Mike O’Carroll is a local resident and long-term local campaigner who will contest the Swansea West constituency for the Welsh Liberal Demcorats at the next election. He is a former business owner and former Army reservist who currently lives in the Sandfields, having moved to Swansea 10 years ago.
Mike’s political priorities are fixing our NHS, tackling the cost of living crisis, and delivering a fair deal on tax and benefits. He believes that the UK and Welsh governments should be making long-term investment in the jobs of the future, such as in green energy and environmental management, and improving both the quantity and quality of apprenticeships to ensure a skilled and well-paid workforce, supporting the local economy.
Commenting on his selection Mike O’Carroll stated:
“With the new constituency boundaries for Swansea West, it’s a straight fight between myself and the Labour candidate. The Conservatives and Plaid Cymru have no councillors at all in the new seat and I’m asking Conservative and Plaid supporters to lend me their vote to beat Labour here. I'll be standing up to Labour’s nanny state and putting forward my plan to get Wales working with free childcare support, investment in green energy, and a fair deal on tax and benefits”.
He added: “It is clear that in the next election that the country needs change that will deliver economic growth with a fair deal at its core. I and the Welsh Liberal Democrats will be campaigning to deliver a fair deal on jobs, the cost of living, and our NHS. The next election will be a real chance to deliver change in Swansea and I’m asking people to back me to deliver that.”
Swansea Council opposition group leader, Cllr Chris Holley OBE, commented:
“Mike is a great candidate for change in Swansea. He’s local, hard-working, level-headed and not afraid to speak his mind. For too long Wales and Swansea have been dominated by the Labour party and they have let us down. It’s time for a new approach, and having worked with Mike for many years, I think he is just the man for the job.”
Welsh Labour Minister, Julie James' pact with developers to fix buildings affected by Building Fire Safety concerns has been branded “not worth the paper it is written on” by local campaigners.
Sadly, on 5 April, Swansea Council’s Planning Committee approved a planning application to build 101 homes on part of Olchfa School’s playing fields. This was despite the online petition with just under 300 signatures and nearly 120 individual letters of objection. Significant issues were raised over the safety of school pupils and pedestrians, increased flooding risk, environmental damage, increased traffic in the area, and the impact on local residents living close to the site, as well as the permanent loss of open green space.
