One of the things I really enjoy about the run up to Christmas is my Christmas card competition. For a number of years now, I have organised a Christmas card competition for the children of the constituency. This year I asked that the children to design a Christmas card on the theme of a Welsh snowman.
I am delighted to be able to report that the winner is Elinor Bradley, a pupil at Cwrt Rawlin Primary School, Caerphilly. The runners up were Ellis Muller, a pupil at Llanfabon Infant School, and Ciaran Butler, who attends Rhydri Primary School.
It is fair to say that each of the children who had prizes were absolutely delighted. I went to the schools of each of the three children and it gave me an opportunity to meet other school children and their teachers. The excitement and expectation of children in the weeks before Christmas is really quite something!
Another school I visited the other week was the new St James Primary School in Pen Y Cae, Caerphilly. Mr Bridges, the headteacher, is retiring shortly and he is justifiably proud of the new school. It really is wonderful, with state of the art equipment, providing the best possible facilities and learning environment for the children of the area.
But as I went round the school with Mr Bridges, I couldn’t help think that this is probably one of the last new primary schools we will see in the Caerphilly area for a good many years. With a double dip recession breathing down our necks, it is clear that public expenditure will be constrained for many years to come, certainly if this current Government stays in power for very much longer.
It is all too easy for people to watch or listen to the news, where economists and politicians exchange different views and not be aware of what economic policies mean in real terms. When you go to a marvellous new school, like St James, it is brought home to you just how important public expenditure is. This is particularly true in an area like Caerphilly where private wealth is in short supply.
This might seem a slightly gloomy message, but children always remind me that Christmas is about optimism and goodwill. When I leave Parliament for the Christmas break, I can assure you that it is about the children of Caerphilly that I will be thinking and not the government of Britain.
Wishing a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my constituents!
Wayne David
Labour MP for Caerphilly
"When I leave Parliament for the Christmas break, I can assure you that it is about the children of Caerphilly that I will be thinking"
Aw Shucks.
Good of `Glyndo` to remind us the seasonal sentiments of our MP, but, what our very hard working and well respected Member of Parliament actually said was,
"When I leave Parliament for the Christmas break, I can assure you that it is about the children of Caerphilly that I will be thinking and not the government of Britain".
Which puts `Gyndo`s` `cutting and pasting job` in proper, respectful, perspective.