Islwyn’s Labour Assembly Member Gwyn Price has announced he will stand down at the 2016 Assembly election.
Mr Price, who succeeded Irene James in the seat in 2011, said he would not be seeking re-election to spend more time with his family.
Labour’s Caerphilly Council leader Harry Andrews said: “Gwyn has given sterling service to the people of Islwyn and Caerphilly, firstly as my deputy leader on Caerphilly Council until 2008, and lately as Islwyn’s AM.
“He’s been a great support to Caerphilly Council at the Assembly and will be very much missed when he steps down in 2016.”
Who's offering odds on the likely runners and riders?
Anyone but nigel dix.
Like `Jan` I have doubts that the replacement for this Assembly Member may not be Nigel Dix, But I suspect we come to this `view` from different starting points.
Jan appears to be saying `Not Nigel Dix at any cost`, I am saying it is `unlikely` to be Nigel Dix because the local Labour Party apparatchiks, the movers and shakers who work all the strings, are of the view that Nigel is a `disruptive Labour Party Member` who has the temerity to have an opinion and a mind of his own, all this despite the undeniable fact that his constituents elected him to office of public representative, and, he therefore enjoys equal position to all other elected Labour representatives on Caerphilly Council, and,in fact, a more popularised position than all those Labour people who have never put themselves forward for public selection, but who will select the candidate to replace Gwyn Price.
It is about time that Labour movers and shakers realised that to be “outspoken` to hold personal opinions on the way a Councillor should represent his or her constituents,and not to blindly follow where others lead is an asset to the local party and not something to `fear`. It broadens the way the local electorate view local politics and gives them an opportunity to elect someone who thinks and acts `out of the box`. People want that in their local representatives, not those who will be lead by the nose and who are scared to express an opinion if it does not sit with the official party line.
For all the above reasons I agree with Jan it is unlikely to be Nigel Dix who replaces Gwyn Price.
Perhaps a distant relation of the kinnocks who lives in anywhere but not islwyn will go for it.
Who really cares who is selected? It will not be Nigel Dix, who is an effective, intelligent councillor. It will undoubtedly be someone who does not scare the Labour party horses. This is exactly the way the Welsh nationalists pick their candidates too, which is why most people do not vote.
My view is that the Welsh Assembly should be dismantled forthwith and its current powers be devolved to councils. This would both save money and lead to a better democratic representation.
I have never met Trefor Bond and am at a loss to understand why he would like to impose Dix on Islwyn? Cllr Dix is a compulsive letter writer, who does nothing for Blackwood. Where is Morrison?
Dix has lauded his integrity, but has he gone public over the pay scandal despite resigning from Blackwood Town Council because, he claimed Perkins was gagging him, his silence is deafening.
His many many letters denouncing the condem government have all proved to be wrong, the economy is on the uo, more and more people are in work and despite Dix I hope the campaign against benefits continues. No Dix has nothing to offer except a visit from Gwent Police if you disagree with him.
Could Cllr Dix be a love child of Trefor Bond? nepotism is wide spread in Wales labour, look to the effect on intellect of labour councilors Am's and MP's of all that interbreeding.
Mr L Turner
Elaine Forehead odds on for it I heard.
Nigel dix has done nothing for Blackwood so how anyone can say he is an effective councillor baffles me.
why don’t you stand in Blackwood at the next election ,
government debt up ( £190 Billion) , failed to eliminate the defect, borrowed twice that of the last labour government, wages equivalent to 2001 , wages growing at 0.2% with infatuation at 1.8% , G.D.P will not reach that of 2007 until 2017 , recovery , what recovery
you are easy baffled I see .,