.

Tell us about yourself
I come from a working-class background. My mother was a housewife and secretary, and my father was a teacher who, like many families, worked hard to put food on the table and pay the endless bills. For the past nine years, my passion has been working with vulnerable adults as a support worker and carer. This job gives me immense satisfaction, knowing that my dedication makes a real difference to those who need it most. A measure of civilization is how well it protects its most vulnerable members.

I moved to Abertillery seven years ago to start a business and soon became the secretary of the allotment I am a member of. This ignited a passion for community engagement, leading me to become a community councillor for Llanhilleth ward, which is very close to Abertillery. When parliament was dissolved and the general election process began, I knew I could step up to be a voice for the people of Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney.

What do you have to offer if you are elected? Why should people vote for you?
As an independent, I stand out in the race to be the next Member of Parliament for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney. I am the only independent voice, free from the constraints of party politics. You may think this unusual for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, but remember the late Peter Law, who won in 2005 with a landslide victory as an independent candidate.

My pledges are locally focused. After many years of top-down governance from London, I aim to reverse that trend by being present in our community as much as possible. Together, with your help, we can build a great Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney from the ground up, becoming the envy of Wales.

Why are you a party member (or why aren’t you a member of a party)?
I am not a party member because I believe party politics is the reason why the heads of the valleys and Wales as a whole have suffered a decline over several decades. This must change. I am not alone in my thinking; I have networked with other independent candidates across Wales whose constituencies share similar views. As an independent candidate, I can provide Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney with a community-based focus and a national voice that I will shout from the rooftops. My key message throughout my campaign has been consistent and memorable because it is true: I work for you.

What, in your opinion, are the main issues in your constituency?
The main issues facing Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney are predominantly infrastructure-based. There are plans for an Abertillery railway line, but there are fears that the funding may never materialize. Additionally, the bus depot in Brynmawr, once thriving, is now a shadow of its former self. Recently, schools in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney sent letters to all parents as a cry for help, making it public that there is not enough money for the education system anymore as it has been cut to the bone.

Although this sounds negative, it doesn’t have to be this way. Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney have an amazing history of innovation and success against all odds. If I am voted in as the next member of parliament, it will be my mission to rekindle this community spirit and give the area a new lease of life.