Richard Bertin, Independent Socialist

Interview with Richard Bertin, Independent Socialist sitting candiate for Barry (Court ward) in the Vale of Glamorgan local elections on 3rd May.

They used to say in parts of Wales a donkey could get elected if it wore a Labour rosette, but in recent years as Old Labour has become New Labour, we have seen Labour support often melting away in their heartlands, equally though we have seen a number of ‘True Labour’ ex-Labour independents winning elections. This week I caught up with Richard Bertin who is standing for the council in Barry. Richard was first elected as a Labour councillor, but then served Court ward as an independent.

Hi Richard, could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

I work for Cardiff Bus as a bus driver driving around Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan which is good because I get to meet people and find out the public opinion on issues that affect their day to day lives. 

I am a socialist because I believe in public ownership, working together and equality. We are not seeing this and need to do more to ensure we get it. I am also a pacifist and against all war and will do all I can to resist it.

My political background is in the trade union movement and I am committed to fighting for fairness and social justice. I signed up as a union member at the age of 16 and have held various posts before becoming a Labour Party member in the 1990s.

The Billybanks is our home

The Billybanks is a large council estate in Penarth that has been abandoned for 9 years. It has been voted the ugliest unique eyesore in Wales as well as having won awards for architecture. In its time it’s been known to have its fair share of shady characters and dodgy deals as well as a vibrant and bustling community. The dilapidated buildings are covered in the rubbish from fly tippers but are also smothered by thriving wild plants with flowers and berries. It has been the location for several films and many photographic projects as well as being regularly frequented by graffiti artists, dog walkers and boy racers. And it’s where we currently live.

The Billybanks housed around a 1000 people for several generations until the council decided to redevelop it in 1998 and had it largely emptied by 2002. They realised the potential money in the incredible views of Cardiff and wanted to build a range of luxury flats, despite inevitably causing the displacement of hundreds of families. Apart from a handful of residents who refused to be bullied out of their homes the Billybanks lay uninhabited until August 2009 when a group of friends parked on one of the roads with their vans, trucks and caravans.

The initial reaction to our arrival was mixed. The local paper, the Penarth Times, read ”Travellers not welcome” and quotes from neighbours such as

”The travellers haven’t caused any trouble as yet, but I do worry that they will increase in numbers and then you just don’t know what will happen”.

Defeat camouflaged as victory?

In October 2010, the Tory/Liberal coalition government announced the results of its comprehensive spending review. The majority of the planned cuts are at best harsh, at worst a cynical attempt to keep the rich rich and the poor firmly in their place. However, for people who believe in peace the 8% cut in the defence budget is at least a step in the right direction. One particular aspect of this 8% reduction has been seen as a particular cause for celebration: the cancellation of the proposed £14billion St. Athan Military Academy. The headline of a subsequent CND Cymru press release in response to the cancellation declared

“Relief and Joy at St Athan Military College Cancellation”.

But in their haste to declare victory on this issue, there is a danger of allowing a lesser, but still significant, defeat for the campaign, as the government has shown no loss of desire for a military training project in St Athan.