Jonathon Martin, Stephen Senior and Adrian Lang were asked to answer this question- You should vote for us in the Panteg election because– and this is their answer.

This is the first local election in memory where voters in Griffithstown and Sebastopol have only the choice between Conservative or Labour. There are no Liberals, no Plaids, no Greens and no Independents. That’s bad for democracy, but probably reflects the belief that nobody but Labour can win here. It is true that Labour has been in power around here for over 100 years, but you can change that if you vote. Remember that only around 40% of people normally vote – so if you don’t vote, there will be no change.

Conservatives have this year given hundreds of millions extra to councils, yet Torfaen Labour has decided to again put up your Council Tax. Over the last decade, Labour has increased it by 50% – nearly twice as much as a similar council in England. What do we have to show for this?

Sadly, Torfaen has some of the lowest school standards in Europe. A local economy can only be as successful as its education system so we MUST address this urgently. Conservatives will give parents more say in how schools work, and improve levels of accountability. Torfaen Education was inspected in early March but this report won’t be published until just after the election – disappointing given that the date of this election has been known for five years.

Torfaen has a reputation for poor roads and every year Labour blames it on the Conservatives. We didn’t decide to spend as much on one electric bin lorry as on the whole annual road maintenance programme. There are roads in Panteg that have not been resurfaced for 50 years!

Far too many pavements have to be used to store a range of bins. This is unsightly and causes an obstruction. We want bags as an alternative where houses have no storage, plus a single bin for all recycling. This would allow much more efficient collection and sorting. This happens in other parts of the country, why not here?

Conservatives know that most people here do not want more requirements for Welsh Language. In pushing this, Labour supports the Plaid Cymru Welsh Nationalist agenda.

Why are applicants being asked about Welsh for jobs that don’t require it? Why do children have a narrower range of GCSE options than those in England because of Welsh Language and Welsh Baccalaureate requirements? We know that these are examples of important questions that get little coverage because it’s a topic that is rarely discussed in public.

‘Drakeford’s Car Park’ is a reality most days around Newport. It’s not just the tunnels – that whole section of road is not fit for purpose, yet Labour thinks that getting on a bus or train is a realistic alternative. The M4 is a brake on the Welsh economy – just look at all the new business parks around Bristol but not on this side of the bridge. If you want a new M4, your only option is to vote Conservative.

Conservatives in Torfaen will work with other councils to bring a massive increase in energy production along the Severn Estuary. We know that proximity to energy brings opportunities and employment. This will include nuclear fusion, nuclear fission and the Severn Barrage.

We know that national events will influence your thinking but we urge you to remember that these are local elections and your vote will affect what happens here for many years to come. Please do use your vote, and we naturally hope that you’ll support us and our alternative policies.

Please use your THREE VOTES for Stephen Senior, Jonathon Martin and Adrian Lang

Click here to read a full list of all the candidates standing in the Torfaen County Borough Council elections on Thursday 5 May 2022.