A STRONG voice with experience is what the people of Monmouthshire can expect from senior Welsh Conservative David Davies. 

More than 70 supporters gathered in Usk on Saturday (8 June) as Mr Davies officially launched his general election campaign. 

Mr Davies will contest the new seat of Monmouthshire having served as the MP for Monmouth since 2005. 

Local man Mr Davies attended school in Caldicot and moved to Monmouth in 1999. He served in the Army Reserve and worked at British Steel, followed by a stint his family haulage company. 

Mr Davies said: “working in a small family business gave me as much experience as a university degree and taught me the importance of balancing the books and ensuring the money wasn’t wasted. These are lessons I have taken into government.” 

In a rousing speech, Mr Davies outlined his priorities for the county. 

These include leading the fight against the Welsh Labour Government’s changes to business rates, championing investment in public transport such as a new railway station in Magor – given the green light by the Conservative UK Government – and standing up for local food producers after the Labour-run Monmouthshire County Council’s botched dairy contract. 

“It is the greatest honour of my life to represent the people of Monmouthshire and it would be a privilege to continue,” said Mr Davies. 

“I have always worked hard by holding regular advice surgeries and campaigning on local issues. I am united with the agricultural community in anger at policy plans that would require farmers across Wales to give up 20 per cent of their land for tree planting and other schemes, while the Welsh Government cuts down 850,000 tonnes of trees for timber every year. 

“I opposed a 7.8 per cent council tax hike in Monmouthshire and spoke out for motorists when the Labour council suggested reintroducing tolls on the Severn bridges. I am also a long-term advocate for a bypass around Chepstow. 

“I support local traders facing higher business rates because of the Welsh Labour Government’s failure to pass on rate relief. I back parents fighting for an extra classroom at Gilwern Primary School and supporting working families campaigning for more general childcare provision. 

“I also opposed the downgrading of ambulance stations, the overnight closure of the minor injury unit at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny and challenging health bosses on chaotic scenes at the Grange University Hospital. 

“I also helped to get the £35m scheme for a cleaner River Wye.” 

Mr Davies warned the Welsh Labour Government’s performance shows the party cannot be trusted to run the UK. 

The default 20mph speed limit, forcing health boards to make cuts of over £60m while spending £120m on creating extra politicians, First Minister Vaughan Gething’s donations scandal and the £1,600 monthly payments of taxpayers’ money being issued to some asylum seekers should set “alarm bells ringing”.

As Secretary of State, Mr Davies was pleased to support UK Government economic policies which brought down inflation from over 11 per cent to just 2.3 per cent. 

He strongly supports the move to save lives in the English Channel by removing people to Rwanda if they come to the UK illegally and will continue to support affordable tax cuts. 

Monmouth Conservative Association Chairman Oliver Morgan said: “It was fantastic to see so many people attend the launch of David’s general election campaign.

I have seen first-hand that David’s priority is, and always will be, to put Monmouthshire’s residents first.”

Mr Davies’ rally came hot on the heels of Thursday’s town council by-election victory in Monmouth, which saw Conservative Martin Newell take the town ward from Labour.