On Thursday, 15 January at 12:14 AM, my nan passed away.

She was admitted to Morriston Hospital on Tuesday morning with stomach pains.

She was immediately seen by medical professionals, who did everything they could to help her. But at 90 years old, with a weak heart further damaged by a cardiac arrest early on during her stay in hospital, they, along with us, her family, made the decision to stop all procedures, as continuing to do so would trigger another heart attack.

From that moment until her passing, my nan had round-the-clock care by the wonderful nurses, who ensured she was made comfortable, and made sure any family members who stayed by her side were given food, drink and a place to sleep throughout the night.

She made it all the way through Tuesday and Wednesday, until finally, in the early hours of Thursday, she took her final breath and slipped away in her sleep, surrounded by her family.

I find that during times of hardship, I also latch onto my “comforts”. For some, it’s the gym. For others, it’s food. For me, it’s politics.

My nan was a staunch believer in voting and making your voice heard. While a lifelong Labour voter, in her final years, she began voting for the Liberal Democrats. When I asked her why, she said, “I like that Ed Davey. The way he looks after his son, he’s a kind man”. She even got my grandfather to vote for the Lib Dems, who for years would talk about Liberals as being “Tories in yellow ties”. But, again, it was seeing Ed with his son that moved my bampa (what I call my grandfather) to tears, and even had him saying he wished Ed were the Prime Minister now!

That was always the barometer for my nan. Was the person she was voting for, or the leader of that party, kind? She couldn’t stand Farage and viewed him as nothing more than a racist. She didn’t mind Starmer, although she said she was disappointed with how this Labour government had treated pensioners. She never voted Tory; she could never forgive what Thatcher had done to Wales.

That was my nan. So long as you were kind, you were in her good books. She’d say a prayer every night, asking God to keep her family safe. While I never shared her faith, I always appreciated it.

Goodbye nan. I’ll always love you.

Shirley Mary Davies, 5 November 1935 – 15 January 2026

* Jack Meredith is a member of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and an active campaigner and canvasser with Swansea and Gower Liberal Democrats. His writing focuses on democratic reform, social justice, trade unionism, economic democracy, and the institutional foundations of effective government. He has written for the Fabians, Lib Dem Voice, Liberator, Nation Cymru, Bylines Cymru, and Centre Think Tank.