Meet your candidates: Newport East

Mohammed Ashgar, Plaid Cymru

IF I am selected as a Member of the Assembly my main objective will be to help and support my constituents to come on line with other parts of the UK and Europe in the fields of health, education and employment, etc.

Welsh people are a very proud nation, they deserve the recognition in the international community. Our identity must be promoted all over the world and we should try to become self sufficient in the economic field.

I will do my best to eradicate crime and drug cultures in our valleys and support every effort for this purpose.

Our senior citizens do deserve free medical and safe accommodations in Wales. I have got positive objectives and would like to serve this nation as a proud member of Plaid Cymru.

*Also standing in South Wales East region.

John Griffiths, Labour

NEWPORT East has a bright future. These are promising times, responding to the continuing challenges of economic and social change. And Labour in the Welsh Assembly has helped deliver:

*Newport city status *Newport Unlimited - Urban Regeneration Company in place with £30m for jobs and development *City centre redevelopment secured - a multi-million pound development including a major department store *Arts Centre under way - which will include Newport's medieval ship on display *Community regeneration - through the Assembly's Communities First programme *A new Clinical School for Newport - helping train extra doctors for our NHS *Southern Distributor Road - under construction *Velodrome indoor cycling track - nearing completion

Newport East has a strong future because of the enduring quality of its greatest asset. The people of Newport East have always shown their ability to bounce back from setbacks and difficulties, adapting and responding to changes in industry and society.

And many other Assembly policies have improved life for local people: *15,178 over 60s in Newport East have free travel on local buses. The disabled also go free *7,641 under 25s in Newport East do not have to pay for their prescriptions *Extra doctors and 456 extra nurses in Gwent NHS Trust since 1999 *Lowest unemployment for a generation *Extra teachers, smaller classes and free school milk for infants *Assembly Learning Grant for students *Safer streets - crime cut

So the Assembly Government's policies are delivering very real benefits for local people. But there is still much to do and that is why Welsh Labour has pledged '10 Steps To A Stronger Wales' to be implemented over the next Assembly term, including:

*Abolish all prescription charges *Create a £100 million crime-fighting fund *Extend free bus travel for over 60s and disabled people - develop a scheme for half price bus travel for 16 to 18 year olds *Rule out Top Up fees in Welsh Universities *Provide for all primary school children to have free breakfasts in school *Set up a Knowledge Bank for entrepreneurs *Extend the 20 mph zone and Safe Route To School schemes *Enable free access to local authority swimming pools for older people *Also standing in South Wales East region

Matthew Evans, Conservative

Matthew Evans was born in 1963 and spent his formative years in Newport. After studying Hotel & Catering Management at Thames Valley University, he held management positions in both London and the Midlands before returning to Newport to set up his own business in 1990.

The business, Matt Snax Caterers, became a very successful corporate supplier. The business was sold as a going concern.

Matthew lives in Newport and is married to Tina, a regional director with an international construction consultancy group. They have two children, Bethan and Jessica. Both attend the local primary school. Outside of politics, Matthew is a keen supporter of Newport Rugby Club (through good times and bad!) He is currently vice-captain of Stow Park Lawn Tennis Club, a member of Glamorgan Cricket Club, of Newport Golf Club and a member of Fitness First gym.

Political biography: Matthew first became involved in local politics when he actively campaigned to stop the closure of a local nursery school. He was elected to Newport city council in May 1999, taking the Allt-yr-Yn ward from Labour at his first attempt. He is currently the shadow spokesman for Transport and Sustainable Development and Public Affairs. As well as serving on various committees, he is also a governor at two local schools. His dislike of bus lanes and bureaucrats are well known!

Campaign information: In light of the recent devastating job losses, particularly within the manufacturing industry in Newport East, the party will be mounting an active campaign to highlight the Labour and Liberals poor record at the Welsh Assembly. Rising waiting lists and the neglect of rural communities will also feature strongly. The local branch is keen to canvass all within the boundary and to listen carefully to people's views and concerns. Issues which are known to be causing public unrest are: flooding, maintaining rural areas in the face of encroaching development and supporting local employment, to avoid becoming a 'commuter town' to Bristol. *Also standing in South Wales East region

Neal Reynolds, UK Independence Party

I AM Neal Reynolds, I am 41 and I have lived in Chepstow for over 20 years. I work in the quarrying industry and I am a trade union activist. I recently completed an Open University honours degree in humanities.

I think that the National Assembly should be abolished as soon as possible. The Assembly is an expensive, inefficient talking shop which provides another unnecessary layer of government. The Assembly's determination to spend upwards of £47 million on a politicians' palace is nothing less than an obscenity, especially when we consider that Ian Botham is doing another sponsored walk to raise money for a children's hospital.

More government means more bureaucracy and more waste of public money. The Assembly is also part of the break-up of the United Kingdom as required by the EU, which is creating the European Union of the Regions as set out in the Maastricht Treaty. I think that the interests of Wales would be better served by existing elected politicians in the form of a Wales National Council made up of the 40 Westminster MPs and the leaders of the 22 unitary authorities, and the money saved spent on better public services and reducing council taxes.

Should the Assembly still exist on May 2, and should I be elected, I will work to reduce bureaucracy in education and the NHS. Schools should encourage excellence for all and help everyone to achieve their full potential. Skilled tradesmen are of equal value to society as those who go to university.

In the NHS I would like to reintroduce the matron to the service, and reduce the burden of management, putting resources into patient services. I also believe that the rights of the victims of crime should take precedence over the rights of criminals. People should be able to defend themselves and their property as robustly as necessary. Criminals injured by their victims should not be allowed to claim compensation.

Should I be elected, I will, along with other UK Independence Party AMs, campaign for the abolition of the Assembly and expose the mismanagement and cost. I will use my position to inform voters of the true nature of the European project and show that the Assembly has no influence on EU legislation, and is almost powerless domestically.

*Also standing in South Wales East region

Ed Townsend, Welsh Liberal Democrat

To improve education in Wales, you don't have to say it three times, you just have to do it - ONCE.

Welsh Liberal Democrats in the Assembly partnership government have made a real difference to the future of young people by introducing free school milk for infants, reducing class sizes and bringing back student grants.

Free school milk for five- to seven-year-olds makes children healthier, so they learn better. It is good for Welsh farmers, too, giving them a new market for their milk.

Children learn better and teachers teach better when classes are small - and we've hired an extra 700 teachers, so classes are already smaller in primary schools in Wales. We opposed Labour's plan to scrap student grants in 1998 but they went ahead and did it anyway. In our Assembly election manifesto four years ago we vowed to reverse the decision - and we've done exactly that as part of the partnership government.

Welsh Liberal Democrats offer three cast-iron pledges: To reduce class sizes to no more than 25 across the board To make personal care free for more elderly people leaving hospital, so that they don't have to sell their homes to pay for care

To make free entry to sports centres available for young people under 16. When you come to vote on May 1, remember you have two votes - one in your local constituency and one for a regional list. If the result is anything like last time Labour will win a number of constituencies in this area and that means they won't qualify for any extra members from the list. A Labour vote on the list is, quite simply, wasted. By voting for the Welsh Liberal Democrats on the white list ballot paper you can elect Ed Townsend to the Assembly as a regional list member.

Ed, a former journalist, is a past president of the chamber of commerce in Newport and was head of public relations for BT in Wales for nine years. He works as a public relations consultant, based in Newport. He also lives in Newport with his wife and children.

*Also standing in South Wales East region