Assembly Candidates Grilled on EU Membership, NHS & North Wales

Welsh Assembly election candidates declared their stance on the upcoming EU Referendum, NHS privatisation and north Wales at a hustings event held at Wrexham Glyndwr University.

With the election less than two months away some of the region’s political party candidates were quizzed by an audience, made up of the region’s business leaders, in a Question Time style event on last Friday.

The audience pitched questions to Welsh Conservative Mark Isherwood, Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth, Michelle Brown of Ukip, Labour’s Sion Jones, Aled Roberts of the Liberal Democrats and Duncan Rees of the Green Party.

North Wales Liberal Democrat AM Mr Roberts said he was voting to stay in the EU, as well as Mr Jones, Mr Iorwerth and Mr Rees.

He said: “I want our young people to get plenty of opportunities and look outwards. In Wales we see a lot more coming in than we put back into the EU.”

Mr Rees added: “Europe isn’t perfect but just like Westminster, it doesn’t mean we pull out.”

The event brought together leading North Wales business figures and was moderated by ITV Wales reporter Carole Green.

As well as the EU referendum, education and NHS spending came under the spotlight at the event, which was held at the university’s Catrin Finch Centre and organised by the UK’s business organisation CBI in partnership with IOD Wales.

Huw Jones from Jones Bros, civil engineering firm based in Ruthin, asked the panel what the next Welsh Government could do to make a tangible difference to people in North Wales.

Mr ap Iorwerth said: “We need to build our confidence up in North Wales, to have the skills and the businesses to help us grow. I want North Wales to become its own powerhouse.”

In relation to helping businesses and the Welsh economy, Ms Brown said: “I think we should focus on making it cheaper for businesses to set up and to employ other people.”

A question asked over Twitter by Joanne Thomas, from Buckley, about improving the NHS caused a stir among the candidates regarding privatisation.

Mr Rees said: “I believe we could bring in private sector expertise, but not as in privatisation, outside expertise could help make our money go further.

“Private sector business acumen could help NHS spend the money much more efficiently – we need to look at a new way to deliver health.”

The hustings was one of several to take place in Wrexham ahead of the Welsh Assembly Elections on May 5th, with the Party Leaders participating in a debate at the Catrin Finch Centre on Wednesday 30th March.