Colin Nosworthy – Ceredigion Penfro

Dear fellow Plaid member,

I have been campaigning at various levels of government for over 20 years now. I have a successful record of campaigning at local and national levels, and done so strategically in order to achieve change. If I were lucky enough to be chosen by the membership, I would put all these skills to work for the benefit of the residents of our local communities.

Journey to Independence

The independent Wales to come is not some oasis in the far distance, we have to build our journey to independence by strengthening our communities as best we can with the limited powers we have. Westminster has established transport and economic structures designed to extract wealth from Wales for the benefit of south east England. So, we have to plan to ensure fairness for people and communities while uniting our whole nation.

Over the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of chatting with many of you about the economic challenges we face. Some priorities have emerged such as: weak transport links; the housing crisis, and the West’s lack of identity as a region that offers opportunities for our young people. Without a doubt, the situation with the campus in Lampeter is one example of the challenges we face.

Achievable Developments

Among the developments I would like to see to tackle these various challenges would be:

– re-opening the railway between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth, with our fair share of HS2 money – this should be a priority for our Plaid Cymru government;

– swift action on introducing changes to the local business taxation system in order to promote local independent businesses instead of those from outside;

– promoting social enterprises, building on the strengths of the national Cymunedoli network;

– moving public sector jobs to the West, including one full Government department to its office in Aberystwyth as promised many years ago;

– reorganising the current investment structure on a regional basis that unites our country, building on the experience of Arfor;

– prioritising local renewable energy projects owned by communities and protecting our coastal communities from the effects of climate change;

– further strengthen local food systems to promote the agricultural industry, building on the Welsh Veg in Schools project;

– housing as a public resource – tackling the cost of housing crisis by controlling rental and housing prices so that they are affordable for local people;

– stronger measures to plan the workforce – supporting our colleges and universities to train key workers locally to ensure that our services are sustainable;

If I were lucky enough to be chosen by you, I would prioritise a couple of campaigns a year that are of strategic importace and have been agreed with you as members.

What other issues do you think should be considered as campaign priorities for the team of members we elect in 2026? You are very welcome to contact me on colin@nosworthy.cymru to share your ideas and comments.

Colin Supporters

I am proud to receive the support of more members in the constituency – Professor Jamie Medhurst, Einion Gruffydd from Aberystwyth and Councillor Endaf Edwards.

This is what Einion said: “We need Colin’s energy, dedication, ability and honesty in the Senedd, he has worked hard for years to drive the independence campaign for Wales forward, he pays attention to details and believes in fairness for everyone, he will be a great member of the Senedd.”

If you would like to support my campaign, feel free to email colin@nosworthy.cymru.

Remember the hustings!

You need to be present at one of these meetings to be able to vote:
– Thursday 10 April, 19:30, Feathers Hotel, Aberaeron, SA46 0AQ
– Monday 28 April, 19:30, Virtual on Microsoft Teams
– Thursday 1 May, 19:30, HaverHub, The Old Post Office, 12 Quay St, Haverfordwest, SA61 1BG

If you have any questions or want to arrange a chat, please feel free to contact me.

Warmest regards,

Colin

Election 2026 – a new system

As the size of the Senedd expands to 96 members, and following decisions by the National Council and the Party’s Work Committee, there is a guarantee that a woman will be at the top of the list in our new constituency, Ceredigion Penfro. A place is also guaranteed for a woman in third place on the list. So, I am asking you to vote for me as number 1 in order to come second on our list, which is an open seat. We are very lucky to have such strong representatives in Ben and Elin, and my aim is to join that brilliant team.

Dear fellow Plaid member,

Many thanks to those of you who have declared your support for me already. It’s been lovely reading some of the kind messages I’ve received since announcing my candidacy.

I’ve just got back from the Spring Conference in Llandudno – and it was buzzing with excitement. We have a real chance to become the biggest party in the Senedd and therefore to lead the Welsh Government for the first time in our history.

It was great to hear two important policy announcements: child payments to tackle poverty and cutting business taxes for small local businesses. Without doubt, these policies will have a very positive impact on our communities here in the west of Wales.

I’m writing to update you on one of my promises as a candidate to you as a member. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be announcing more details on several important issues – some local, some national. As a member, I think you deserve to know where I stand before you vote from next month onwards.  

I’d like to begin where I started my journey in our national movement. Learning Welsh as an adult – something I started in Lampeter a quarter of a century ago – was transformative for me. It’s at the core of who I am today.

I don’t think that the responsibility for rejuvenating a language should land on individual behaviour – we need a coordinated effort on several levels to strengthen it in fields like housing, work and education. Our aim, and my aim, is to restore Cymraeg as the main language of our nation. 

In any case, for those who know me already, you’ll be aware how important the Welsh language is to me, and I’ll use it every time I can. 

And, if I’m fortunate enough to be elected, I’ll speak only Cymraeg in the Senedd chamber. I’ll also carry out my work in public life through the medium of Welsh whenever possible. It would be disingenuous for me to do anything else. 

Some might see this as odd, and others see it as excluding people, but I completely reject such attitudes. It’s not Welsh that shuts people out – it’s the societal structures we maintain. We have to tackle these misleading arguments and change structures to make sure that Cymraeg is truly the language for all of us. That’s one of my promises to you. 

Colin’s supporters:

I’m pleased to have the support of more members in the constituency – the campaigner Sian Howys, Valerie Jones from Llanbadarn and Rhiannon Davies from Llanfarian.

Thanks to Valerie for sending these lovely words of support via email: “We need a strong, unyielding voice here in the west of Wales, someone with fire in their belly, but who’s also a smart strategist. It’s obvious from your working background that you have the necessary skills to deliver.”

If you’d like to support my campaign, you’re welcome to email colin@nosworthy.cymru  

I look forward to sharing more of my vision and policy pledges over the coming weeks and thanks for reading this message. You can follow the latest from my campaign on my  Facebook page or on Instagram. If you have any questions or would like to arrange a chat, you can contact me by replying to this email.

Warm regards,

Colin 

Colin for Ceredigion Penfro – for fairness, the Welsh language, and independence

 

2026 Senedd Elections – a new system

As the size of the Senedd expands to 96 members, and following decisions by the National Council and the National Executive Committee, there is a guarantee that a woman will be at the top of the list in our new constituency, Ceredigion Penfro. A place is also guaranteed for a woman on the third place on the list. So, I am asking you to vote for me as number 1 in order to come second on our list, which is an open seat. We are very lucky to have such strong representatives in Ben and Elin, and my aim is to join that brilliant team.

Dear fellow Plaid member,

Thank you, first of all, for supporting Plaid: without the support of members like you, Wales would be without a Senedd, without a voice and without hope; and it would be impossible for us to be on our way to gain our independence as a nation.

I am contacting you to let you know that as one of the members of the new Ceredigion Pembroke constituency I am seeking your nomination to stand in the Senedd elections in 2026.

If fortunate enough to be chosen by you, I promise I would be a strong voice for our communities.

I will be unyielding in my support for progressive independence for Wales, the Welsh language, and economic fairness for the people and communities of the West.

Who am I?

I have been living in Aberystwyth for 5 years, employed by the University here, after a decade of working from Ceredigion. I feel the privilege of living in such a beautiful area most often – from swimming in the sea off our wonderful beaches, going to chapel or buying from the wonderful independent local shops we have here.

I was born and raised here in mid Wales, but I do not come from a typical background for a prospective Plaid Cymru politician. I was the first of my family to be born in Wales; and my brother and I are the first generation to speak our national language.

When I was at university in Oxford I had a political awakening, and ever since then I have dedicated myself to learning Welsh, campaigning for the language and for the wider national movement.

In the summer of 2000, I began studying Welsh as an adult in Lampeter. On that course we went on a trip to the National Eisteddfod, and it was there that I joined Plaid Cymru.

In 2014, I had the privilege of being part of the group that founded Yes Cymru, and I was central in shaping its first policy document, ‘Independence in Your Pocket’. I have also been involved in founding two other movements that campaign for independence since then, including as one of the founders of Melin Drafod.

I have held several posts within Plaid Cymru – in our Senedd, in Westminster, as the Head of Strategy and as a Special Advisor in government.

Most recently, I have served as the National Communications Director on the Plaid Cymru National Executive for the last two years – a part of the team that secured the best result at a Westminster election in our history.

Outside my roles in Plaid Cymru, I have been a member of the board of Mudiad Meithrin, the Senedd of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, and the Welsh Executive Committee of the National Union of Journalists.

Because of all those experiences, many of you will know me. However, I do not want you to vote for me because you know me or my family, but because of my values, my skills, and my ability to deliver.

Our hope, and my hope, is to become a footnote in the preface to the success story of the independent Wales to come.

Together, our duty now is to remove the Labour Party from the power it has held in Cardiff Bay for far too long, and become the party that leads the nation’s government for the first time in our history. What better way to celebrate our centenary as a party?

Colin’s Supporters 

In the early days of this campaign, I am pleased to have received the support of a number of members including actress Sue Jones-Davies, former Aberystwyth Mayor Dr Talat Chaudhri and author and campaigner Angharad Tomos.

If you would like to support my campaign, feel free to email colin@nosworthy.cymru.

2026 Elections – a new system

As the size of the Senedd expands to 96 members, and following decisions by the National Council and the National Executive Committee, there is a guarantee that a woman will be at the top of the list in our new constituency, Ceredigion Penfro. A place is also guaranteed for a woman on the third place on the list. So, I am asking you to vote for me as number 1 in order to come second on our list, which is an open seat. We are very lucky to have such strong representatives in Ben and Elin, and my aim is to join that brilliant team.

Thank you for reading this message and I hope you will consider my application to represent you in our new, larger Senedd. You can follow the latest from my campaign on my Facebook page or on Instagram. If you have any questions or want to arrange a chat, feel free to contact me by replying to this email.

Cofion cynhesaf,

Colin Nosworthy – Ceredigion Penfro

For fairness, the Welsh language and independence