Rhondda: People not voting in election blame distrust in politicians

At Tonyrefail community centre in Rhondda Cynon Taf, among the crowd of people chatting as they waited for their breakfast to be served was 32-year-old plasterer Lewis Watt.

Speaking just a few days before the 4 July general election, Lewis said he has never voted in one before and will not be doing so this Thursday either.

“I’ve got too much going in my life to listen to what’s happening in the Houses of Parliament,” said Lewis, whose partner is pregnant with their third child.

Tonyrefail is in the new Rhondda and Ogmore constituency, which under a boundary change includes the old seat of Rhondda. In the 2019 election, Rhondda had a voter turnout of 59%, one of the lowest in Wales and well below the UK average of 67.3%.

“People are struggling with money at the moment, so trying to get jobs and customers for myself to be able to bring the wages in for home, it’s quite difficult there,” Lewis said.

“So I’m spending time looking for work or with my family. Because my time is taken up a lot through that, I haven’t got much interest in politics.”