Bob Hayward was born in Newport and has had his home in South East Wales all his life. After graduating in Civil Engineering at Leeds University he spent three years in the Antarctic studying the effects of climate change on glaciers.

He then joined a major engineering company and spent several years overseas working on major projects before returning with his family to the UK. After 28 years he retired as director in order to devote more of his time to politics.

His business skills and experience have helped in Monmouthshire County Council being identified as one of the most efficient in Wales.

He is also a board member of the South East Wales Transport Alliance which has done so much to reopen the railway line from Ebbw Vale to Cardiff.

Bob believes that with their history of hard work, their love of knowledge and their sense of belonging, the people of South Wales should have been enjoying the fruits of prosperity, not just along the M4 corridor but throughout the region. Under Labour leadership Wales has fallen behind the rest of the UK and there is a growing gap between rich and poor.

Money has been squandered in administration and bureaucracy and has not been invested wisely where real benefits could have been obtained.

Conservatives have been encouraging enterprise by campaigning for rate relief for small businesses. We need to attract energetic entrepreneurs to start new businesses and industries in South East Wales to increase employment and utilise the skilled workforce that exists.

We are determined to build a stronger economy based on sound public finances and we are committed to building a responsible society with stronger families and communities.

Now that the scale of the mismanagement of the Labour Government in Westminster has become apparent and savings have to be made. Labour is targeting the NHS for cuts in Wales of £1 billion.

Conservatives have been fighting to protect the NHS budget in Wales. No wonder that we feel that we can’t go on like this and have lost all faith with the Labour controlled Assembly.

If Labour are returned to power in The Welsh Assembly it will be four more years of the same inefficient top heavy administration with the result that Welsh standards will fall further behind those of England. It is a time for change with the promise of a better future.