PLAID Cymru has confirmed that Jonathan Clark will be running as its candidate for Newport West in the Senedd elections in May.

Mr Clark, who is running in his home constituency, is no stranger to election campaigns in Gwent, having stood multiple times for Plaid Cymru in Monmouth in both Parliament and the Welsh Assembly, and he was up for the Newport West by-election in 2019, losing out to Labour' Ruth Jones.

READ MORE:

Mr Clark grew up in Newport, attending St Julian’s Comprehensive, and went on to study history at the University of Wales in Lampeter, before returning to his home city to complete a Masters in Celto-Roman studies and Roman Archaeology at Cardiff University.

He has spent time working as a journalist, in public relations for the police, in public sector education, and in recruitment.

He added: “I can see no positives for Newport simply being a dormitory town for Bristol or Cardiff. I will not subscribe to the Severnside agenda, no matter how many times it gets rebranded.

“Along the coastal belt and in and around Newport and Torfaen and across Monmouthshire the last thirty years we have seen a spectacular growth in the amount of housing, much of which has never been aimed to fulfil local housing needs.

“Our city has some massive advantages; the river Usk has one of the highest rise and fall of tides in Wales, and with our history of manufacturing and industry, our city should be well placed to benefit from the development of tidal lagoons to the west and the east of the city and the harnessing of some of the tidal energy potential of the Severn estuary - with a combination of tidal turbines, wave power, off shore wind and solar power. It’s time for us to tap into our potential.

“We have had 21 years-plus of Labour maladministration. I have the ability to seek the truth and an understanding as to where it can be concealed which would be useful while working as Newport West’s representative in the Senedd.”