大象传媒 News - People's Assembly

3 February 2011 Last updated at 04:10

People's Assembly 2011

As Wales prepares for the referendum on more powers for the assembly on 3 March, the 大象传媒 has put together the People's Assembly.

It is a group of 60 voters who will help us show how the campaign is playing out in their communities.

Many of them will be giving their views on the 大象传媒 Wales news website, TV and radio ahead of the referendum in a few weeks time.

The 60 people from up and down Wales responded to an appeal asking people to make their opinions heard ahead of polling day.

Here, you can meet members of the group from the South Wales West electoral region.

	Age	Home	Job	Issues
Tony Tanner	64	Swansea	Retired	The future of the assembly concerns Anthony, who wonders whether Cardiff Bay will eventually seek more legislative powers in the future. Anthony thinks the assembly should be abolished and Wales should be governed from Westminster.
Steve Hunt	54	Seven Sisters	Presently unemployed but an active full-time councillor	Steve says he has always had an open mind about the future of Welsh politics - but he worries people don't know what is being suggested. He wonders if Wales is a country that can sustain itself. Steve, an independent councillor, is very active in the community of Seven Sisters with village hall activities. He used to be involved in the coal washery business.
Nia Frobisher	17	Penclawdd, Swansea	Head girl, Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr	Nia is looking forward to casting her vote for the first time in 2011. She chairs the school's Sixth Form Council and is an active member of a local youth theatre company. Despite being concerned about the changes to university funding in England, she hopes to study law at an English university next year.
Mike Sully	51	Bridgend	National Health Service	Thirty-one years working for the NHS has given Mike the opportunity to trace the development and evolution of the service from the front line. He would like the assembly to have more clout in British politics. He is a motivated campaigner on local issues and is a committee member for his local railway club.
Lloyd Hopkin	20	Neath	Student	Lloyd says he worries that the assembly is too Cardiff-centric and feels communities like Neath are ignored. He says he feels disillusioned but also wonders if the debate for more powers for Cardiff Bay will be one which people will get involved in.
Jennifer Treasure	61	Gorseinon	English teacher and researcher	Jennifer is a Tae Kwon Do Master instructor in her spare time. She wants the assembly to be more active and involved with the local council authorities in Wales, particularly Swansea and Gorseinon as she is passionate about the development of Swansea as a major UK city.
Jacob Elis	18	Corntown, near Bridgend	Head boy, Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg	Jacob, who hopes to study international politics at university next year, believes it's crucial that first-time voters like him voice their opinions at the ballot-box. He thinks issues relating to the Welsh language should be managed and decided in Wales. He is a rugby-referee in his spare time and especially enjoys adjudicating over matches which involve his rugby-playing twin brother.
Aled Morris	29	Pontarddulais	Welsh Video Network	Aled says he hasn't been interested in politics in the past - and this was partly due to the economic crisis which has forced him and his wife to postpone emigrating to Australia. But he said he is interested in Welsh politics this year and is keen to hear from the parties about what they want to do. Also, his interest has been sparked because of the possible implications for his job.
Val Walters	73	Swansea	Retired	Val cares for her husband full-time since his stroke and feels annoyed that she doesn't get any financial help for this. She worries about the future for her and her husband if her health fails. She said she would like to ask a politician what the assembly has done for her and she is concerned about more powers for Wales
Steffan ap Dafydd	57	Port Talbot	Teacher	As a secondary school teacher, Steffan feels disheartened by the increasing number of former students he meets who are struggling to find work. He is a local secretary for the National Union of Teachers. He says that he and his family have been treated excellently by the NHS over the years. He is also a keen armchair-pundit for several sports.
Simon Green	35	Bridgend	Disability rights campaigner	Simon is interested in rights for disabled people and is the chair of his local coalition of disabled people. He has taken part in 大象传媒 programmes about disability hate crime and has also been involved in campaigns to make transport and buildings more accessible to disabled people. He is concerned about the future of the NHS and policing in the UK. He is keen rugby league and rugby union fan.
Linda Gruffudd	65	Morriston, Swansea	Retired	Linda is passionate about education and is concerned that some students may not be able to access higher education if fees are increased greatly. She is also worried about families having to pay mortgages in uncertain economic times.