New Swansea council leader David Phillips aims to 'heal divide' on 'moral crusade'

David Philips says Swansea is divided by prosperity in the west and poverty in the east of the city

The new Labour leader of Swansea council has described the key priority as "healing the divide" in the city.

David Phillips sees poverty and deprivation as the major issue facing the council after gaining control from the Liberal Democrats and Independents in Thursday's elections.

But he claimed that what he called a "moral crusade" will take longer than the five years Labour are in office.

Labour now have 49 of the 72 council seats, up from 26.

"Poverty and deprivation leads to social problems which leads to drink and drugs, and it costs the council money," Mr Phillips told BBC Wales.

"It's a major problem for Swansea.

"We're looking at healing a divided city - east and west, poverty and prosperity, illness and health.

"This is a moral crusade. There's no way over the next five years we are going to achieve this but we are going to make a start at it."

Heroin misuse

Mr Phillips said his party had listened to the people of Swansea over the past three-and-a-half years and was offering a "new start and hope for the future".

He added: "We can't sit as a society and let it continue.

"We've failed generation after generation of young people and it's no surprise to me they turn to drugs.

"Our mission is to give them hope, that life doesn't have to be the way it was for their parents and grandparents.

"We are talking about four or five generations in parts of Swansea that have never had a job."

In October last year, Ifor Glyn of Swansea Drugs Project called heroin misuse one of the biggest problems facing communities in Swansea.

But Mr Davies said he believed a joint effort between the council, police and other support units can get the poorer areas of the city back on track.

"We are going to take a target team approach and going to look at two major areas of poverty," he added.

"It's worked in other cities. This is not something new.

"People will feel better if their physical environment is improved."