THE LEADER of Swansea Council is standing as a prospective member of the Senedd (MS) at next year’s elections and he’s likely to face keen competition from within Labour Party ranks.
Cllr Rob Stewart said he believed he could offer a wealth of experience and a track record of getting things done.
West Cross councillor Rebecca Fogarty is also standing for the newly-created Gwyr Abertawe constituency and, as a parent of two young children, said she felt young families needed more representation in the Senedd.
Voters from 16 large new constituencies in Wales go to the polls next May to decide who will run the country. However, instead of voting for a specific candidate, voters will vote for a party.
In every constituency, parties will have a list of ranked candidates, and the number of people elected from each party’s list will depend on the proportion of votes won by that party. Six MSs will represent each of the 16 constituencies, taking the total to 96. Wales currently has 60 MSs.
How parties rank their candidates is of particular relevance. They’ll really want to ensure their best candidates top the list in a constituency where the vote is likely to be spread between parties. In such cases, a party might only end up with one or two out of six MSs.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has been told there are several Labour candidates on a shortlist for Gwyr Abertawe but the Welsh Labour Party hasn’t confirmed the number or who they all are.
The shortlist won’t include current Swansea West MS Julie James and Gower MS Rebecca Evans, as they’re stepping down, but does include Swansea East MS Mike Hedges. He is ranked number one for Labour for the constituency but no other rankings have been done yet.
Cllr Stewart said: “We have a significant amount of experience stepping down from the Senedd, and we are entering a different type of Senedd.
“Therefore, having been leader of Swansea Council for 11 years I believe I can bring a huge amount of experience to the Senedd for Labour.”
He became a councillor just over 20 years ago and then council leader in 2014. He is also deputy leader of the Welsh Local Government Association, which lobbies on behalf of the country’s 22 councils.
The 53-year-old is a Swansea University graduate who worked as a civil servant including for the DVLA. For a while he used to be a DJ at wedding parties, pubs and clubs.
“I think I have got a strong record of delivery in Swansea, not just promising stuff but getting it done,” he said. He added that his focus would very much remain on his council leader role in the coming months.
Cllr Fogarty is a Mumbles community councillor and, since 2022, a Swansea councillor too. She chairs a council climate change and nature recovery committee and is assistant cabinet member for climate change and nature recovery.
She said she used to have an advocacy role which involved speaking to Welsh Government officials and ministers, plus a stint working for health body Public Health Wales.
“From my experience I know how much Welsh Government decisions have far-reaching impact, particularly on young families,” said Cllr Fogarty, who has children aged 4 and 1. “But we (young families) remain under-represented.”
Asked if some people might perceive her to be lacking political experience, she said: “I would say that politics is everywhere. You don’t have to be a politician to do politics.”
On Labour as a party, the 34-year-old said: “Labour stands for voters having the opportunity to thrive regardless of their circumstances, and knowing what matters to them is going to be represented by their elected officials at all levels.”
Cllr Victoria Holland, who represents Pontlliw and Tircoed, is also among those on Labour’s Gwyr Abertawe shortlist.
