Peter Law, Independent

I am standing as an Independent candidate for Blaenau Gwent in the General Election for the right of choice for the people of Blaenau Gwent because disgracefully, New Labour have imposed a candidate here through an 'all women' shortlist and positive discrimination.

The Labour candidate was selected by so few members of the Labour Party that there is a great lack of credibility.

We asked for an 'open' shortlist in which any woman or any man could take part with the best person being selected on merit.

What we had from New Labour was a manipulation and dictat to the people of Blaenau Gwent who are being used to reward someone with a job for life because Tony Blair thinks he has the right to trample over the people who have loyally supported Labour governments for many years past.

I stood out against this gross insult to the people of Blaenau Gwent whom I have been proud to represent as an Assembly Member because we are worth far more and our integrity, self-respect and dignity is not to be compromised by Labour Party hierarchy who have insulted us.

We asked Rhodri Morgan, Peter Hain and Tony Blair to help us remove this imposition and they walked away. I will never forgive them and the people of Blaenau Gwent will not forget.

The Labour Party have expelled me after 40 years because I stood up for the people that I am proud to represent, to be part of and believe in and it is a major matter of principle that we in Blaenau Gwent cannot be taken for granted and used by the Labour Party in this disgraceful way.

My commitment to the people of Blaenau Gwent if elected, is total, because I am proud to live and work among our people and have always had a total belief in Blaenau Gwent and its people.

This is why I will never accept that we are being exploited by New Labour which is a party that has forgotten so many traditional values that we in Blaenau Gwent represent as it lurches further and further to the right.

So now the people of Blaenau Gwent can have their say through a secret ballot at the General Election in which I would respectfully ask them to vote for me.