Introducing Russell George – Welsh Conservative Candidate It has been a great privilege to serve as your Assembly Member for the last five years. To give a brief background, I was born in Welshpool in 1974 and attended local schools in Clatter and Caersws, then Newtown High. As a resident of the county all my life, there is no other area I would seek to represent. I had been interested in politics from a young age, and in 2008 I was elected a Town and then County Councillor, through my frustrations with local issues. Complaining seemed futile and I needed to get involved. Over the last five years, as Shadow Minister for Agriculture & Rural Affairs, I have had the fantastic opportunity to speak up for rural Mid Wales and our farming industry. Along with scrutinising the Welsh Government in this important policy area, I have been a member of the National Assembly’s Environment Committee, and also set up the Cross Party Group on Digital Communications, working to lobby Government to ensure that Mid Wales doesn’t miss out when it comes to rollout of superfast broadband and improved mobile coverage. My involvement in local campaigns has seen success in a number of transport improvement schemes leading to major decisions on the Newtown Bypass, now under construction, a new Dyfi Bridge and the hourly train service on the Cambrian Line, all essential projects to keep Montgomeryshire moving. My priorities if re-elected on 5th May will be to deliver the best possible outcome for local health care, jointly fighting for this vitally important service with our MP Glyn Davies, supporting and empowering schools, backing Montgomeryshire’s businesses and fighting for more investment in our county.
