The Liberal Democrats have condemned an election leaflet delivered by Plaid Cymru that makes an untrue claim about their Assembly candidate for Ceredigion, Elizabeth Evans.

The leaflet, which takes the form of a letter from Plaid Cymru candidate Elin Jones, includes the false statement that: “the Lib Dem candidate has said that she’ll be a part-time AM”.

Liberal Democrat agent Michael Woods said: “Elizabeth Evans has never said that she will be part-time AM, in fact she has made clear that she will be a full-time Assembly Member. To suggest otherwise is completely untrue, and can only be a crude and deliberate attempt to mislead voters. We consider the statement to be possibly libellous and we have instructed our lawyers to request that Plaid Cymru retract the claim.”

Elizabeth Evans said: “Representing Ceredigion in the Assembly is a full-time job and I will be a full-time AM. From my work with Mark Williams MP, I know how much time and effort is involved in helping local people effectively. I will, if elected, stand down as a county councillor at the next council elections in May 2012, but the last thing that Ceredigion council needs now is to spend thousands of pounds on an unnecessary by-election. During that 12 months I will be no different to many other councillors who also have full-time jobs, and I do not believe that it will detract from my responsibilities as an AM. Indeed, the time required for council duties will be much less than the time that Elin Jones has spent on her second job as a Government Minister during the last four years.”

Mark Williams MP also condemned the Plaid leaflet. He commented: “It is clear the wheels are coming off the Plaid campaign and they are now in panic mode. This personal attack is unjustified, desperate and utterly hypocritical. At a time when trust in politics is at an all time low, it is utterly disgraceful that Plaid Cymru are resorting to such unwarranted and deceitful campaign tactics.”

There are 18 Plaid Cymru candidates in the Assembly elections who are currently councillors, and since 1999 there have been six Plaid Cymru AMs who have continued to serve as councillors whilst sitting in the Assembly.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Candidate for Ceredigion Elizabeth Evans has today helped to launch the Welsh Liberal Democrat manifesto at an event in her home town of Aberaeron.

Commenting at the launch of the Welsh Liberal Democrat manifesto, Elizabeth Evans said:

“The election on May 5th is an election where the people of Wales will be voting for Assembly members who will make, on our behalf the decisions that will affect us, here in Ceredigion and right across Wales for the next five years.”

“Right across Ceredigion people tell me that they feel let down by the Labour / Plaid coalition in Cardiff Bay. From health service erosion at Bronglais, to letting down the agricultural community with their shambolic Glastir programme. It is simply not good enough.”

“The people of Ceredigion voted overwhelmingly for Mark Williams last year, under the leadership of Nick Clegg, this year I hope to represent the people of Ceredigion under the leadership of Kirsty Williams.”

“Nick Clegg was here in Aberaeron, just last week listening to local business people about how the Labour-Plaid government has the Labour-Plaid government has let them down. Today, we have Kirsty Williams, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats to launch our manifesto, a manifesto that will address those very concerns that I heard just last Friday.”

Commenting on the launch of the Welsh Liberal Democrat manifesto, Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said:

“This election is too important to allow the Labour Party to ignore Welsh issues. Labour and Plaid have left us with a weak economy, underfunded schools and an NHS that costs more but delivers less. The Welsh people deserve a proper conversation about how we in Wales address these issues.

“No more excuses. The Welsh Liberal Democrats believe that Wales can do better. That is why we are setting out a radical manifesto full of positive ideas to:

· Create jobs and improve our economy by offering companies £2,000 for staff training if they provide jobs to unemployed young people.

· Tackle the spending gap, providing more money for schools by targeting additional money at the 80,000 pupils who need it the most so that schools can afford to invest in the things that really matter, such as smaller class sizes or one-on-one teaching.

· Cut waiting times by cutting waste. We will improve healthcare by switching ineffective spending in the NHS to the frontline.

· Radically overhaul the energy efficiency of an extra 12,000 homes by doubling the money available for tackling fuel poverty.

· Make sure your council can deliver for you by cutting restrictions that stop them innovating and acting in the best interest of local communities.”

Responding to the launch of the Plaid Cymru manifesto, Elizabeth Evans, the Welsh Liberal Democrat’s Assembly candidate for Ceredigion said:

“Plaid Cymru says the current Government is ‘Plaid driven’ but their manifesto ignores their failure in government over the last four years.

“They say they want to create jobs but when Ieuan Wyn Jones took charge four years ago, Wales’ unemployment was below the the UK average, now it is higher than the UK average.

“They talk about making sure children read, write and count to the expected standard but under the ‘Plaid driven’ government we have seen the worst relative decline in standards in education for decades.

“They say that want to raise private money to invest in buildings but they have spent the last four years trumpeting their refusal to build hospitals that way.

“They say they want to tackle climate change but their own minister has spent £8 million pounds of tax payers’ money subsidising air flights instead of investing in public transport.

“They say they want to tackle affordable housing but they failed to increase the supply of affordable housing by 6,500 as promised.

“Plaid say they stand up for rural communities but every farmer knows that it is a Plaid minister that has presided over the unmitigated disaster of Glastir, the agri-environmental scheme.

“Plaid didn’t even deliver on the Welsh language, promising a Welsh language newspaper that never materialised and failing to ensure official status for the Welsh language.

“Plaid may not like it but they share responsibility with Labour for their failure to deliver for the people of Wales. Wales doesn’t need any more ‘Plaid-driven’ government.”

The Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon. Nick Clegg MP came to Ceredigion last Friday to speak to local businesses about the local, rural economy.

Welcomed by local MP Mark Williams and the Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly candidate for Ceredigion Elizabeth Evans in her home town of Aberaeron, he spoke to local traders from across the county in The Hive on Aberaeron Harbour.

Issues raised ranged from the banking crisis, to business rates, to unnecessary red tape, to the housing market. Nick answered the questions alongside Elizabeth in what was an informal set-up and there was enough time for traders from New Quay, Lampeter, Cardigan, Aberaeron and Aberystwyth to get their questions in.

Commenting afterwards, Elizabeth said:

“It has been decades since a high ranking UK Government Minister has come to Ceredigion to talk to local people about their concerns, on their terms.

“I’m pleased that Nick Clegg has broken that lack of dialogue from previous Labour and Conservative Governments by coming to Ceredigion to speak to members of our business community face-to-face.

“It’s a difficult time for the Government in Westminster at present as they seek to put the economy back on the road to recovery but in the meantime, it’s vital that they listen to the feelings of those of us who live here in rural Wales so that we’re not forgotten as we have been no for so many years. Having the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister in our county will therefore demonstrate that with Liberal Democrats in government, we are ready to listen before we make decisions that effect local people”.

As of yesterday, Wednesday 6 April 2011, every pensioner will get a guaranteed rise in their state pension matching the highest of inflation, increase in average earning or 2.5%. This means that this year 10.927 pensioners in Ceredigion will get a rise of £4.50 a week, totalling £2.6m of extra money for pensioners in Ceredigion.

This is the start of pension reform under this Government. On Monday 4 April 2011, Liberal Democrat Pension Minister, Steve Webb announced that the Government will be introducing a flat-rate pension of £140.

Commenting, Ceredigion’s Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly candidate Elizabeth Evans said:

“During these difficult times, Liberal Democrats in Government are making a real difference for today’s pensioners.

“Many pensioners will remember Labour’s pitiful rise in the state pension of 75p, which was frankly insulting. This Coalition Government has given pensioners a guaranteed rise of inflation, an increase in average earning or 2.5%, whichever is the highest, from this year on.

“I know this will be a great help for the 10.927 pensioners in Ceredigion as a pensioner retiring today can expect to receive around £15,000 more in basic pension over the course of their retirement than they would have done under Labour.”

Commenting further, Liberal Democrat Pensions Minister, Steve Webb said:

“The bold commitment of triple guarantee of a rise in the state pension by the highest of inflation, the rise in earnings or 2.5% will make the pension system fairer – but Liberal Democrats in Government will not stop there. That is why I have announced the Government will be bringing in a single flat-rate pension of £140 a week.

“We will replace a complex pension system, in which many people don’t know to what they are entitled and so are losing out, with a single, simple, decent flat-rate state pension.

“This will make life simpler for people who are at work today, making choices about savings for tomorrow. People who save at work will know that they are better off, not means-tested as a result.”

“This new flat rate will particularly benefit women and will ensure future pensioners have the guarantee of a decent future, something the Liberal Democrats have been campaigning on for years and are now delivering in Government.”

Ceredigion’s Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Candidate has launched her “Student Manifesto”, a document which outlines how both she and the Welsh Liberal Democrats will stand up for Ceredigion’s students, at both Aberystwyth & Lampeter Universities in Cardiff Bay if elected.

Speaking on the launch of her manifesto, Elizabeth Evans said:

“I firmly believe that students play an important role in the life of Ceredigion and that it is essential for both politicians & political parties to recognise the contributions that students make, both to the local economy and to life in the constituency as a whole”

“As an AM, I would follow the example of our MP, Mark Williams and stand up for Ceredigion’s students & young people. The student community, although it’s members may be transitory is a permanent factor of this constituencies life and they deserve representation, in both Westminster & Cardiff Bay.”

“It is sad that so few young people bother to turn out and vote in elections, as the decisions made by those elected can have massive repercussions for them. My manifesto lays out the positive differences that I believe I & my party can make for students in Ceredigion and I hope you will take the time to read them.”

You can read Elizabeth Evans Student Manifesto here:

Yn Cymraeg / In English

From today, around 900 people in Ceredigion will no longer have to pay Income Tax and a further 20,000 will get £200 extra in their pockets.

Liberal Democrats in Government secured a rise in the Income Tax threshold, the point from which people start paying their taxes, of £1,000 to £7,475 which comes into force today.

Across Britain nearly 900,000 people will be lifted out of paying Income Tax while around 23m basic-rate tax payers will get an extra £200 in their pockets.

This increase is the first step toward the Liberal Democrat commitment to raise the Income Tax threshold to £10,000, with a further rise of the threshold was announced in the budget for 2012.

Commenting, Ceredigion’s Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly candidate Elizabeth Evans said:
“At a time when people are worried about their personal finances, this tax cut will help millions of people.

“Here in Ceredigion, 20,000 local residents will get an extra £200 to spend this year and I know this will make a real difference.

“I am proud that thanks to Liberal Democrats in Government, almost a million people will be lifted out of paying tax altogether across the country – 900 of those here in Ceredigion – while 23m people will get a tax cut.

“One way we are paying for this is by taxing the banks more, £10bn more, so they pay their share.”This tax cut is straight from the front page of our manifesto to the pockets of 23m tax payers.”

Commenting further, Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg said:

“We have to make difficult decisions but we can still make life fairer and that’s what Liberal Democrats in government and across Britain are doing.

“From today Liberal Democrats have delivered a £200 income tax cut to every basic rate taxpayer, and there’s more to come – our ambition is a country where no one pays any income tax on the first £10,000 they earn.

“These are the kind of decisions Liberal Democrats are making in Government to make life just that little bit easier for people who are facing difficult times.”