YesCymru take campaign letter to Downing Street
The campaign has already garnered support from all 22 local authorities in Wales, the Senedd, and 75 per cent of the Welsh public.
YesCymru argues that transferring control of these assets to Wales, as has already happened in Scotland, would support local economies and promote sustainable development.
Mr Hughes said: "Wales has been overlooked and undervalued for far too long.
"All we're asking for is fairness, and when that's denied, more and more people see independence as the only way forward.
"This united support across Wales shows that YesCymru can bring people together behind a clear demand, and that real change is possible when voices across the country speak as one."
Torfaen Council was the last Welsh local authority to back the transfer of Crown Estate powers, with a motion passed on June 10.
The Crown Estate in Wales, worth over £850 million, currently sends its profits straight to the UK Treasury.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
31 minutes ago
- Metro
Is the issue of violence against women being used as as a political tool?
Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments. Jon (MetroTalk, Thu) discusses the protests in Epping against the use of a hotel to house asylum seekers. He says they are based on concerns for the safety of women and girls and criticises government minister Jess Phillips for not voicing the same concerns. However, many of those claiming to protest in the name of women's safety – or supporting those who do – have defended Andrew Tate, who has been criticised for his misogynistic views. This raises serious doubts about their true motives. It appears that the issue of violence against women and girls (VAWG) is being co-opted as a political tool — a convenient cover for broader protests targeting asylum seekers and refugees. This tactic mirrors strategies seen in other parts of Europe. It's likely that the next step will be claiming to protect LGBTQ people from asylum seekers, despite the fact that many of these same individuals support policies that harm the LGBTQ community in the UK. Ultimately, it seems they are willing to exploit any marginalised group to advance their political agenda against asylum seekers and refugees. Alfiaz, London Some people seem to be seeing asylum seekers everywhere. No wonder they keep screaming, 'We're being invaded.' First, former Reform MP Rupert Lowe mistook charity rowers off Great Yarmouth for 'illegal immigrants'. Then residents in a Welsh village thought Scouts from Scotland must be migrants because of their accents. You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from: – Award winning service from the UK's leading mortgage broker – Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week – Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won't charge you a fee for their advice. Find out how much you could borrow online Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Now caravan park operator Haven has had to issue a statement saying its facilities aren't being used to house asylum seekers. Apparently, it was sparked by social media posts claiming that 'coaches of men' had been turning up to some caravan parks. The UK is more than 94,000 square miles. At the end of March, there were nearly 110,000 asylum seekers – so barely one per square mile. The overall 68million UK population means there are more than 700 of us per square mile. It's unlikely you are going to see an asylum seeker today. Even if you do, please be nice – not racist. Peter Packham, Chair, Leeds for Europe How dare James Murray-Smith (MetroTalk, Thu) describe a tax on selling your home being considered by chancellor Rachel Reeves as a tax on 'unearned' wealth. Maybe he inherited his property unearned but the rest of us worked hard, often forgoing things, in order to get on the so-called property ladder. So no, it is not 'unearned', which implies undeserving. As to it being 'unavailable to those who do not own their own homes', so what? Is it the seller or home-owners' fault others don't own their homes? It's thinking like this that makes me despair! So much for getting to own your own home as so many of our young are struggling to do. Agatha, Surrey Some estate agents have warned that house-sellers will simply pass the cost of this tax on to buyers. They're wrong. The price of a house isn't controlled by what the owner wants – it is controlled by what the market is willing to pay. Otherwise, owners would sell for however much money they fancied. This tax – which is only being considered for homes above £500,000 – would mean people selling their houses will just end up with less money. Which is fine – they'll still have at least £450,000, which is enough for a deposit and plenty to spare. JWA Caley, St Pancras Rupert Fast's letter (MetroTalk, Thu) should be read by Labour chancellor Rachel Reeves. Britain is indeed, as he says, 'living beyond its means'. This fact has lead to UK gilt yields – the price the market demands for government loans – hitting the highs last seen during Liz Truss's tenure. More Trending This, therefore, supports Mr Fast and means that Britain has to pay more to service growing debt. That of course means Jo and Joe Public paying through taxes. Fares, food, broadband and council taxes have all risen more than inflation. The government must reduce spending and reduce debt. Fast. Graham Reid, Stockport MORE: How to win £3,000,000 house in West Sussex MORE: 'Ozempic vagina' is here and women are paying £2,000 to reverse it MORE: Inside the rise of 'Reta' – the controversial new weight loss jab 3 times stronger than Ozempic
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
The nuclear button has been pressed but WRU must now get out of the URC
The nuclear button has been pressed but WRU must now get out of the URC The WRU has laid its cards on the table with a radical plan. Steffan Thomas looks at the potential holes in it Picture shows (from left) Richard Collier-Keywood, WRU chairman, Dave Reddin, WRU director of rugby and elite performance and Abi Tierney, WRU chief executive (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd) The Welsh Rugby Union hit the nuclear button yesterday when it put forward proposals to cut the number of professional teams in Wales by half. A formal consultation process will begin in September where the WRU will consult with a number of key stakeholders including the current four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - along with supporters, present and former players and the Welsh Rugby Players' Association. The WRU believe radical change is needed to drag the game in Wales out of the doldrums along with providing the platform to win the Six Nations and become "genuine wild-card World Cup winners" in the future. But a reduction to two teams is the WRU's optimal option; this could change during the consultation process where there is likely to be significant kick-back. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. After a press conference which lasted well over an hour at the Principality Stadium yesterday and a document of more than 100 pages there remain questions which need answering. Steffan Thomas has been through the document to pick out the key points, issues and questions, as he sees it. What is the optimal solution? The optimal solution focuses on two clubs with a men's and women's team. Each squad will consist of 50 senior players and operate with playing budgets of £7.8m, while there will only be room for two non-Welsh qualified players in each side. It favours a heavily centralised system in line with the New Zealand model. In terms of the ownership model the WRU wants control of all rugby operations with the current investors taking charge of the commercial element of the club. In its own words the WRU wants "unified management and contracting of all elite players (professional men's and women's teams, national team and national academy) to align decisions on selection and talent development with players and clubs". The union insists "that PRA-style arrangements are a particularly challenging choice due to an inherent mismanagement between stakeholder objectives". In other words there is a significant lack of trust between the WRU and the four professional clubs with both parties often pulling in different directions. The WRU sees this as an opportunity to "optimise collaboration" if it can seize control of all rugby operations. Controversially it wants to build a new national campus and base the two professional clubs there. In terms of players development the main point put forward is the return of a national academy-style system and significant investment being poured into Super Rygbi Cymru. The idea behind the two-club scenario is to concentrate talent which in turn creates more competition for contracts and starting places. It's a case of elitism on steroids, with the aim of driving up standards on and off the field. Is there likely to be pushback during the consultation and what might change? Having spoken to numerous high-ranking sources within the game there will be significant pushback. Clearly clubs are going to be fighting for their lives and the first priority will be survival. On that note we do not yet know whether the WRU will simply scrap two teams or create two new entities with new branding. Under the proposed optimal system private investors are still required to pour in £17m, which amounts to £1m a year. But why would any private investor want to pour money into a club if the WRU have complete control over player contracting and development? The original PRA25 involved circa £125m worth of WRU funding over five years, while their new 'optimal solution' of two teams results in £94 worth of WRU payments. But where is the remaining £26m? That has not been accounted for but may well be kept back to invest into a new national campus, the SRC and academy system. There will also be significant investment into improving the women's game, while competition income will likely decrease with a reduction of teams, as might broadcasting income. They have also spent £6m on a roof walk, while the cost of assuming ownership of Cardiff also has to be taken into consideration There is £121m worth of investment with the three equally-funded club solutions and £116m if they go to three teams under a tiered funding model. Private investors are required to put in £25m if it's four teams, £21m with three unequally funded teams, £21m with three in a tiered funding model and £17m if they reduce to two. The academy budget per club is £800k in every mode. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free They are now also proposing a salary cap of £7.8m-£8m in the optimal solution which is only marginally better than where they are now. This is close to the Gallagher PREM cap but short of some of their competitors in the United Rugby Championship. It seems they are hoping to drive a harder bargain with Welsh talent with limited number of overseas player spots at clubs in England and France. This is likely to be enough to be significantly more competitive if talent is concentrated into two teams, although to really compete in the latter stages of the Champions Cup it will need to be higher. Another area where there will certainly be a significant amount of pushback is with the idea of having two teams training at the same national campus. The WRU's director of rugby and elite performance Dave Reddin was quick to stress both teams would have separate team rooms at the facility and different identities. But there are many within the game who believe this is anti-competitive, with professional sport all about different styles and cultures. Union-owned sides allow for far greater control from the national coach and potentially greater cohesion in terms of on-field partnerships and playing styles, especially if the majority of the national squad are concentrated into two teams. But it is arguably not the job of the WRU to own and control its teams, but rather to facilitate the growth of the game in Wales. Union-owned teams are arguably anti-sport and is one of the reasons the URC is an inferior competition to the French Top 14 and the Gallagher PREM. Can the new 'optimal structure' win over supporters? This remains to be seen but the reaction has not been a positive one on social media. Wales has a club-based history and it is a very tribal nation so the very idea of creating two new teams is not going to go down well. There were hints during the media interviews this week the WRU saw the SRC as the "heritage league" where tribalism can thrive and old rivalries can continue. While this has not been confirmed they may prefer to have an East and West team playing in the professional game with the current four clubs downgraded to SRC level. Reading between the lines they may view a fan supporting east Wales the same as a Cardiff fan now supporting Wales. If they can be successful and challenge for silverware then they will attract supporters. But this is highly unlikely to get buy-in from current supporters of the four professional sides, with traditional club branding more likely to attract fans. Welsh rugby's tradition is rooted firmly in the club game. What competition will they play in? A reduction to two teams playing in the URC would be a complete and utter disaster because it is a competition which Welsh fans have never truly bought into. The vast majority of Welsh fans would much prefer to face the likes of Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Northampton Saints, Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers on a weekly basis. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. It would be transformational for the Welsh game and a leading figure at a Welsh club told WalesOnline this week an Anglo-Welsh league would result in its commercial income rising by at least £3m. The WRU insist they are committed to the URC but if it really wants to deliver an 'optimal solution' it has to be in an Anglo-Welsh. Anything else is sub-optimal. According to numerous people within the upper echelons of the game PRL might expand to 12 or 14 teams but would only consider two Welsh teams. Article continues below It is worth noting teams who are owned by a governing body or has significant union control is unlikely to get accepted into an Anglo-Welsh league. Like it or not radical change is required to drag Welsh rugby out of the doldrums and unlike what some fans have been saying this is not a knee-jerk reaction. But it has to be the right change and the WRU's 'optimal solution' leaves a lot to be desired.
Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Wales Online
Cardiff Bus gives update on planned September strike
Cardiff Bus gives update on planned September strike The company warned customers of possible disruption next month There has been a long-term dispute over pay conditions at Cardiff Bus (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne) Cardiff Bus has warned customers of potential strike action next month as members of Unite the union continue to ballot for an improved pay offer. The Union said that the action would affect services for a period of three and a half weeks from Monday, September 1. Earlier this week, the company's management was informed of the action through a formal notification. The bus service is the primary bus provider for the Welsh capital and its surrounding areas like Barry and Penarth. The strike is however dependent on the result of an existing ballot which will be held by the union. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here The result of this will be announced on Friday, August 29 at the latest and if the revised pay offer is accepted a letter rescinding the strike action will be issued. Cardiff Bus said they were "preparing contingency plans" for if the strike was to go ahead with only a short window between the ballot result and start of the strike action. They reassured customers that as soon as a definite decision is made further details would be published on the company's website, app and social media channels. Content cannot be displayed without consent Craig Hampton-Stone, Managing Director, said: "We hope it does not come to this and that the ballot result is acceptance of the revised pay offer. "However, we have to act responsibly, both for our customers and our staff, by preparing for all scenarios. "We remain committed to resolving this dispute and have put forward a new pay deal which led to the postponement of the previous strike and commencement of the subsequent ballot. Our focus is on achieving a fair resolution that avoids unnecessary disruption. "Cardiff Bus will update customers on progress with pay talks and the outcome of the ballot as soon as further information is available. "Please check the company's website, app and social channels for the latest updates." Article continues below Strike action was previously called off earlier this month after a revised pay offer was put forward alongside proposed changes to working conditions which included longer breaks and improved sickness terms. This original industrial action was due to take place from August 17 and was due to run for three weeks, ending on Sunday, September 7.
