THE FIGHT FOR GOWER: TONIA ANTONIAZZI

With the forthcoming Election we decided to interview the two main candidates, Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour) and Francesca O’Brien (Conservative). Here is what Tonia said to us:-

Why should the people of Gower vote for you?

The last 2 and a half years we have dealt with over 4,200 pieces of case work, I have been the most active MP That Gower has had for a very long time, I am very recognisable, I have a great team, I have been on national and local television raising the cases around immigration and also around the issues of Brexit because my views have been quite clear on these matters. I think that people deserve to have someone that recognises them regardless of how they have voted. I am very impartial, hard working and independent and I think people deserve to have that voice for them in parliament and to know that when I say something I will do it and I will stick to my guns.

For those who maybe are not  into politics, can you give a bit of your background please?

I wasn’t particularly political up until we had a tory and lib dem coalition, I became politicised because I was struggling with my own situation. I had recently separated from my husband, we had a period of time where my father was unwell and he passed away. I was a teacher, my pay did not increase, I was paying for a house by myself and basically the pension contributions went up the child tax credits went and I was finding it hard.  I think I whinged so much and my brother who is a labour member said stop whinging, and do something about it. So that is what I did, and I campaigned for Nia Griffiths in Llanelli, and I soon realised that for all my self pity, I was knocking on peoples doors and finding out how difficult their lives were. When you see first hand how  government changes people’s lives and how much people are struggling. I also saw that in work. It wasn’t until Theresa May called a general election and I knew that Gower was the most marginal seat that I decided to take the leap over the Loughor bridge and put my name forward.

What are you most proud that you have achieved in that time and what would be your main aims if you get re-elected?

I am most proud on a UK level of being co-chair of the appg on medical cannabis, the work that we have done has changed the law, in November 2018. Whilst the law has changed we are still campaigning really hard in order to get access through the NHS. We continue to campaign so that the parents can have the access to the prescription cannabis under the NHS. It’s not been easy but we have changed Labour front bench’s position and we are pushing hard for children with epilepsy to have not a miracle cure but the option of a plant based medicine. Locally I am very proud of the work I have done on a number of immigration cases. Most recently in the case of Lynsey Dutton and her daughter Lucile who live in Clydach. Lucile is only 2 years of age and her leave to remain was not granted by the UK government and we managed to have that reversed which has been really good. My personal aim should I get re-elected is to speak more in parliament. I want to get more involved on a number of issues particularly around Policing. I think South Wales police really are getting hard hit and getting the tough end of the cuts. Since 2010, they have been promised more police officers, I want to make sure that does happen and hold them to account. Rural crime is a real issue in the Gower constituency and there are still many concerns coming in to me, but how can the police locally crack down on crime if they do not have the staff numbers.

What is your position on Brexit?

I have made my position very clear on Brexit, I am personally in favour of a people’s vote. In 2017, if Theresa May had not have called a general election, she had a working majority she would have been able to have put here plans through. I am absolutely appalled that the situation that we are in is because Boris Johnson has called a general election. I voted against a general election because he is basically filling peoples heads through the media with this idea that Brexit will be done and he will deliver Brexit. The next date we have is the end of January, If you put that in context the first thing you have to do after the election is you have to swear in all the MPs, then there has to be a Queen’s speech that will last nearly 2 weeks. New MPs don’t have an office, don’t have any staff, don’t have a clue what’s going on, unless you have worked there as an MP. It is like starting any new job, plus most people are away from home they are living in a hotel etc so it is going to be a really tough time and my concerns are that he is going to push through his legislation as he wanted to before. There will be no scrutiny, this is a man that can not be trusted. I was 20 years in education, you have to prove yourself and gain trust. My constituents are being taken for fools if they think he is going to get Brexit done. Because the only way to get Brexit done is to put a deal on the table and when people know how it is going to impact ask them to decide. There may be benefits, ok what are the benefits?  There may be losses to your pensions, to your income and job prospects. There may be less, there maybe more, but I want people to know what options there are. People deserve to have politicians who are transparent and tell the truth and don’t try to mislead people and sling mud at each other. I am getting people at the moment who say to me, when I knock on their door, ‘you are all the same’.  I am not the same and I want people to know that I wear my heart on my sleeve and I am only doing what is in their best interest. They may agree with me, they may disagree with me, but once they have spoken to me they know I only care for the people that I have represented in parliament. And should I not be successful, I know that I can leave knowing I did everything with a good conscience. I would worry if someone else gets voted in, as the timescale that Boris Johnson is working on is unworkable.

How is the mood talking to people on the doorstep and what is coming up most? 

It is surprisingly not all about Brexit, people are very complimentary whether they voted for me last time or whatever their party colours. People that know me recognise me and know how hard my team and I work. I am the front person, but it’s the background team that gets stuff done and I am very very proud of them. On the doorstep, a lot of people don’t like Boris but unfortunately with equal measure I think our media has done a good job on our leader Jermy Corbyn. We have to have a labour government if we are going to make our peoples lives any better, I hope that will be the case but to be brutally honest with you I don’t think that this general election is going to solve anything I think that it’s just going to confuse matters.

A lot of people when you talk to them about politics tend to say they don’t know very much about it, do you think that there is a lot of smoke and mirrors and not much access to just good honest politics?

People use a variety of media, and whether it is your newspaper of choice or what you tune in to on the radio or news channel you watch etc, people will come to their own conclusions. I am concerned with social media because on facebook and twitter people live in their echo chamber so if you have liked something on facebook which is particularly left wing or right wing you get fed all the time. That concerns me because you are not getting a good spread of media. People need to have access to their politicians, I have opened my doors for many, many Brexit meetings. We have sent mail to the whole of Pontarddulais and Clydach and other smaller villages around Gower and I have spoken to people. But I want people to know how accessible I am. I did not realise how easily accessible politicians are until I wrote in as a teacher to the education minister and he came in to the school about an issue I was worried about. We are there to be ranted at, I don’t mind people telling me my Brexit view is wrong but I want them to know where I am coming from and why I care for them.

Do you think the BBC Is impartial  and on a similar sort of thing what is you feelings on John Bercow?

I think John Bercow did a brilliant job. I think he showed stability in the chair but he did talk too much! I gave him a bottle of Gower gin on his retirement. I think he has been great for parliament, he has been painted as someone who frustrates parliament but he has done it all by the rule book. Those that had issues with him was because it did not go the way they wanted which I think is natural. As to regards to the BBC I don’t accuse anyone of not  being impartial, the only example I saw what I thought was a little disappointing was when the Conservative candidate apologised for something she had said, the headline was Tory candidate apologises when no one really knew what she apologised for in the first place.

Your conservative political rival said on Facebook a few years back that people on the television program Benefit street should be put down were you shocked by her wording?

I think it’s very disappointing that somebody has those views, no matter how long ago they were they were made as an adult, as a person who was working. I think what it represents is the attitude of Conservatives in general about people who are on that programme. What I was shocked to find, not at the time of the program being done,  is how badly people on the program were exploited by Chanel 5.  When you watch something on TV, do you believe everything that you see, Francesca obviously did believe what she saw. I think it was dangerous to make comments like that and I think it is naive of her not to have checked her social media. But overall, I think those are her views and she made them quite clear and I think that it shows that the Tories don’t care. Is she going to be someone who represents the whole of the Gower constituency and not just the privileged parts of the peninsula?  It also stretches up to parts which are hard working class areas that have been devastated by Margrett Thatcher in the 80s and who deserve better.

Which politician would you least like to be stuck in a lift with?

I have been stuck in a lift with Boris Johnson, I have been stuck in a lift with Jacon Rees Mogg, who was extremely polite and I have been stuck in a lift with Ian Duncan Smith. It is worse being in there with the prime minister because I find him the most obnoxious and dangerous man to be anywhere near.