Candidates for the Vale of Clwyd speak about what's important to them as the General Election looms

Mr Ruane has been the MP for the Vale of Clwyd since 1997. He lost his seat in 2015 to James Davies, Welsh Conservative, and then reclaimed in at the snap election in 2017.

Chris is married with two daughters. Prior to being elected to parliament in 1997, he was a primary school teacher.

Mr Ruane said he backs a £10 minimum wage, “confirmatory” EU referendum and the revival of plans for a tidal lagoon off the Rhyl coast.

He feels UK Government policies since 2010 have “affected the poorest in society” and would be reversed under Labour.

He said the five-week wait for Universal Credit payments and the bedroom tax “have caused the national economy to be underpinned by foodbanks”.

Mr Ruane, who voted to remain in the 2016 referendum, said he “fully supports” Labour’s pledge for a second referendum as a “confirmatory vote”.

“We were told in 2016 that Brexit would be the easiest deal in history, that the UK will not be a penny worse off and there will be £300m available for the NHS every week, but this has since been disputed,” he said.

Mr Ruane, who chairs the mindfulness all-parliamentary group, said Labour’s pledge to boost to NHS funding would reverse work stress from increasing in the public sector.

“More people are becoming ill and needing the NHS so we need to invest in it,” he said.

“The NHS is a national treasure that we have got to protect from a trade deal with Donald Trump. It has a £130bn budget and US medical companies want to get in on the action."

Mr Ruane said Brexit has created huge divisions across the country which need to be healed.

"We also need to address the growing environmental problems caused by climate change such as flooding and the problem of mental health issues in young people," he added.

"I will continue to work extensively with parents, children and providers to ensure services are as complete as possible.

"I would continue to work cross-party on a wide range of issues such as Mindfulness to promote wellbeing and a thriving future for Wales."

----------

Dr James Davies is the parliamentary candidate for the Welsh Conservatives.

Dr Davies is married to Nina and has two sons. He has been a doctor in the NHS for 15 years. He said health, social care and local regeneration will be his top priorities - after Brexit.

“It’s a marginal seat, it’s not a safe seat, of course it’s not,” Dr Davies said.

“We need to win this seat to have a majority government. So, there’s every chance, I think, with the positivity of Boris Johnson and the current political climate, I could win it back. And obviously I am fighting to do.”

In regards to what issues he would like to pick up again, after losing his seat in the 2017 election, Dr Davies said: "I think number one is the NHS, and of course, it is difficult because it is a devolved issue. Even more difficult because I think a good half of people, the electorate don’t realise it is devolved and therefore trying to work out who is responsible and to make sure there are democratic decisions being made on the reality is very difficult.

"I recognise that the NHS in North Wales is in a very bad state and people are being let down.

"The other one is the infrastructure and the economy really because of you look at the areas of the constituency that struggle. The forward is for them to become more wealth generating, more prosperous and to do that we need business, business groups and a strong economy.

"I became a bit of a rail enthusiast as an MP and I spent a very long time trying to press it through the Welsh Affairs Select Committee and through the Secretary of State for Transport.

"The 2017 election was meant to be about Brexit and people put faith in their often party of choice, their usual party of support," Dr Davies added.

"I am hearing quite a lot who voted one way for a very long time who are switching their votes this time because they are fed up with Parliament, and the fact that we are getting nowhere with Brexit three years after the democratic decision.”

----------

Gavin Scott is the parliamentary candidate for the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

Mr Scott runs industrial printing firm Labelsprint in Rhyl.

The 47-year-old, who is married with three children, feels ‘honoured’ to be selected and is ‘excited’ at the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the area.

“The Lib Dems are the only party standing up for those who don’t want to suffer the impact of Brexit,” Mr Scott said.

"I see the economy, and encouraging and supporting businesses in our area, as paramount. I see Brexit has having the potential to weaken us further and to make life even harder here for people needing good stable employment. I want to help to stop this damaging madness from impacting on our economy.

"I first moved here as a teenager and I went to school here. In fact, I met my wife in Rhyl and we live in Prestatyn today where our kids all went to school.

"This area is more than just a family home for us and in 2005 I established a manufacturing business here which I still own and run, and which now employs 11 people.

"Creating a business here and contributing to the local economy and wealth have always been important principles to me in my business life.

"I do not want to look back and say - I could have voted to stop this!

"Voting for the Liberal Democrats is the only thing that makes sense if you don't want to leave the EU.

"It is time to focus on the only party that can and will stop Brexit."

-----

Glenn Swingler is the candidate for Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales.

Mr Swingler is a county councillor for Upper Denbigh and Henllan. The mental health support worker, 56, is married and is a father of two. He returned from Spain to live in Denbigh 10 years ago.

Mr Swingler feels “Westminster does not work for Wales” and has called for further devolution of power “to make our own decisions that affect us”.

He said: “Whichever main party is voted in won’t work for Wales,” he said. “Unless Plaid Cymru is in Parliament, Wales will only get lip service despite being the poorest nation in West Europe.”

The former Rhyl bingo caller and Denbigh postman said he would push for increased funding for Wales and work to stop “the blame game” between the UK Government and Welsh Government “over benefits, pay and housing problems while people in North Wales suffer”.

He also backs Plaid Cymru’s pledge for a second referendum in which it would campaign to remain in the EU.

He said: "Wales is the fifth largest exporter of energy in the world and gets £245m more back from the EU than it pays in, but many of the jobs that are directly linked to EU exports could be lost."

Mr Swingler said that devolution of social care, police, the judiciary and the media would also benefit Welsh society.

“Scotland has these powers thanks to support for the SNP and that’s what we need to do in Wales,” he added.

“Westminster does not work for Wales and having devolved powers would mean that we can make our own the decisions that affect us.”

Mr Swingler also believes an independent Wales could become a world leader in renewable energy, which “is vital not just in Wales, the UK or the EU but worldwide”.

“We have a highly trained workforce and the resources to set the global standard for a green energy revolution,” he said.

In his campaign leaflet, Mr Swingler outlines his policies as Welsh Green Jobs Revolution, Caring for Everyone, A Fair Deal for Families, Action on Housing and Combating Crime.

----

Peter Dain is standing for the Brexit Party.

Mr Dain lives with his civil partner of 25 years and their five adopted sons who all speak Welsh fluently.

The primary school teacher and consultant in outdoor education for early years pupils grew up in South London but has lived in Wales for 29 years.

Mr Dain has a passionate belief in democracy and hopes to represent the constituency’s majority support for leaving the EU.

"Brexit needs delivering first and foremost as a matter of urgency, everyone in the Vale of Clwyd including those who voted to remain in the EU are entitled to a proper functioning and effective political system," he said.

"I want to focus on issues that are relevant to us all, not just Brexit, which the older parties are failing to deliver"

Mr Dain said his focus is on the following local issues:

- To ensure that the community is represented nationally by a politician who champions, uses and understands local issues, services and people.

- Much needed regeneration of local high streets and towns, promoting local businesses and an environment of entrepreneurship. Zero business rates on our high streets.

- Campaigning to support vulnerable children and their parents in the Vale of Clwyd.

Mr Dain was brought up on a Council Estate in South London. He attended Aberystwyth University.