I’m Wiliam Rees, Plaid Cymru’s candidate in Cardiff Central for the 2021 Senedd election. I’m young, patriotic and want to see Wales succeed outside the rule of Westminster.

In 2017, I moved from Aberystwyth to Cardiff to study Politics & International Relations at Cardiff University. I live in the constituency in Cathays, and I’m now proud to call Cardiff my home. Having completed my undergraduate studies, from Autumn 2020 I will begin a postgraduate course at the Wales Governance Centre.

I come from a Labour family. My grandfather was a Labour County Councillor. My dad has worked in the Trade Union movement for most of his life. But as a teenager I decided to forge a new path. I’m a proud Welshman and realized that Labour did not represent the interests of the people of Wales, with Labour content with the lowering of Welsh economic, education and health standards.

Despite voters here rejecting the Tories, the next 5 years will be difficult for people across Cardiff, as Wales receives Westminster’s crumbs. With poverty rising, we deserve so much better than misrule from the Tories in Westminster, and Labour in Cardiff Bay.

I am a tireless campaigner and have as President of Wales’ biggest union of Welsh students I led our campaign to secure a full-time Welsh language officer in our union all the way to the chamber of our Senedd. From 2019 to 2020 I have also been a member of Plaid Ifanc’s NEC in my role as Communications Officer.

Whether it be standing in solidarity with our Kurdish friends, or striking University staff, I have a track record of speaking out against injustice and inequality. At Plaid Cymru conference I was proud to successfully propose Plaid Ifanc’s motion on Free School Meals for All, which was passed unanimously by members. I was also very proud to play a small part in the successful student led campaign that lobbied the Welsh Government to ban letting agency fees to private tenants.

I am acutely aware of the challenges facing us here in Cardiff and throughout Wales, such as the need to eradicate poverty, improve our health and social services, increase home building, strengthening our infrastructure, and increase educational standards.

I stand ready to persuade voters in Cardiff Central that they will be better served in the Senedd by a Plaid Cymru government; a government that will always put the interest of the people of Wales first.

Together, we can give Cardiff Central a fresh start.