Montgomeryshire MS will not stand for re-election
Mr George, who has served as a Member of the Senedd for Montgomeryshire since 2011 and former Montgomeryshire MP Craig Davies are among 15 people charged by the Gambling Commission with offences under the Gambling Act 2005 following an investigation into alleged cheating related to bets placed on the timing of the 2024 General Election.
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Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
'Bring back dog licences and charge for paper cups to help tackle littering epidemic'
'Bring back dog licences and charge for paper cups to help tackle littering epidemic' Senedd members have drawn up a wishlist of demands as parties look to create their manifestos Fly-tipped waste was left on the B4562 in Pontprennau, Cardiff, recently Higher fines for repeat offenders and awareness courses for people caught littering, dog fouling or fly tipping are just some of the ideas being touted to make Wales cleaner. Other suggestions made by a cross-party group of Senedd members include reintroducing dog licences - something that was mandatory in England, Wales and Scotland until 1987. Councils should be subject to performance measures, and be checked as to how they meet targets for street cleaning too, they said. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Wales' carrier bag scheme could also be expanded and there could also be a charge for disposable cups, they suggest. The document, titled 'The Wales We Want To See', heard from Keep Wales Tidy, Fly-tipping Action Wales and the Marine Conservation Society to show gaps in current legislation and explain how existing legislation could be used to keep Wales cleaner. The aim of the document is to encourage all Senedd political parties to put the issue of littering and fly-tipping front and centre of their manifestos. The suggestions are: Article continues below Review licensing and planning guidelines for fast food premises Amend the legislation to make drivers responsible for littering from vehicles (already applied in England) to facilitate enforcement and to explore the option for adding penalty points for offenders Review and amend waste licensing and waste permit system Introduction of a statutory duty for local authorities to investigate and prosecute fly-tipping and publicise enforcement successes A national litter/dog fouling/fly-tipping awareness course for all offenders Review penalties (including fines and vehicle seizures) and penalty escalations for repeat offenders to ensure credible deterrent level, including consideration for the introduction of a 'sliding scale' for FPNs and increasing penalty amounts A Local Prevention Plan which includes the adoption of a template to report progress against prevention focused indicators and continual progress monitoring Reintroduction of Performance Measures (PAM) for street cleansing and regulation for any local authorities who consistently under-perform to be supported by independent support and tailored 'improvement plans' Expansion of charges and levies such as a disposable cup levy (like the carrier bag charge) A tax or levy on fast food packaging (a discount is common on take-away rather than eat in) Consider the reintroduction of dog licences to specifically support the provision of dog wardens and promote and educate responsible dog ownership. Owen Derbyshire, CEO of Keep Wales Tidy, said: "The spike in littering rates across Wales is deeply worrying. We urgently need the next Welsh Government to prioritise bold, radical, and preventative actions to tackle litter at its source. We warmly welcome the recommendations from the Cross-Party group and hope political parties will give them serious consideration when developing their manifestos." Neil Harrison of Fly-tipping Action Wales said: "Fly-tipping Action Wales support local authorities who are working extremely hard to tackle fly-tipping and bring offenders to justice. "Unfortunately, the fines being awarded by the courts are not always reflective of the impact fly-tipping has on the environment, wellbeing of communities, and the local authority resources required to clear the waste and take forward enforcement action." In the foreword to the report, Labour MS Mick Antoniw, the chair of the group, said; "Wales is a beautiful country - still - but we are nearing a literal tipping point. Fly-tipping and littering are at epidemic levels and it's not just our environment and quality of life that suffers. It's bad news for our economy, it leads to more crime and has a devastating effect on wildlife. "This booklet sets out the extent of the problem and just how important addressing this issue is to voters. They expect government to act and they will support policies that will deliver action. Article continues below "The good news is that there is plenty we can do. Each recommendation listed will make a difference and take us closer to the Wales we all want to see. Many of the initiatives support broader goals such as promoting the circular economy, which already has cross-party support. Others, such as using technology to clamp down on those who throw rubbish from car windows could be self-funding. We are confident that all our proposed measures will attract significant voter support. "This booklet does not set out policy - that is for each party to develop - but we believe it is a good basis for developing effective, sustainable policy. We hope that all political parties in Wales, as part of their manifesto development process, will consider the issues raised here and join us in helping to create the Wales we all want to see."
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Labour peer George Foulkes calls for second Holyrood chamber
George Foulkes, who has previously served as an MP and MSP, said that an assessment of how the Scottish Parliament works is 'long overdue'. Writing in the Scotsman, Lord Foulkes of Cumnock said that Holyrood is 'not living up to the hopes and expectations' of Donald Dewar, Scotland's inaugural first minister, and John Smith, the former labour leader, who he described as its 'architects'. He claimed that Holyrood committees have 'largely failed' as a check on the Scottish Government. READ MORE: UK jets being sent to the Middle East as Keir Starmer refuses to rule out defending Israel 'This situation is compounded by the absence of a second chamber in Scotland, which could revise, improve and very occasionally throw out defective legislation,' Foulkes wrote. He reiterated his long-standing opposition to Scottish politicians 'pontificating on global crises, which Scotland has no chance of resolving', and claimed the SNP is unwilling to 'seriously engage with the current devolution framework'. After calling for tunnels to be built between Scotland's islands, Foulkes, who was made a Labour peer in 2005, criticised the SNP's 'centralisation' of services such as police and fire services. 'We need to look at greater devolution across Scotland - possibly creating new democratic institutions, such as mayors - to bring power closer to the people,' Foulkes said. 'And finally, we come to Holyrood itself. A major review is long overdue and should be prioritised by whichever government comes next. (Image: PA) 'Some key questions which need answered, include - would another electoral system be better? Is there a case for a second chamber? Should there be a limit on the size of the executive? And do MSPs privileges and the role of the Presiding Officer need to be reviewed? 'I am sure that there are many more issues that others would want to look at, but I doubt if there are many now who disagree with the need for change. 'Indeed, sadly, an Abolish Holyrood movement is growing, with the threat to stand candidates for list seats next year. 'To rescue Holyrood, people need to see that their money is being spent wisely and effectively, especially since we have decided to impose higher tax rates than in other parts of the country.' SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson responded to Foulkes' comments, telling The National: "Lord Foulkes wanting a second chamber in Holyrood is bold from someone who sits in an unelected, unaccountable retirement home for Westminster politicians." READ MORE: Ian Murray 'does not understand how devolution works', minister says Last year, Foulkes attacked Scottish Government spending and said there should be 'consequences' for the SNP if it is deemed there is spending in reserved areas. He has long called for the Scottish Government to be prevented from spending in areas such as independence and foreign engagement. Labour have repeatedly said they would abolish the House of Lords, but after coming to power in Westminster following the General Election, instead abolished the 92 seats reserved for peers who are there by right of birth, known as hereditary peers. In a National investigation in 2021, we revealed that Scottish peers had claimed a 'grotesque' £1 million in expenses during the pandemic. Foulkes topped the list for the biggest claim of combined allowance and expenses with £64,643, and for the highest daily allowance alone at £55,936, between April 2020 and July 2021.
Wales Online
13 hours ago
- Wales Online
We asked people in two communities in Wales why they voted Reform UK
We asked people in two communities in Wales why they voted Reform UK Lliedi resident Neil Thomas says he'll never vote Labour again (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Neil Thomas from Llanelli voted Labour at the UK General Election in 2024. "Never again," he said. He's one of the many converts to Reform UK who helped the party win a seat in Llanelli just over a fortnight ago and gain its first Carmarthenshire councillor. The 62-year-old had a few gripes to mention. He said he didn't expect to receive winter fuel allowance when he was eligible in a few years' time. Labour just this week did a u-turn on the payment, making millions more people on lower incomes eligible after previously restricting it to pensioners on certain benefits. He also felt aggrieved that he was turned down for a benefit he had been receiving called the personal independence payment following a medical assessment. Happily for him, he said his cousin appealed on his behalf and it was reinstated. But it seems like it's Reform UK leader Nigel Farage that's made the difference for him. "I voted Labour at the last general election and always voted Labour locally - never again," said Mr Thomas. "Next election I will be voting for Reform." Article continues below He said he liked what he'd seen of Reform UK and Nigel Farage on television. "He's straight-talking. He speaks his mind," he said. "He would be a good Prime Minister. The one we've got now, we don't know what the hell he's doing." Would the Reform UK leader and MP for Clacton have Wales' interests at heart, we asked? "We've got to wait and see," said Mr Thomas. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Two years ago Reform was bumping along the bottom of the UK polls, trading blows with the Greens to be one of the least popular national political parties in the country. Labour was at its zenith, tracking in the mid 40 per cents with the Tories stumbling along in the mid-20s. Then, towards the end of 2023, something changed. Reform began picking up support, soaring above the Greens and Lib Dems and slowly eating into the Tories' lack of popularity relative to Labour. Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, speaking in Port Talbot (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) There were no great gains for Reform at the 2024 General Election which was won decisively by Labour, with Mr Farage's party picking up five seats, but the party won sweeping gains at the local elections in England earlier this year, taking 677 of the 1,600 seats and is now leading in the polls, with Politico's most recent poll of polls putting Reform on 30%, Labour on 23% and the Conservatives on 17% The Senedd elections take place on May 7, 2026, the next big electoral test for all political parties in Wales. A poll in May this year suggested Labour could lose control of the Welsh Government and drop to third, with Plaid Cymru taking the most seats, followed by Reform in third. In the meantime, the only clue we get as to what might be happening on the ground in Wales is by-elections. Just over a fortnight ago Reform UK's Michelle Beer won a vacant Lliedi seat by a stretch, defeating Welsh Labour in what has been solid Labour territory going by the 2022, 2017 and 2012 council elections. She is Reform UK's first Carmarthenshire councillor. Michelle Beer (centre), who is Reform UK's first county councillor in Carmarthenshire (Image: courtesy of Michelle Beer ) At last summer's general election Labour incumbent Nia Griffith held onto the Llanelli seat with 31.3% of the vote but Reform UK's Gareth Beer - Michelle's husband - wasn't a million miles away in second place with a 27.6% share. Reform UK, it seems, aren't going anywhere. When WalesOnline went to Lliedi to speak to voters, we caught up with Neil Thomas, mentioned earlier, and bellwether voter Stella Bartlett, who voted for Labour's Ms Griffith last July and for Reform UK's Mrs Beer on May 29. A residential street in Lliedi (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Asked about the switch, she said: "It was because of what's happening with Labour - they say one thing and do another. It was the way they took off money for winter fuel, and now they're going to put it back, but not all of it. "It's the cuts and putting National Insurance up for the workers which they shouldn't be doing. My granddaughter is a care worker and does a lot of overtime. When it comes to her pay, the tax is unbelievable." The 76-year-old added: "I met the Reform candidate (Mrs Beer) when she came to my door, and she was lovely. I also just happen to like Nigel Farage and what he is for. He seems down to earth, no airs and graces, like a normal person." Stella Bartlett with her rescue dog Buck (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Last autumn Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a rise in the level of National Insurance contributions paid by employers rather than employees to help plug what Labour claimed was a £22 billion black hole left by the previous Conservative Government. It came into effect in April this year, as did inflation-busting increases in the national living wage and minimum wage. However, more people are slipping into the income tax bracket because of a freeze on the amount you can earn - known as the personal allowance - before the 20% basic rate applies. All political decisions are trade-offs and the winter fuel hokey cokey seems to have left its mark on some voters. Craig Morgan, of Llanelli, voted for Reform UK last July after previously voting Conservative. He said he didn't feel the two traditionally strongest parties were "doing anything good" for people. "They're trying to do up Llanelli but it's taking years," said the 43-year-old. "I felt like a change was needed." He said people needed better access to housing. Mr Morgan added: "Nigel Farage is a character. He says things how they are, but thank God he's not like Donald Trump, yet." Craig Morgan (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Asked if he'd had any reservations about voting for Reform UK, he didn't say no but added that he didn't want to get into a discussion about immigration. Would he vote for Reform UK at next year's Senedd elections? "I will see at the time," he said. Richard Thomas, 73, is a Reform UK convert and said levels of legal and illegal immigration concerned him. However he said he didn't blame people for coming to the UK to seek work in the health and care sectors. "If we didn't have them our hospitals would be knackered," he said. "There are also a lot of them at my mother's care home - they're better than our own people." Many years ago Mr Thomas, of Pontyates, a few miles north-west of Llanelli, worked at the nearby Cynheidre colliery. He liked what he heard from the Reform UK leader when he visited Port Talbot on June 9, such as bringing blast furnaces back to the steelworks and allowing coal to be mined to power them. "He spoke well at Port Talbot," said Mr Thomas, who previously tended to vote for Plaid Cymru. "What's wrong with burning coal? It's the best heat we ever had in our house." Was he worried that Reform UK might over-promise and, if it were to hold sway in the Senedd or House of Commons one day, under-deliver? "It depends on how much money there is in the kitty then," he replied. But Lliedi is not the only community in Wales to turn to Nigel Farage's party. The drive through the village of Cefn Cribwr down to Kenfig Hill and Pyle is a roughly two mile stretch of road that shows Wales at its finest on a clear day. The View From Cefn Cribwr (Image: Copyright Unknown ) With scenic views of Bridgend county borough to the south, and a snap-shot of the coast to the west, with Port Talbot steelworks framed between rows of houses in the distance, it is one that almost seems to encapsulate this part of the world at a glance. However, while these views have become a soothing and consistent sight to many in the Bridgend communities over the years, in recent months the political outlook for the area has become slightly less clear. This was evident at a council by-election held in May, 2025, which saw a seat in the ward of Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr won by the authority's first Reform UK councillor, Owain Clatworthy. Successful Refoirm UK Candidate Owain Clatworthy celebrates his win in Pyle with supporters after beating Labour into second place. (Image: Copyright Unknown ) He took his seat after edging out the second placed Labour candidate Gary Chappell by only 30 votes, to join two sitting Labour members for the area- current deputy leader, Cllr Jane Gebbie, and Mayor for Bridgend, Cllr Huw David. It came just weeks before the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, visited the nearby town of Port Talbot to kick-start the party's Senedd election campaign, claiming they expected to not only win seats, but to also win enough to govern Wales. Speaking to locals in the ward of Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr, known historically as a Labour area, some feel a sense of anxiety over potential changes to the political status-quo, though for others they feel this small part of Bridgend has sent out a big message in the build up to 2026. Pyle Road in Bridgend (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Nigel Harris lives in the village of Kenfig Hill and said that when it came to politics, many people were frustrated with what they considered to be a lack of action in the area, with more needing to be done to help its communities. He said: "The problem with a lot of politicians is that they promise you everything, then when it actually comes down to it they don't do anything at all. "You only have to look outside at the grass in Kenfig Hill. It hasn't been cut for ages and it's coming to the point where its up to your knees in some places. "The roads are really bad with pot holes, there's a general lack of public toilets, and a lot of people are starting to get annoyed because, despite giving more, we seem to be going backwards. "The local high streets are dying in front of us, and everything you hear is just negative, so it doesn't surprise me to hear that people are looking for something different." Brian Smith said he felt that the latest by-election had also reflected frustrations with national problems, such as the cost-of-living crisis and the closure of the blast furnaces at the nearby Port Talbot steelworks site. He said: "People want change and I think there's going to be a big shock with how the votes go next year at the Senedd, with some moving away from the more traditional Labour or Conservative votes that we've seen in the past. "Of course, some of that will be because of local matters, but wider issues like the winter fuel allowance and the closure of the blast furnaces in Port Talbot will also play a big part in places like this. "The steelworks is a big one for me, as it always employed a lot of people in and around this area and they all saw the decision to save the Scunthorpe site while letting this one go." One resident who did not wish to be named said other national issues like securing the future of the NHS and tackling illegal immigration were also factors that would influence voters, stating: "Somebody's got to stop all these boats coming in. The National Health Service is on its knees at the moment and something has got to be done." For Ahmed Tezgel however, he felt that politicians across all parties needed to do more to engage with residents and live up to promises, adding: "I don't mind any party just as long as they are going to help the community." Speaking after his shock election win in May, 2025, which made him only the second Reform Councillor in Wales at the time, Cllr Owain Clatworthy, 20, said: "I'm incredibly humbled and it's a true honour to have been elected. "I ran a campaign based on people because many are fed up of being ignored and want to see change. The work begins now to build a better future for everyone in the ward and I will stand up for the community and put people first." Article continues below His work begins in that ward in one part of Wales, but the work of Reform and other parties is already well underway to convince people in wards and constituencies across the country to vote for them at the Senedd election next year. The future of Wales is at stake.
