Labour’s Assembly candidate for Caerphilly, Hefin David, has told small business owners they “are not just engines for employment” during a election event at the Welsh Innovation Centre for Enterprise (ICE).
Mr David, who is also a Caerphilly County Borough councillor, was speaking at start-up business centre Welsh ICE, based on Caerphilly Business Park, as part of a pre-election event jointly organised by it and Caerphilly Observer.
The Labour candidate made mention of his opposition to the controversial draft Local Development Plan (LDP), which is currently under public consultation.
Welsh Labour has pledged business rate relief for small firms along with 100,000 new apprenticeships if they are re-elected in May’s Assembly elections.
Speaking at the event, held on Friday, April 1, Cllr David said: “Labour has given around 50,000 apprenticeships to 16 to 24-year-olds, and the idea now is to provide them for all ages.
“On a personal level, I want people to find meaningful work, so when people seek employment it’s the kind of work that you can provide them. I don’t want you as business owners to think that you are just engines for employment. We want to find people who you will want to employ and who will be a benefit for you.
“This is as much about skills, as it is about jobs.”
Cllr David, who works as a university lecturer in business and employment relations, also spoke of his desire to create a forum for Caerphilly businesses based in the town to connect and share information.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s proposed LDP has been a topic of contention throughout the borough, and Mr David told his gathered audience he believed LDPs “simply do not work”.
“You’ve got 22 LDPs from 22 local authorities from across Wales at different times for different purposes. The Caerphilly LDP is primarily about building houses, which means more traffic on the surrounding roads.
“As soon as you get to Cardiff, there is an entirely different strategy. They want cars off the road, creating pinch-points around the city. The two are not connected very well at all, which is why I didn’t support the LDP.
“I think we need a strategic LDP for South East Wales, which means local authorities working together not only to look at their housing needs, but their road needs, their transport needs, and their business needs, as one.
“My politics is about pragmatism and what can be done. If I’m elected to the Assembly I’m going to make it my mission to have a strategic, all-encompassing Local Development Plan which will alleviate some of the problems.”
Caerphilly Observer has invited all of the parties standing for election in the Caerphilly constituency to speak to small businesses based at Welsh ICE in the run-up to the election on May 5.
There must be an election coming up ………
Try talking to the electorate and explain why your party has supported developers over the people of Caerphilly County.
Exactly, spot on, The Welsh Nationalist have to explain why they allowed the gross over development of certain parts of Caerphilly Town, and then complain about it in Council Meetings of the Town Council, explain why they produced a LDP in 2010 which after public consultation had to be rewritten and why they failed to prevent the over development of already over populated areas and severe strain on the local infrustructure, Doctors surgeries, roads, drains and sewers, and schools. all overseen by the last Nationalist run Council, a Council which the public totally rejected at the last election, and will do again in the Assembly Elections in May.
It`s Labour that are supporting plans to build on the green field of Caerphilly – disgraceful
Sounds about right to me.
and the people say …. ” Hefin who ??? “
And its the people who will shortly be saying goodby the The Welsh Nationalist Candidate in the Assembly Elections, Mr Whittle, who will be beaten by Sam Gould into, at best, Third Place, and your rude rediculous disrespectful comments are not helping Mr Whittle. Your Welsh Nationalist Colleague.