In the run-up to the 2021 Senedd Election, Nub News will be profiling the candidates running for the Vale of Glamorgan.

Next up is Plaid Cymru candidate Richard Grigg, who is championing independence for Wales and for better treatment of the Vale

We met with Richard shortly after he had finished canvassing around Dinas Powys, the town he calls home.

"People have been very positive when we've come to the door," Richard told Nub News.

"We've been working very hard in Barry and the rural Vale to make gains there.

"In Dinas Powys we've got councillors, and we've got quite a few town and county councillors in Barry, so we know there's support for us there.

"It's just about getting people to vote in these local and Senedd elections."

Richard is embedded in the local community: he was first elected as a councillor for the Murch in 2008 and is the current chair of Dinas Powys Council.

"This is my home; I've raised my family here and my children go to local schools," he said.

"I'm heavily involved in the community. What the people of Dinas Powys want is what I want."

Some of Plaid Cymru's key policies include delivering 50,000 social and affordable homes, a Green Economic Stimulus creating 60,000 jobs and training and recruiting 1,000 doctors, 4,000 nurses and 1,000 allied health professionals.

The party also wants to see good quality green space within a five-minute walk of all households, reform council tax and cut the average bill.

More locally, Richard highlighted the need to improve infrastructure in the Vale of Glamorgan.

"Driving here I was swerving to avoid potholes, that's a big issue that needs addressing," he said.

"We just seem to be neglected, the state of the roads and pavements has got to improve.

"I've been campaigning for years against excessive house building without the right infrastructure in place."

Another part of Plaid Cymru's manifesto is extending Free School Meals to every child in primary school.

"A lot of people think the Vale is an affluent area, but there are children living in poverty here," said Richard.

"These are these are people who are working people who are literally below the poverty level.

"That's why we'll have free school meals and for everybody living underneath the poverty line, we'll offer you £35 per week per child."

It's that feeling of being neglected by the wider UK Government that drives Richard and the party's stance on Welsh independence.

"If you look at the surveys, two years ago 5-10% were in favour of independence and that's grown to over 30% in the last two years," he said.

"I think the pandemic has shown how badly we've been treated by Westminster.

"Abolishing the assembly would be a disaster for Wales.

"We've shown that over the past year that Wales does have some powers. I don't think people realized what powers Wales has until the struggles of the pandemic made it clear.

"Decisions are better made locally. Of course you can tell more about what needs to happen by being here, not by governing from Westminster."

But is Wales robust enough to go it alone?

"Look at Malta, and Ireland, we're bigger than them. We're not a small country. Those countries have been able to make their own decisions, they haven't been told what to do and it's not like Ireland is asking to come back into the Union either," said Richard.

"Labour has held not just the Vale of Glamorgan seat but the Senedd for 22 years now. It's just not healthy to have the same party in government for so long.

"We've always had pretty low turnout for Senedd elections, lower than Westminster. But I think that it might be higher this time.

"People are much more engaged and ready to vote."

The Senedd election will be held on Thursday 6 May.