News

Academics warn voters need clear reporting ahead of historic Senedd election

Published

2 months ago

May 5, 2026

Cardiff University experts say misinformation, coalition arithmetic, public finances and devolved powers are among the key issues facing Wales

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY academics have warned that clear reporting and proper scrutiny will be vital as Wales prepares for one of the most significant Senedd elections since devolution.

The intervention comes ahead of polling day on Thursday (May 7), when voters will elect a larger 96-member Senedd under a new voting system.

Professor Stephen Cushion, from Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture, said UK-wide or English-produced news remained the main source of political information for many people in Wales.

He warned that reporting on devolved issues such as health, education and law and order did not always explain clearly which government was responsible.

Professor Cushion said this could leave people confused about what applies to Wales, particularly when audiences increasingly see political headlines on social media without reading the full context.

Dr Maxwell Modell, a research associate at the same school, said some political news items presented parties arguing with each other without enough independent assessment of their claims.

He said broadcasters sometimes set out several party positions side by side, leaving viewers to make sense of them without journalistic scrutiny.

Dr Keighley Perkins said turnout could be higher than at any point since devolution began, given the possibility of political change.

She said coverage should focus less on perceived disengagement and more on the issues facing the next Welsh Government and scrutiny of party policy positions.

Misinformation warning

Dr Bethan Davies, based in Cardiff University’s Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute, warned that there was significant scope for misinformation and disinformation to spread during the campaign, particularly with the rise of AI-generated content.

She said inauthentic accounts sometimes used the logos of reliable news outlets on videos to make audiences believe they were genuine.

Professor Martin Innes, co-director of the same institute, said foreign interests seeking to influence or interfere in politics remained a persistent problem.

He said there should be clear ministerial and senior official accountability for combating foreign online political interference, with resources matching the scale of the challenge.

Economy and public finances

Professor Melanie Jones, of Cardiff Business School, said the future performance of the Welsh economy should be a key focus for the next Welsh Government.

She said improving living standards depended on addressing Wales’ productivity gap with the rest of the UK, which would require long-term commitment and investment in people and infrastructure.

Professor Robert Huggins, of the School of Geography and Planning, said Cardiff was developing as a hub for creative and high-tech industries, but regeneration was less obvious in the South Wales Valleys.

He said the next Welsh Government would have “much work to do” to improve prospects for people living in those areas.

Guto Ifan, from the Wales Fiscal Analysis programme, said difficult choices over spending and taxation were likely after the election.

He warned that if the UK Government sticks to its current spending plans, growing NHS spending alongside manifesto commitments on childcare, education, transport, social care and taxation would require significant cuts to some public services or tax rises.

He said manifestos were largely silent on how those trade-offs would be managed.

Welsh identity and coalition arithmetic

Professor Richard Wyn Jones, of the Wales Governance Centre, said Wales was becoming “less British”, with younger voters increasingly identifying as Welsh only or moving away from national identity altogether.

He said those who felt Welsh but not British tended to be more left wing and socially liberal than those who felt both Welsh and British, which he said was good news for Plaid Cymru.

Professor Laura McAllister said the expanded Senedd would need sharper scrutiny and the ability to challenge government if the increase in members was to be justified.

She said Wales also needed to avoid a “race to the bottom” in political behaviour if public trust was to be rebuilt.

Dr Jac Larner said the general polling trend showed the race to be the largest party remained between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, with other parties competing for third place or below.

However, he said finishing first could matter less than it appeared.

He said whichever party led on seats would face coalition arithmetic, adding that Plaid Cymru had more credible potential partners in Labour and the Greens, while Reform had fewer options.

The Herald has carried detailed election coverage in recent weeks, including candidate interviews, graphics, explainers on the new voting system, and analysis of the Ceredigion Penfro contest.

Cardiff University said the experts were available for further comment throughout the campaign.

Community

Who has the power to save Tenby Summer Spectacular?

Published

4 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

As Henry Tufnell MP joins calls for a solution, questions remain over harbour access, pedestrian safety and who can legally authorise the event

WITH Tenby Summer Spectacular still at risk, attention is now turning to a simple but crucial question: who actually has the power to save it?

The much-loved charity event, run by Tenby Round Table, has become one of the town’s biggest summer attractions, bringing thousands of people into the harbour area and raising money for local good causes.

But organisers have warned that the event may not be able to go ahead unless outstanding concerns over pedestrian safety and access around the harbour are resolved.

Henry Tufnell MP has now added his voice to calls for a solution, saying he is “very concerned” that the event is at risk.

The local MP said he had written several times to Pembrokeshire County Council over the past few months to help resolve the outstanding issues, and that his office met with the council this week to press for progress.

Mr Tufnell said he welcomed the council’s public statement confirming its support for the Spectacular, and said he would continue speaking to the council, Tenby Round Table and police.

At the heart of the row is a practical but important issue: how the harbour area can be made safe for thousands of visitors while still allowing access for residents, businesses and emergency services.

Pembrokeshire County Council has said it supports the event and wants it to go ahead. It has also said it has not directed organisers to cancel.

However, Tenby Round Table has said one key legal question remains unanswered after months of discussions.

That question appears to be whether the organisers can legally control or restrict access in the harbour area in the way required to satisfy safety concerns.

For an event of this size, the issue is not simply whether the council, police or organisers want it to happen. The question is whether the right legal powers, safety plans and permissions are in place.

The council has a role through licensing and public safety. The police may advise on safety, traffic and crowd management. The organisers are responsible for putting forward an event plan that can be safely delivered.

That means no single person can simply “save” the Spectacular by saying it should go ahead.

Instead, the event now appears to depend on whether the council, police and Tenby Round Table can agree a workable solution over harbour access, crowd control and emergency arrangements.

The row has also sparked strong reaction online, with many residents frustrated at the possibility of losing one of Tenby’s best-known summer events.

Supporters say the Spectacular is not only a family night out, but an important boost for traders and a major charity fundraiser.

Others have argued that safety concerns cannot simply be brushed aside, particularly when large crowds gather in a confined harbour setting.

Mr Tufnell said: “The Tenby Summer Spectacular is an incredible event run by the Tenby Round Table for our community, supporting local businesses and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.

“Like many of you, I am very concerned to see that the event is at risk of not going ahead.

“I have written several times to Pembrokeshire County Council to help resolve the outstanding issues regarding pedestrian safety and access around the harbour.

“I welcome the statement published by the council reinforcing their support for the Spectacular. I am reassured by their public commitment to finding a path forward.”

The coming days are now likely to be crucial.

For the event to be rescued, the key question is whether a legally sound and practical access plan can be agreed quickly enough for organisers to proceed with confidence.

Until then, the future of Tenby Summer Spectacular remains uncertain — not because there is a lack of public support, but because no one has yet produced a final answer to the question of who can lawfully control the harbour when thousands of people arrive.

News

Police watchdog referral made after fatal A4075 crash

Published

5 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

No suggestion of pursuit or contact between police vehicle and motorcycle, force says

A VOLUNTARY referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following the fatal A4075 crash which claimed the life of 22-year-old Callum Hanson.

Dyfed-Powys Police has confirmed the referral was made because a police vehicle was in the vicinity of the collision, which happened between Canaston Bridge and Yerbeston on Wednesday (Jun 17).

The force said the referral was made to ensure full transparency and independent oversight.

However, police have stressed that there is no suggestion of an active pursuit or any contact between the police vehicle and the motorcycle at the time of the incident.

The IOPC has now referred the matter back to Dyfed-Powys Police for an internal investigation by the force’s Professional Standards Department.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “A voluntary referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in relation to this case, due to the presence of a police vehicle in the vicinity.

“This was to ensure full transparency and is a standard requirement in order to ensure independent oversight.

“There is no suggestion of an active pursuit or any contact between the motorbike and the police vehicle at the time of the incident.

“Due to this, the IOPC have referred the matter back to Dyfed-Powys Police for an internal investigation by the Professional Standards Department.

“While PSD carry out their enquiries it would not be appropriate to comment on the matter further.

“The thoughts of Dyfed-Powys Police remain with Callum’s family and friends at this time, and we would still ask that anyone with information about the incident contacts the force.”

Callum, from Haverfordwest, died in hospital following the collision involving a grey Kia Sorento and a white Yamaha motorcycle. A 22-year-old woman who was travelling as a pillion passenger was also taken to hospital.

His family later paid tribute to him as a “kind, loving” young man who lived life to the fullest despite his own personal challenges.

They said he was deeply caring and had spent the last month looking after his grandad, who had also recently passed away.

Callum had a passion for gaming and motorbikes and was training to become a mechanic at college.

Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage from the A4075 between Canaston Bridge and Yerbeston at around 6:15pm on Wednesday (Jun 17).

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, by emailing [email protected], by calling 101, or by direct message on social media.

Quote reference 362 of June 17.

News

Wales inactivity rate rises as opposition warns economy is ‘flatlining’

Published

7 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

ALMOST one in four working-age people in Wales are economically inactive, according to the latest labour market figures.

The Welsh Government’s June labour market overview shows the economic inactivity rate in Wales was 24.8% for people aged 16 to 64.

That is down 0.6 percentage points on the previous quarter, but up 0.6 percentage points over the year. The UK rate stood at 21.0%.

Economic inactivity refers to people who are not in work and are not classed as unemployed because they are not actively seeking work or are not available to start.

The figures have prompted criticism from the Welsh Conservatives, who said Wales’ economy was failing to grow strongly enough.

Janet Finch-Saunders MS, Shadow Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, said: “These latest figures show the Welsh economy has continued to flatline with too many people economically inactive.

“We urgently need welfare reform to get people off benefits and into work, where they can pay their taxes and help generate more revenue to invest in better public services.

“The new Plaid Cymru government needs to focus relentlessly on creating the conditions for businesses to start up and expand because this is the only way to grow the Welsh economy and make Wales more prosperous.”

The latest statistics also show Wales’ unemployment rate was 3.8%, up 0.3 percentage points on the quarter but down 0.9 percentage points over the year. The UK unemployment rate was 4.9%.

The Welsh Government said evidence from a range of sources suggested the Welsh labour market was following a similar trend to the UK as a whole.

It also said Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Adam Price was keen to meet the Office for National Statistics to discuss the reliability of labour market data for Wales.

The issue is likely to remain politically significant because economic inactivity affects the size of the workforce, business recruitment, tax receipts and pressure on public services.

Across Wales, inactivity can include people out of work because of long-term illness, caring responsibilities, study, early retirement or other reasons. For rural and coastal areas, including Pembrokeshire, the challenge is often linked to the availability of suitable jobs, transport, skills and seasonal work.