As the Senedd prepares to dissolve on 7th April ahead of the Senedd election a month later on 7th May, former Vale of Clwyd MS Gareth Davies has reflected on the past five years serving local residents in what he’s described as the “greatest honour of my life.”
Mr Davies was first elected in 2021, becoming the first Welsh Conservative to win the seat in its 22-year history with a narrow margin of 366 votes. Since December 2024, he served as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism, Sport and North Wales, and has said that he hopes to once again have the privilege of representing the area he grew up in.
Reflecting on his time in office, Mr Davies highlighted a number of local achievements delivered alongside residents and stakeholders, including improving access to cash in Denbigh, securing commitments towards a new community hospital on the site of the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl, and securing road infrastructure investment.
He also pointed to his work supporting constituents through regular advice surgeries, alongside wider campaigning on improving healthcare provision, support for grassroots sport, securing fairer funding for North Wales, and investment in transport infrastructure across the region.
He stressed, however, that significant challenges remain.
Mr Davies said current plans for the hospital on the Royal Alexandra site in Rhyl need to be upscaled with greater bed capacity across the region to meet local needs, also highlighting the need to improve access to NHS dentistry, and investing in road infrastructure such as upgrading the A55, which he believes have not received sufficient investment over the past 27 years. He has also been an active campaigner on the challenges facing high streets, raising concerns about pressures on small businesses from rising costs, including energy bills and business rates, and was the first in the Senedd to draw attention to the impact of criminal activity on town centres, including businesses operating as fronts for organised crime.
As the election approaches, Mr Davies said he is focused on offering a new direction for Wales — one that unleashes the region’s potential and tackles the long-standing issues that have been overlooked for too long.
Gareth Davies, said:
“As the sixth Senedd term draws to a close, I extend my sincere gratitude to the people of the Vale of Clwyd for the trust and confidence they have placed in me.
“To serve this community over the past five years has been the greatest honour of my life, and I would welcome the opportunity to once again serve the interests, aspirations, and concerns of the area I am proud to call home.
“With the steadfast support of local residents, we have achieved better access to cash, enhancing road safety, advancing vital healthcare proposals, and through my office, have assisted thousands of constituents with the everyday challenges that lie at the heart of public service.
“Yet it’s equally clear that far more remains to be done. Our region needs proper investment in transport infrastructure, including long-overdue upgrades to the A55, stronger backing for our farming communities, a more ambitious vision for a community hospital in Clwyd, with greater bed capacity for our region, and reliable access to NHS dental care for all who need it.
“I have also made it a priority to stand up for our high streets, drawing attention to the mounting pressures on small businesses from rising costs and business rates, while shining a light on the criminal activity that is undermining confidence in some of our town centres.
“Too often, decisions taken in Cardiff Bay have failed to reflect the needs and priorities of our region and I have sought to be a clear and consistent voice of challenge in the Senedd, speaking up for local people and ensuring their concerns are heard at the highest level.
“After nearly three decades of managed decline, there is a growing sense that Wales can, and must, do better, and we have an opportunity to change course by undertaking a new approach that unlocks our nation’s potential and frees it from the constraints that have held it back for far too long.”
