In our second short Q&A with Senedd Candidates this time we go from the North East to the South West to meet one of the Greens, Chris Evans.
“Here in Wales our people are our strength. If we invest in them, give them the right opportunities for the future and ensure we lift them up then we can all have a fully sustainable and brighter future.”
U: Where are you standing and what does that place mean to you, and how are the new constituencies presenting a challenge?
CE: Gŵyr Abertawe. It’s home. Born and brought up in Brynhyfryd, before moving to West Cross at 15. I think it takes moving away for a while to really appreciate what we have here. I’ve always lived close to the sea in Spain, Portugal and in Wales, and really missed it during my time in Glasgow.
The main issue with the new constituencies for Greens is the sheer size. As a member funded party, we don’t have the reach that the corporate funded parties do so we have to be very selective to get our message across as effectively as possible. When you’re funded by private healthcare and oil and gas giants like Labour and Reform you don’t have those kinds of pressures. We have got very good at punching above our weight though and are confident but not complacent here in Swansea.
U: How have you been involved in politics – party or otherwise – and any achievements you’re proud of?
CE: I joined the Greens in 2015 after the reading for my Masters dissertation opened my eyes to the multiple crises we are hurtling towards as a species but seem largely oblivious to. I then became a County Councillor in 2022 for the Mayals ward, the first ever Green on Swansea Council.
I also created the first ever motion to devolve the Crown Estate in Wales and succeeded in getting it passed. After we passed one here in Swansea, every single one of the 22 county councils in Wales passed a similar motion. It shows that Greens get things done and are trailblazers when elected. Others hadn’t thought to pass a Crown Estate motion, but once they were prompted by us they acted. This is exactly the sort of thing that Greens in the Senedd will be able to do: for example, push Plaid to be bolder.
U: Where did you go to school? Any life lessons that you feel are important in politics?
CE: Brynhyfryd Infants and Juniors and then Pentrehafod Comp. I’d say to any of the young people in schools in the not so affluent areas of Wales that they can get involved in politics or any other field they choose and make a positive difference. Sometimes it might seem that there’s no future and things are looking grim, but believe in yourself, be that positive change and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
U: What about your life outside of politics, any major experiences or jobs that have shaped you? Insights or expertise that serve you well?
CE: Most of my jobs have been in customer services. Here in Wales, our people are our strength. If we invest in them, give them the right opportunities for the future and ensure we lift them up whilst we also solve the many ecological challenges that we face, then we can all have a fully sustainable and brighter future.
I also once did a solo charity walk from Chepstow to St Davids along the Wales Coast Path when my daughter was younger. There was plenty of time for self-reflection and thinking about the future, but it was also a very lonely two weeks. It really brought home to me that isolation can be incredibly damaging and that for particular groups in society, that can be their lived existence. For this reason, I believe that community building is incredibly important, and I fear that “social” media and certain parties are needlessly creating division and creating social isolation, and we should fight that as much as we can.
U: What’s most important about politics in your opinion, and if you get in what will your priority be?
Helping people and planet. As a Councillor I’ve tried to focus on the casework element which I would say takes up over 90% of my time. If you can make those positive changes for people and communities then I feel that’s a job well done. I think that would be the same if I were elected to the Senedd, we should be there to make people’s lives better, and that will be my focus.
U: As a Green candidate what is broadly your view on Welsh independence, how it should be approached, how it relates to other priorities etc?
I fully support it and am a member of YesCymru. I think in this first Senedd where we might have an independent majority there might be far too much to fix first before we can approach it properly. The SNP went for it in their second Holyrood term and I think that might be a more sensible option. There’s a lot of cleaning up to be done first.
The elephant in the room is if Farage gets elected PM in 2029 by England and tries to abolish the Senedd against the will of the Welsh people. Do we then run a referendum and if yes, declare independence without London’s consent? It’ll be an interesting time.
U: And when you’re not politicking where might we find you and what might you be up to?
My daughter has ASD and we spend a lot of time together, helping her to socialise and get used to social situations. We both really love rock concerts so she’s always asking for tickets for Christmas and birthdays and we have a fair few lined up. I’ve not seen Metallica since the 90s so that’ll be great.
I also love walking, particularly on Gower, and I’m not averse to a pint at the end of it!! I’ll add a shameless plug here for the Gower Walking Festival who have some great walks again this year.