At Gwelfor Community Center in Holyhead, it’s bingo night. Dabbers in hand, players are ready to win.
But there is another competition brewing here.
Anglesey – and the Ynys Mon constituency – is one of the most hotly contested seats in Wales.
The Conservatives are desperate to keep him after their narrow victory in 2019, but it is a three-way split, with Plaid Cymru and Labor vying for victory. Everyone has a chance to win.
In fact, the number of parties running this time is double, eight in total, compared to the last elections.
But every politician in this remote part of Wales has a battle on their hands to convince disillusioned voters.
“Just because we’re in the middle of nowhere doesn’t mean we’re absolutely forgotten,” Bingo caller Margaret Pratchett told me.
I ask her if she thinks Westminster politicians care about North Wales.
“No. Not at all. They have no idea what we need around here. We need jobs. We need doctors. We need care assistants. All that stuff.”
Since Brexit there has been a 14% drop in trade in Holyhead
Negotiation ‘left’
Holyhead is a busy port.
Five times closer to Dublin than London, it is a major freight route between Great Britain and Ireland.
But since Brexit, trade remains 14% lower – and this impact affects smaller businesses.
At Boathouse B&B, owners Claudia and Chris have seen visitor numbers dwindle. From port workers to tourists, they are having to work harder to fill rooms.
Read more
After 100 years of dominance, will the Labor Party maintain its hold on Wales?
Sunak and Starmer’s final TV debate was a draw
How to watch and follow the evening results on Sky News
“I think trade in general has decreased, but you can see that with the number of people, the number of cargo, everything that passes through the port has fallen drastically”, says Claudia.
The couple say they will vote for Plaid Cymru – but Claudia isn’t happy with either choice: “It’s more of a tactical vote. If you have to choose a rotten tomato, you will choose the least rotten one. “
Ynys Mon is a Welsh constituency where everything is at stake.
Mix of opinions
At Breakwater Country Park, around 30 mothers are busy painting, singing and reading with their babies and toddlers.
There is a mix of opinions here about who to vote for.
“I will vote for Plaid Cymru because they have Wales’ priority in mind, I think. And I don’t think the Conservatives have done much for Wales in recent years,” one mother told me.
Another – happy with the PM’s performance.
“I saw what Rishi Sunak had to say and I supported everything he said, to be honest. I think the Conservatives have done a good job since they came to power and I think they deserve a chance to continue,” she said.
Ffion Edwards remains undecided about who he will vote for
While some are decided, most are not.
Mum-of-two Ffion Edwards says she has been approached by every big party.
“Yes. From Labour, the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru – every one of them has been knocking on the door trying to get our support,” she tells me.
“I’m still very undecided, so I’ll definitely vote, but I’m not sure which party to vote for at the moment. I’m a little nervous. It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen and how it will affect us locally and nationally.”
‘Discouragement’
As everywhere in these elections, jobs and the economy are often in the spotlight.
Plans to build a new nuclear power station on the north coast of Anglesey would bring thousands of jobs, but it will be decades before it can power the lights of the Menai Strait.
Oyster farmer Shuan Krijnen says he is facing unprecedented levels of discouragement
In the south of the island and fresh from the riverbank is Shaun Krijnen – who for decades farmed oysters on Anglesey.
They are sent to the best restaurants in London, but he is not satisfied with the capital’s political offering.
“I’ve voted in every election since I was 18. I’m 53 now. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as discouraged by an election as I do right now,” he said.
“Anglesey has been Labour. Then it’s been Conservative, but it’s also, I would say, one of the hearts of Plaid, actually. But for me, I don’t even know… I can make my decision when I see the names on the ballot paper. “
Keep up with the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Although polls show that the general election result may be a foregone conclusion, in constituencies like Ynys Mon, everything is at stake.
Here is the full list of candidates in Ynys Mon:
- Virginia Ann Crosbie (conservative)
- Leena Sarah Farhat (Lib Dem)
- Emmett Jenner (UK Reform)
- Llinos Medi (Cymru Chess)
- Martin Schwaller (Green Party)
- Sir Grumpus L Shorticus (crazy party of raving monsters)
- Ieuan Mon Williams (Work)
- Sam Andrew Wood (Libertarian Party)
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
