Voting campaigns to put spotlight on area

THE coming year will be a big one politically in Carmarthenshire with voters heading to polling stations at least three times.

Votes will be sought in Assembly elections and in referenda about the UK voting system and the powers of the Assembly.

Campaigning will soon begin in earnest for the March 3 referendum on whether the Welsh Assembly should have the power to make its own laws in all the areas it is responsible for.

Yes campaigners will argue it is an important move towards improving the efficiency of governing Wales by removing the need to gain London's permission to pass laws on all matters in the Assembly's 20 subject areas.

But those opposed to the changes look set to argue it is a move towards separatism by a body they believe has not made good use of the powers it has.

Turnout could be an important factor. Only half the electorate voted in the 1997 referendum on whether the Assembly should be created so the more technical question this time around might fail to enthuse voters.

Apathy is a yes camp fear, despite polling suggesting higher turnout could favour the no campaign.

An ICM poll conducted in November for the BBC found 57 per cent backed a yes vote, but this rose to 70 per cent among those who expressed an intention to vote.

Carmarthenshire is likely to be a campaign focal point after the yes votes in the county were enough for the pro-devolution effort to squeak home in 1997.

On May 5, electors will be asked to pick their AMs for the next four years and the UK government also plans to hold its referendum on whether the voting method for general elections should be altered, although campaigners in Scotland and Wales are pushing for the date to be moved to avoid a clash with the elections in the devolved nations.

Again a spotlight is likely to fall on the county given the close contest for the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire seat.

Angela Burns won the seat for the Tories with a majority of just 98 from Labour's Christine Gwyther.

Miss Gwyther's hopes of reclaiming the seat she held until 2007 will be heartened by polls suggesting a bounce in Labour support in Wales since the general election.

But Nerys Evans, the Carmarthen-based Mid and West Wales AM, is also pushing hard for the seat where her party came only 250 votes behind Mrs Burns in 2007.

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