Student vote will be decisive - Opik

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 12th Apr 2007

The student vote in towns and cities across Wales will be crucial in electing their next Assembly Member, according Lembit Opik, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

Campaigning in Pontypridd tomorrow, Lembit will say that capturing the student vote could be the difference between electing either the education minster that failed to speak-up against top-up fees or the Welsh Liberal Democrats that blocked top-up fees for Welsh students.

Ahead of the visit to support local candidate Mike Powell, Lembit said:

"The number of students in Pontypridd is easily greater than Jane Davidson's majority. As education minister she had to be forced by the Welsh Lib Dem-led opposition to stop the imposition of Tony Blair's top-up fees on Welsh students.

"If students in Pontypridd, and across Wales, want to vote for a party that will guarantee their current financial support, that opposed the illegal invasion of Iraq, that will take real action on the environment, then the Welsh Lib Dems are that party. Accept no imitations, no imposters. Mike Powell is the real thing.

"We are ambitious for young people right across the nation. Our values are their values. There's no denying that it will be a challenge to get young people out to vote on May 3rd. But we see it as an opportunity. We are working hard to encourage young people to have their say in this election.

"Wales has one of the lowest youth turnouts in Europe, but their votes will tip the balance in many constituencies, including Pontypridd. Cardiff Central and Ceredigion know the benefit of having Welsh Liberal Democrat AMs and MPs standing up for them. A local, Welsh Lib Dem AM will bring the same benefits to Pontypridd."

Notes/Nodiadau:

The Welsh Lib Dems came second at the 2005 election, winning 19.5% of the vote, with a swing of 7.9% from Labour to the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

Mike Powell is a councillor for Trallwn ward on RCT council.

Lembit, Mike Powell and Karen Roberts (candidate for the Rhondda) will be campaigning in Pontypridd town centre between 13.00 and 15.00 tomorrow.