Caerphilly County Borough Councillors Rhianon Passmore and Hefin David have been selected as the Labour Party candidates for Islwyn and Caerphilly in the upcoming Assembly Election.
The candidates were elected at a joint meeting of the Caerphilly and Islwyn Constituency Labour parties.
Cllr Passmore, who is the Cabinet Member for Education, will stand in Islwyn after Gwyn Price decided to stand down.
Meanwhile, Cllr David, who is a senior lecturer and holds a PhD in small business employment, will try and retain the Caerphilly seat following Jeff Cuthbert’s decision to leave the assembly after the election in May.
Cllr David, who represents the St Cattwg ward, said: “Caerphilly is my community, it’s where I was born and brought up and I’ve always lived here.
“I want to make a difference and do my best for everyone who lives here.”
Cllr Passmore, who represents Risca East, said: “I am delighted and very honoured to have been selected as the Labour and Co-Operative candidate for Islwyn.
“I wish to thank all our members who came out to support me. Now the hard work to put forward a loud and clear Labour message really begins.”
Both candidates were welcomed by the local MPs.
Wayne David, MP for Caerphilly, said: “I am delighted that Hefin has been selected. He is a bright, dedicated and enthusiastic young man who will be a brilliant candidate for Labour and a superb Assembly Member for the Caerphilly constituency.
“He is a local man and will bring to the Welsh Assembly a wealth of knowledge and experience. I will be working closely with Hefin in his election campaign and I very much hope to be working with him as the Assembly Member for Caerphilly.
“Our current Assembly Member is of course Jeff Cuthbert and he is a tremendous representative. Hefin will have a hard act to follow, but I could not think of anyone better to fulfil the role.”
Chris Evans, MP for Islwyn, said: “Rhianon has been active in local politics for many years and has been a fantastic champion not only for the people of Risca, but for Islwyn and Caerphilly as a whole.
“She is an excellent choice and would be a superb representative for Islwyn in the National Assembly. I look forward to working with her during her election campaign and beyond.”
Departing AM Jeff Cuthbert also welcomed the selection of Hefin David.
Mr Cuthbert said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Hefin has been selected and by such an overwhelming vote of party members.
“I have known Hefin for many years and I have complete confidence in his ability and in his commitment to social justice. As a local man Hefin knows the constituency very well. He will hit the ground running.
“However, we do not take the voters of this constituency for granted. We will be working very hard between now and the election in May to make sure that people understand what Welsh Labour will offer and why we need a Labour Government in Cardiff Bay.”
