AS DWYFOR and Meirionnydd gets ready to go to the polls on 5 May for the Welsh Assembly Elections, the Cambrian News has produced a quick introduction to each of the constituency candidates looking for your vote.

Steve Churchman Liberal Democrat

Steve Churchman is a seasoned campaigner and a long-standing member of the Liberal Democrats since 1983. He has served for nine years as a London Borough councillor and 10 years as a Gwynedd county councillor.

During his time as a Gwynedd councillor, Steve has served as a chairman of the former Environment Committee and has chaired two scrutiny investigations on behalf of the council investigating affordable housing and more recently, education transport for college students.

Dafydd Elis-Thomas Plaid Cymru

Dafydd Elis-Thomas has been the AM for Dwyfor Meirionnydd since the formation of the constituency in 2007 and was previously the AM for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy from 1999 to 2007.

He has also been an active member of the House of Lords since 1992.

He has lived in Snowdonia throughout his life and enjoys paths, mountains and forests.

Dafydd was recently appointed by the Minister for Natural Resources to lead a working group of future landscapes including Snowdonia and Llyn which will report later this year.

Neil Fairlamb Conservative

Neil Fairlamb has been working for 40 years as a teacher and parish priest in north Wales, after studying at Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cambridge and Oxford universities.

He has already contested county council and Welsh Assembly elections and lived in Meirionnydd for six years.

Neil, who lives in Beaumaris, on Anglesey, speaks Welsh, writes on Welsh history and chairs a UK charity working on educating children in India.

He also pioneered a hospice charity shop and coordinated meals-on-wheels service for many years.

Alice Hooker-Stroud Green Party

Alice Hooker-Stroud was born and brought up in mid-Wales and lives in Machynlleth.

She currently helps build capacity in local groups and supports activists across the UK, helping them campaign for social justice with Global Justice Now.

Alice also has a Master’s degree in Earth System (Climate) Science and Physics.

Louise Hughes Independent

Louise Hughes, who lives in Llanegryn, has been a Gwynedd county councillor since 2008 for her Llangelynnin ward and during that time campaigned to keep public toilets open, petitioned against the introduction of three-weekly bin collections, lobbied for rural bus routes to be maintained and also campaigned to get roundabouts installed on the A470 bypass at Dolgellau.

Ian Donald Angus Macintyre Labour

Ian Donald Angus Macintyre lives in Arthog, having moved from Barmouth over a year ago.

Dr MacIntyre went on his first CND demonstration when he was 14 and, after working as a council road mender in Bristol, led a sit-in demanding that the university union be opened to all young people in the town.

He taught day release apprentices for 15 years and in his research work criticised those who do not value democracy.

Frank Wykes UKIP

BORN in Cornwall, Francis (known as Frank) Wykes was educated in the private sector, leaving school at 18.

Frank is a widower with two grown-up children and five grandchildren, and has lived on Anglesey since retiring from the civil service.

For 25 years he worked at MIRA, specialising in vehicle safety and crash testing, and was indirectly responsible for saving hundreds of lives on the road, as well as reducing injuries with seat belt developments.

His special expertise lies in transport and environment.