Thursday 5 August 2010

Ridge-Newman selected to fight Gower

Anthony Ridge-Newman, the Conservative candidate for Ynys Môn in the General Election, has announced via his blog that he has been selected to fight Gower in next year's Assembly elections.

Ridge-Newman surprised a lot of people (especially in the Plaid Cymru camp) with his energetic campaign and remarkable performance in the General Election: effectively doubling the Conservative vote compared to 2005, and achieving the largest pro-Conservative swing in North Wales. Just goes to show that a little drive and determination goes a long way - even on Ynys Môn.

Ynys Môn 2010 General Election Results (click to enlarge)

In Gower, Ridge-Newman will be facing veteran Labour AM and current Minister for Health and Social Services, Edwina Hart. She will be defending a majority of just 1,192 votes and could just have a fight on her hands.

Ridge-Newman's departure will of course mean that the Ynys Môn Conservatives will have to field a new candidate to fight the 2011 Assembly Elections.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The rumours about him staying put on the island to fight the next general election were wrong then!

An interesting move. He was a solid candidate and achieved a lot in a short time on Anglesey - though we shouldn't get too carried away with his vote as what he did more than anything was to draw back support away from Peter Rogers.

Interesting also that he chooses not to stand on Anglesey. A bit odd? He's already made good connections here - so why not build on them? The answer probably lies in the fact that he doesn't believe he could oust IWJ.

Despite all that is said - especially on this blog - Ieuan will win again on Anglesey. Ridge Newman running away from the fight just confirms it.

Groundhog Day said...

It's a shame really that Peter Rogers threw his toys out of the pram. A true member of any party would have thrown his weight behind the official candidate and had PR done so in the last general election perhaps Ridge-Newman might have even have ousted the bland and virtually ineffective Albert Owen. I certainly don't see the IWJ being returned at the next Assembly elections, he is a complete and utter waste of rations who has shown as deputy leader that the job is really beyond his limited capabilities.

Anonymous said...

Ridge-Newman doesn't seem to agree with you, GD.

Anonymous said...

Ridge-Newman is a surfer and the Gower Peninsula is a surfers paradise. His Anglesey Election campaign was a training excercise and at the next election he will be running for a marginal seat.

Anonymous said...

Anon 12.46. A rather cynical take on the matter ;-) But I think I agree with you. It puts his warm words about being the Tory candidate on Anglesey in rather a different light!

And interesting that you should say that he's gone for a marginal seat - implying that Anglesey isn't marginal. Which, of course, it isn't. IWJ will win again.

Anonymous said...

IWJ will find it hard to stand again, his legacy will be hopeless, jobles, gormless, toothless and useless.

Why doesn't he listen, why did he let us all down? You have to think, are they all the same, they never listen, they never help, all of their promises are like pie crusts, easily broken.

It's time for action and time to get a new start, a radical one, with the ideology of People First, for a change, instead of people last!

Huw Terry

Anonymous said...

The Conservatives will find a new candidate, that will be assured. Mr Peter Rogers will have to search inside himself a means to groom and embrace a candidate that will be, Welsh and a total thorn in the side of the Mafia that have brought this Island to it's knees, get selecting, get preparing and get the people involved, ask them what they want, and deliver, the system we have now doesn't exist.

Anonymous said...

New Fridgeman could have pulled it off if he had stayed in Ynys Mon. Plenty of Surf at Rhosneigr. As it is IWJ, utterly pathetic though he is, has to be favourite in the absence of any established contender.

If he gets in again it will show that We have a political death wish on the island, voting in the corrupt and inefectual as a matter of course.

Maybe we prefer bellyaching about our politicians to efficiency in our representatives?

Glyn Pritchard-Jones said...

ARN was a great candidate, very positive.
IWJ has failed to pursue a major project I tried to being to Anglesey providing 250+ jobs; pathetic is a mild understatement.

Old Mona said...

Anthony Ridge Newman has an excellent chance of being elected in Gower and he was without doubt the best candidate in the General Election campaign in Ynys Mon.I suspect that Plaid will throw all there pennies into the ring to ensure that IWJ is elected next May. All we can hope for is that the Tories can find another top class candidate to beat him off. I think they will.

Anonymous said...

Simple answer fellows: ARN has actually lived in the 'Real World' and wpould have done more for Anglesey than any of the 'little boys'.