Ceredigion MP Ben Lake's maiden speech in Parliament highlights threat to rural communities

Speaking during a debate to commemorate the Third Battle of Ypres during the First World War, Mr Lake said Ceredigion faces a challenge of depopulation, with young people forced to leave the area due to a lack of jobs and affordable housing.

He said he was looking forward to representing the people of the county and constituency to the best of his ability, and to encourage the UK Government to refocus its attention to the challenges facing rural areas in order to invest in and develop the economy nationwide.

He also paid tribute to previous Ceredigion MP Mark Williams.

Here is the speech in full:

Diolch, Mr Speaker, for affording me the opportunity to make my maiden speech this afternoon.

I welcome the opportunity to remember the Third Battle of Ypres in this House, and to commemorate the First World War.

As the years go by it becomes increasingly important that we remember the conflict, and especially the sacrifice of all those who lost their lives.

We must ensure that we learn the lessons of the past, and strive to never again subject people to such suffering and horror.

Whilst visiting one of the many Commonwealth War Cemeteries that pepper the Flemish countryside, it was heart-breaking to stumble across seemingly never-ending rows of young lives cut short by the conflict.

Perhaps the most famous of these casualties from Wales was Ellis Humphrey Evans – or Hedd Wyn – a son of Trawsfynydd in the neighbouring constituency of my Honourable Friend, the Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd. Hedd Wyn was a talented poet who was tragically killed before learning of his greatest literary triumph.

Just a few weeks before winning the most prestigious prize for poetry at the National Eisteddfod – the bardic chair – he was killed at the battle of Passchendaele at the young age of 30.

A manuscript of the winning ode, Yr Arwr – The Hero, in his hand, is one of the many precious treasures housed at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.

This sentinel of our nation’s heritage is perched on Penglais Hill, overlooking Cardigan Bay – a jewel of the Welsh coast, which I now have the privilege of representing as the Member for Ceredigion.

I am truly humbled that the people of this great constituency have put their faith in me to speak for them in this place.

I am looking forward to working hard on their behalf, to serving them well, and to be worthy of their trust.

My immediate predecessor, Mark Williams, was elected in 2005. He gained the respect of this House, and the affection of the constituency, thanks to over 12 years of tireless service.

Thousands of people from across the county have benefited from his advice and assistance, and I hope to continue with his good work. I wish him, and his family, the very best for the future.

Madam Deputy Speaker, Ceredigion is my home. From the peak of Pen Pumlumon Fawr to the tranquillity of the Teifi estuary, its hills and valleys rarely fail to speak to its sons and daughters.

It is no surprise that hiraeth should be such a common affliction of Cardis who find themselves absent from the county for too long.

As the second most sparsely populated county in Wales, Ceredigion is largely a rural area. Agriculture is the backbone of many of our communities.

Farming not only supports a significant proportion of the workforce, but also sustains a range of social activities and events that are the lifeblood of the county.

Ceredigion stretches from the banks of the Dyfi in the north, to Cardigan Island in the south. It is bounded in the east by the magnificent hills of the Elenydd, and flanked to the west by spectacular coastline.

Indeed, this year Blue Flags proudly fly above the pristine beaches at Aberporth, Aberystwyth, Borth, Llangrannog, New Quay and Tresaith.

Tourism serves a vital economic role in the area, particularly along the coast – which is unsurprising given that Ceredigion is widely acknowledged as the most beautiful constituency in Wales!

Ceredigion’s natural beauty is complemented by the diverse nature of her settlements; from the picturesque Georgian-harbour town of Aberaeron, to the historic mustering point of the drovers at Tregaron, which continues to hold a thriving livestock market to this day.

Although predominantly a rural constituency, we boast two university towns.

The University at Aberystwyth was established in 1872 thanks to the pennies of the people – thousands of individual donations from across Wales – and Lampeter, which is home to the oldest degree-awarding institution in Wales, having been founded in 1822.

We can also justifiably claim to be the capital of Welsh culture. In addition to housing the National Library and two universities, Ceredigion has two thriving publishing houses in Talybont and Llandysul, and the recently restored castle at Cardigan played host to the first national Eisteddfod in 1176.

The most famous of Welsh bards, Dafydd ap Gwilym, was born in Penrhyncoch, and my hometown of Lampeter is the birthplace of Welsh rugby – with the first recorded match being played there in 1866.

This rich mix of rural and urban defines Ceredigion – a tapestry of communities woven tightly by the emphatic landscape and the famous quick-witted humour of the Cardi.

Although we must speak to our strengths, we cannot be blind to the reality that the uncertainty surrounding our departure from the European Union poses a daunting challenge to the very fabric of our community.

During my time in this place, I will strive to ensure that the best interests of the rural economy and higher education are at the forefront of the minds of Government ministers as they conduct Brexit negotiations.

We cannot allow ourselves to be forgotten. Decisions taken in London have long overlooked the rural economy, with public investment too often bypassing the hinterland.

For too long, amenities considered essential to the urban economy are dismissed as mere luxuries in more rural areas.

Several of my predecessors in this House have pointed to the tragic irony that Ceredigion bestows upon its youth an unrivalled education, but offers them a paucity of job opportunities and affordable housing.

For decades, our county has lost the potential and the vitality of its youth. Around half her young people leave the county by the time they reach 25 years of age.

Many of the young who have left are Welsh speakers; which has meant that in my lifetime – which, I am sure Hon and Rt Hon Members will agree is not particularly long - the percentage of people living in Ceredigion that can speak the language has dropped from around 60 per cent to 47 per cent.

This steady, silent haemorrhage, saps the life of nearly every town and village the length and breadth of the county.

During my time in this place, I look forward to working with those across the political divide to refocus the attention of Government to the challenges facing rural areas, and encouraging greater efforts at developing our economy.

Madam Deputy Speaker, we are a proud people in Ceredigion, and possess an historic resolve to buck national trends.

We are also of independent spirit - over the years we have seen fit to elect members to this House from across the political spectrum.

I am particularly proud to follow in the footsteps of my distinguished Plaid Cymru predecessors, Simon Thomas and Cynog Dafis.

They worked tirelessly for Ceredigion, and were passionate about protecting rural areas from the negligence of a remote Government.

25 years after the election of the first Plaid Cymru MP for Ceredigion, I am committed to building on this legacy.

It is the greatest of honours to have been entrusted by the people of our county during this critical time.

Madame Deputy Speaker, as we come together today to remember the sacrifice of those who gave their lives during the First World War, we can all be inspired by their deep sense of duty.

It is this sense of duty and service that I seek to embrace.

Madame Deputy Speaker, I would like to finish by quoting one of Ceredigion’s greatest sons and a founding member of Plaid Cymru, Prosser Rhys.

“Deued a ddel, rhaid imi mwy Sefyll neu syrthio gyda hwy.”

Whether faced by opportunities or obstacles, the best interests of my county and compatriots, will be at the heart of all my endeavours. Diolch yn fawr.