CALLS by a protest group to punish candidates supporting a cull of badgers won't have a huge effect on the May 5 elections, Plaid candidates for Carmarthen West and Ceredigion have said.

The Plaid candidates, Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones and Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire candidate Nerys Evans, made the comments on the campaign trail at Carmarthen's Nantyci Showground last Wednesday.

One of the issues which is claimed will affect the election results is the badger cull in a pilot area of West Wales, which includes north Pembrokeshire and parts of Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.

The cull was given the go-ahead by Elin Jones as Rural Affairs Minister.

Both candidates, Nerys Evans and Elin Jones, as well as Conservative candidate Angela Burns, have recently been targeted by campaign group Pembrokeshire Against the Cull (PAC), which is calling for voters to support rival candidates.

Speaking from the mart, Nerys Evans said: "I'm very happy that Elin Jones is willing to come and show her support, Elin has shown that Plaid has understood the needs of farmers. We've seen that through her work over the past four years, and most recently over Elin's work to protect single farm payments."

Over the badger cull issue, Nerys said: "I fully support the Minister in that. I'm proud that when Plaid came into government they tackled the issue head on. I'm born and bred in Llangain and my family have farmed in Carmarthenshire for many generations, I understand what the rural communities want."

One of her supporters, Llanboidy councillor Roy Llewellyn, had been out canvassing votes for Nerys. He said: "Canvassing's going really well, the main reason for that is she's so excellent on the doorstep. She's an absolute pleasure to be canvassing with."

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards welcomed the former Mid and West Wales Assembly member standing locally. He said: "Nerys is the stand-out candidate. It's a very brave step standing in the constituency rather than the safe harbour of the list."

Rural Affairs Minister, and candidate for Ceredigion, Elin Jones said: "I'm here because meeting with the farmers and the farming community is really important to Plaid Cymru."

On the issue of the PAC tactical vote call, Elin said: "I don't think it will have so much of an effect in West Wales."

She conceded: "I might lose some votes as I took the decision," adding: "But I might win a few votes as well for taking the difficult decision.

"I'm not finding it's a big discussion on the doorstep, I've been quite surprised that it hasn't been.

"There's been cross-party support in the Assembly for the TB eradication policy, all four political parties have given it their support, it's not just culling of badgers but cattle testing, that has to happen comprehensively to have the impact we all want to achieve, not just in cattle but in badgers."

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