A view from Carolyn Thomas – Welsh Labour’s North Wales Member of the Senedd
Wrexham.com has invited the four North Wales Members of the Senedd to write a monthly column with updates on their work. You can find their updates – along with contributions from the Wrexham and Clwyd South MPs and MSs – here.
In this month’s column for Wrexham.com, Welsh Labour MS Carolyn Thomas writes…
As a former Deputy Leader of a local authority, I know how important investing in our road network is for residents across North Wales. Our highways vary from public rights of way through woodland and fields, pavements and bridges, to our strategic road network of trunk roads and motorways maintained by Government bodies.
In the Senedd, I have been continuously campaigning for investment in a resilient highway network. We need a long-term vision to ensure that all locally-authority maintained public roads and pavement networks receive fair funding and investment to make them fit for purpose in the long term.
Why? Because they maintain the biggest and most widespread national asset for walking, cycling and public transport, all of which provide vital networking and connectivity opportunities to our communities.
Since I was elected, I have also been working on a project for the Welsh Government called ‘It’s For Them’, designed to encourage management of grass verges and amenity grass for nature.
If you have noticed that some of your local grass verges or grassy areas have been left to grow, that means they are helping to provide a blossoming home for wildlife. They provide a variety of food and habitats for insects, birds, bees and invertebrates.
Currently, one in six species in Wales are at risk of extinction. We need to act now to save them. Part of doing that is ensuring that we both protect and enhance our biodiversity. Simple changes, such as not mowing the lawn as often, or allowing grass verges to grow, can make a big difference to our ecosystem and help in the fight against climate change and environmental degradation.
Great to see the #ItsForThemNature signs in place explaining why @CyngorGwynedd Local Nature Partnerships are managing sites for nature @WGClimateChange @IoloWilliams2 pic.twitter.com/CUBHNwP76N
— Carolyn Thomas MS / AS (@CThomasMS) May 24, 2023
Universities across Wales, including Glyndwr and Bangor here in the North Wales region, are proposing to unfairly penalise workers who are intending to take part in marking and assessment boycotts as part of their dispute over eroded pay and conditions. Marking and assessment boycotts are a legitimate piece of industrial action and it is unacceptable that university management is choosing to take such a draconian position on this by deducting pay.
I have written to the Vice-Chancellors of Glyndwr and Bangor University’s to raise my concerns with their proposed deductions and asked them to rethink and act in the manner of responsible employers.
Universities across Wales are unfairly penalising workers taking part in legitimate marking and assessment boycotts.
I’ve signed @Sioned_W & @MikeHedgesAM Statement opposing this and have written to the Vice Chancellors of Glyndwr and Bangor university asking them to reconsider. pic.twitter.com/mvy77ijOlD
— Carolyn Thomas MS / AS (@CThomasMS) May 22, 2023
In Wrexham this month, I visited Plas Pentwyn Resource Centre in Coedpoeth to take part in their plant swap as well as to explore the beautiful community gardens. I also stopped by Unite Wales’ office to discuss the ongoing issues with bus transport in North Wales and to reiterate my support for their ‘Back Your Bus Route’ campaign.
I have called on the Welsh Government to launch and lead a campaign to encourage people back onto buses. In North Wales, we are lucky to benefit from the 1bws ticket, which can be used to travel anywhere across North Wales for just £6 a day. It is the largest multi-operator capping scheme anywhere in the United Kingdom. I regularly use the 1bws service and plan my journey using the excellent Traveline
Cymru website which tells me which bus to use, which bus stand to catch the bus, the operator and the bus number.”
I always like to take the opportunity to pop by the @UniteWales office in Wrexham and speak with @jowillgood76 about public transport campaigns.
Please do sign Unite’s ‘Back Your Bus Route’ petition calling for action to be taken to save Welsh bus routes: https://t.co/XmBDfMU2CJ pic.twitter.com/szGpY1lWF1
— Carolyn Thomas MS / AS (@CThomasMS) June 8, 2023
As a Member of the Senedd for North Wales, I’m here to help you with any issues that you might have. Please email me on [email protected], call my office on 0300 110 0176, or visit my website: www.carolynthomas.wales
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