
Pembrokeshire deputy council leader survives no confidence vote
Former council leader Jamie Adams said Miller gave the impression that he "knew better than everybody else" and called on him to apologise for the language used during the cabinet discussion.In response, Miller said it was "sensible to collect data" about the school choices made by parents, adding that Murphy was creating division.He also said Pembrokeshire had delivered the largest percentage growth in Welsh medium education of all the counties.Conservative group leader Di Clements criticised the decision to hold the meeting in the first place.She said the councillors would have been better off "finding ways of dealing with the huge financial black hole" rather than seeing who "has the biggest ego in the chamber."
It comes after the Welsh government passed a major new bill to boost the number of pupils studying in Welsh.The Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill aims to close the gap in Welsh speaking ability among pupils from different schools.Welsh Language Secretary Mark Drakeford described the bill as "historic" adding that schools do not currently get enough from the investment made to teach Welsh in English-medium schools.The bill aims to make progress towards the 2050 target of a million Welsh speakers by strengthening the role of the language in education.
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The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Northern Ireland ‘absolutely crucial' for UK's growth prospects
Northern Ireland is 'absolutely crucial' for the UK's growth prospects, the Chancellor has said during a visit to Belfast. Rachel Reeves made her first trip to the province as Chancellor and was asked whether she considers Northern Ireland to be an 'economic basket case'. As part of her trip, Ms Reeves visited the filmmaking facilities at Studio Ulster and also paid tribute to Northern Ireland's defence sector. Studio Ulster, which sits on the shores of Belfast Lough, was officially opened in June in what have been termed the world's most advanced virtual production facilities spanning 75,000 square feet. Speaking at the studios, Ms Reeves said: 'Northern Ireland is absolutely crucial for the United Kingdom, including for our growth prospects. 'We've got here, at Studio Ulster, not just the best facilities in the UK, but the best facilities in the world, for a part of our economy that is globally growing at such a fast rate. 'This is the best place in the world to make those investments, to start a business, to grow a business, whether that's in video games, or TV, or film. 'That's really exciting and we benefit hugely from the thriving creative industry sector in Northern Ireland.' She continued: 'As we step up that defence spending to 3%, and then 3.5% of GDP in due course, that will mean more good jobs, paying decent wages in Northern Ireland. 'My economic belief, my strong belief, is that all parts of the country should be able to contribute to economic growth and prosperity, and all parts of the country should benefit from economic growth and opportunities. 'That has not been the case for far too long in the UK.' Ms Reeves will meet deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Finance Minister John O'Dowd later on Tuesday. She described the relationship between the British Government and the Northern Ireland Executive as a 'partnership approach'. The Chancellor told reporters she wants Stormont to spend its funding 'wisely' to get the best value for money for taxpayers. This includes growing the economy and creating good jobs that are well paid, Ms Reeves said. 'The UK Government, the Northern Ireland Executive have got a joint commitment to improve the lives for people here,' she added. 'We have made the record settlement at the spending review just a couple of months ago. 'Three-year settlement for day-to-day spending, a five-year settlement for capital investment and that means that the money we need for our public services in Northern Ireland and across the UK is now available. 'Now spend that money wisely to get the best value for money for taxpayers. 'We also need to grow the economy and create more good jobs, paying decent wages here.' Ms Reeves also referred to Thales, a defence firm in Belfast, which is manufacturing equipment to be sent to Ukraine. She said this is creating more jobs and bringing in higher salaries. The Chancellor also said that farmers with agricultural property worth more than £3 million 'should make a contribution'. Asked whether she had 'sympathy for farmers who are now facing an inheritance tax bill', Ms Reeves told reporters: 'We didn't increase taxes that ordinary working people paid. 'Their national insurance, income tax, VAT, fuel duty did not go up in the way the previous Tory government had in their plans, so protecting the incomes of ordinary working people. 'And since we came into office, real wages have been rising at a faster rate than inflation, and specifically on agricultural property relief (APR), if you've got agricultural property worth less than £3 million and you own it jointly with a partner, you'll pay no inheritance tax when you pass that farm on. 'But I do believe that if you do have agricultural property worth more than £3 million, you should make a contribution, but the APR, the inheritance tax on that is half the rate that anybody else pays, just 20%, and it's payable over 10 years interest-free.'


Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Liz Truss criticises ‘multicultural' Olympic ceremony 12 years after praising it
Liz Truss has criticised the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony as not representing 'the views of the average Briton'. The former prime minister suggested that 'the views expressed' at the event were not those shared by people outside of London but of 'an elite that hates Britain', even though she praised the ceremony in 2013. Speaking to Ben Shapiro, a Right-wing US commentator, Ms Truss claimed that the 'elite are trying to suppress' the voices of those in small towns and rural communities. Shapiro, who hosts the Ben Shapiro Show, asked the former Tory leader about the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, which took place in the capital. Former UK PM Liz Truss on what Britain must learn from Trump — The Ben Shapiro Show (@BenShapiroShow) August 11, 2025 He asked: 'Can there be a restoration of a true pride in what Great Britain was and should be in the middle of this bizarre sort of melange of multiculturalism that has taken over London?' Ms Truss replied: 'The views expressed in the Olympic ceremony are not the views of the average Briton. 'The problem is we have an elite that hates Britain, and they have done for some time, that is the history of people like Jeremy Corbyn [and] Keir Starmer. 'They want to help the human rights of anybody who doesn't live in Britain, but they're very reticent about actually defending our own interests. 'We need to galvanise the people who are patriots in our country, but they have been neglected. They generally don't live in London. They live in small towns, they live in rural areas. They don't have much of a voice. And what is happening is the elite are trying to suppress those voices.' But Ms Truss had previously praised the 2012 opening ceremony, which took place shortly before she became an education minister under Lord Cameron. In a speech in 2013, she said: 'Last summer's Olympics opening ceremony seamlessly combined Isambard Kingdom Brunel and William Shakespeare, Tim Berners-Lee and Mary Poppins.' In 2019, she told The Sunday Telegraph: 'I think we need to revive what I call the Olympics 2012 spirit [with] a modern, patriotic, enterprising vision of Britain and we need to use Brexit to achieve that.' The opening ceremony of London 2012 was directed by Danny Boyle and attracted some 900 million viewers. It featured a cameo appearance of Queen Elizabeth II alongside Daniel Craig in his role as James Bond. The pair apparently jumped out of a helicopter together into the Olympic stadium, where the late monarch was wearing the same outfit as she had been when she met Bond in Buckingham Palace. The show also featured references to the novel Peter Pan, the Chariots of Fire film, and several hymns and folk songs such as Jerusalem and Danny Boy. In a segment designed to celebrate the NHS, performers danced in traditional nurse uniforms and white doctors' coats.


Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Air-rage thug who threatened to gang rape stewardess is set to have 'unduly lenient' sentence reviewed - after complaints Lucy Connolly was jailed for TWICE as long over migrant tweet
A thug jailed for abusing first class cabin crew on a flight from London will have his sentence reviewed for being 'unduly lenient'. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called on the Attorney General Lord Hermer to consider recommending the Court of Appeal increase the 15-month jail term handed to Salman Iftihar. Mr Philp said the sentence was evidence of 'two-tier justice', given Lucy Connolly was jailed for 31 months for a tweet about the Southport riots. Mr Philp told the Mail: 'Iftikar was sentenced to only 15 months in prison last week for threatening an air stewardess with gang rape and for racially aggravated harassment. Iftikhar has multiple previous convictions. 'Yet Lucy Connolly got 31 months for a far less serious offence - a prosecution Lord Hermer personally authorised. 'This is two-tier justice in action. 'I have today referred the case to the Attorney General Lord Hermer for review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. 'We'll now find out if Hermer is willing to take action to fix Britain's two-tier justice problem.' Recruitment tycoon Iftikhar, 37, was flying in first class when he launched a vile tirade of abuse towards Virgin Atlantic staff on a flight from London Heathrow to Lahore in his homeland of Pakistan. Wealthy passengers aboard the flight watched in horror as the recruitment boss repeatedly called steward Angie Walsh a 'f***ing b****' at 39,000ft. The father-of-three later threatened to blow-up the five-star hotel the cabin crew were set to stay in. Isleworth Crown Court heard he left Ms Walsh 'broken' and 'traumatised' having declared she would be dragged out of her hotel room and assaulted. The businessman had been binging on champagne, and also tried to fight another steward and even threatened to blow up the floor of the Avari Lahore Hotel, where the cabin crew were due to stay. In one clip of Iftikhar's 100 rants during the trip, he can be heard repeatedly accusing Ms Walsh of being a racist and says: 'You called me a p*ki in front of everybody.' All this unfolded in front of Iftikhar's wife and children who were crying and pleading for him to stop and had to be comforted by the cabin crew as he continued to hurl abuse for the entire flight. Iftikhar was later arrested at his detached home in Iver, Buckinghamshire, and admitted making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment. The post, which she later deleted, said: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care... if that makes me racist so be it' He and his wife Erum Salman, 38, run a London-based staffing company that provides training to businesses working in customer service and manufacturing. Mr Philp compared his sentence with that of councillor's wife Connolly, who was jailed after admitting to making her 'racist' post on X, formerly known as Twitter in the wake of the Southport riots. The post, which she later deleted, said: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care... if that makes me racist so be it.' She lost an appeal to shorten her 31-month sentence earlier this year. In his letter to Lord Hermer, Mr Philp said Connolly - who is due for release later this month - 'made a wrong and distatesful social media post', but said Iftikhar made 'over 100 sickening threats' to cabin crew, and has previous convictions. Mr Philp wrote: 'I am sure you agree that this cannot be right. 'Given the severity of the threats and the vile language used by Iftikhar, I believe his sentence should be reconsidered and increased and I urge you to refer his case for review under the Unduly Lenient Scheme, which covers the offences for which Iftikhar was convicted. 'If you decide not to refer his sentence for reconsideration, then this would be yet another example of two-tier justice under this Government.' The scheme allows anyone to ask for a Crown Court sentence to be reviewed by the Attorney General's Office (AGO). If officers consider the sentence unduly lenient, they can ask the Court of Appeal to review the sentence. It will then be up to judges to decide whether or not the original sentence was appropriate. The offence of making threats to kill carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, but can be dealt with by a community order. Racially aggravated harassment carries a maximum jail term of up to two years' custody.