Freedom of Barry for Hutt and William

Two long-serving local politicians have been awarded the Freedom of Barry.

Vale of Glamorgan MS Jane Hutt and former Town Mayor, Cllr Steffan William, were honoured at a special ceremony at the town hall on Thursday evening.

Ms Hutt, who was elected to the then-National Assembly in May 1999, will step down as a Labour MS at the next Senedd elections in a year's time.

Barry Town Council said the social justice secretary was nominated for "her work to improve the lives of everyone in Barry through her commitment to equality and justice, and for her unparalleled work ethic and dedication to public service."

She said: "It has been a privilege to represent Barry and the wider Vale in the Senedd for so many years and I am proud to call Barry my home."

"We are a vibrant and diverse community, and I am grateful to have worked with so many local businesses, organisations, and voluntary groups and to meet so many residents here over the years."

"I will continue to work as hard as ever, standing up for my home town and for the social justice principles and values that brought me into politics.”

Cllr William, a member of Plaid Cymru, was first elected to the Town Council and Vale of Glamorgan Council in May 1999, representing the Baruc ward. He also served as Mayor of Barry from 2021-22.

His nomination was in recognition of "over 25 years of continuous, dedicated service to his constituents".

He said: "Being awarded the freedom of this town and whose people I love so much means more to me than anything. I feel grateful and humbled by this."

"There are others past and present who are far more deserving of this tribute than me, and in their honour, I vow to the people of Barry to try every day to become worthy of the huge privilege that has been bestowed upon me."

The Freedom is the highest honour that can be awarded by the town council, recognising exceptional contribution to sport, arts, science or the local community.

Previous winners have included former world featherweight boxing champion Lee Selby, Olympic swimmer David Davies and former Wales women's football captain Sophie Ingle and ex-Wales women's international Ayshea Martyn.

Cllr Catherine Iannucci-Williams, who is stepping down as Mayor of Barry shortly, said: "It was a privilege to be able to present the Freedom of the Town award to Jane and Steffan, and honour their contributions to public life in Barry."

"The award recognises their incredible commitment to Barry and its residents, and all the hard work they have put in over the past 25 years."

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