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Laura Anne Jones, of the Conservatives, is one of four regional Senedd Members serving the South Wales East region.

In her latest blog for Caerphilly Observer, Conservative Senedd Member for South Wales East Laura Anne Jones announced she has been selected to stand for Monmouthshire and Torfaen at the next election.

‘Very tough decision’

I’ve made no secret of the fact I am deeply opposed to plans to put 36 more unwanted Senedd Members in Cardiff Bay.

I know that people in Caerphilly want to see political parties focused on growing the number of doctors, teachers and dentists, and even growing the economy, rather than growing the number of politicians down in the Senedd.

But Labour and Plaid Cymru have decided to go ahead with their plans for more MSs, without a vote of the Welsh public.

This unwanted change is part of a wider package of electoral reform Labour and Plaid are pushing through, which will include a dramatic change to how people are represented in Caerphilly, including not being able to vote for a person, only a Party. Making MS’s more beholden to their Parties, rather than their constituents, which I think is appalling.

As it stands, Caerphilly has a local constituency representative in the Senedd, and then four additional representatives who are elected to represent the region of South Wales East.

Going forward, Caerphilly will be paired with neighbouring Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney to become a ‘super constituency’ represented by six Senedd Members.

As a result, regional MSs like me who have the privilege of representing Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Newport, Blaenau Gwent, Islwyn and Merthyr, have to make a decision about where to represent going forward.

It was a very tough decision, but because I live there, grew up there and send my children to school there, I have chosen, and now been selected to stand for, Monmouthshire and Torfaen (in new seat Sir Fynwy Torfaen).

It’s been an absolute pleasure and privilege to help represent the people of Caerphilly, and with more than a year to go before the Senedd elections, I will still continue to do so for some time yet.

Caerphilly is somewhere where I will always hold dear, having been the very first place that I stood for election to the then Welsh Assembly in 2003. It is a community with unrivalled passion and its spirit, and gave me a welcome that I’ll never forget.

“I hope that the people who step up to take forward Caerphilly’s interests in the Senedd after the next election will work with the community, and focus on delivering top class services that your area deserves, rather than unwanted, unpopular electoral reforms.”

Ukraine

Earlier this month I travelled to Ukraine with colleagues from across the Senedd. As a single Mum, I have to say that I was nervous about travelling to an active warzone, but the courage, strength and resilience shown by the Ukrainian people who “just get on with it” was inspiring.

While in Kyiv, we marked the 90th anniversary of the death of Gareth Jones, the Welsh-born journalist who uncovered the Soviet famine of the 1930s, and met with Ukrainian officials and Kyiv Council to choose a location for a permanent plaque to mark his legacy.

Hearing the air raid sirens, and rushing into bomb shelters, was a stark illustration of what life is like in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

The devastating impact this unwanted war was having on innocent children and families was heartbreaking.

The people we met drew such strength from us being there they said, which made it all worthwhile. For them and for democracy, we must continue to stand with its people in the face of this aggression.