A BYELECTION for Pembrokeshire County Council’s Hakin ward will take place next month following the death of long-serving councillor Mike Stoddart.

Cllr Stoddart, described as a “fearless campaigner for truth and justice”, passed away on January 4. He had represented Milford Haven’s Hakin ward since first being elected in 2004 and served the community for more than two decades.

His wife, Vivien Stoddart, represents Hubberston on the county council, while his daughter, Tessa Hodgson, represents Lamphey and currently serves as Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care.

Well known for his forthright style, Cllr Stoddart built a reputation for challenging perceived failings and injustices within local government. Before entering politics, he co-founded the Milford Mercury newspaper with his family. In later years, he continued scrutinising council affairs through his widely read Old Grumpy website.

Paying tribute, Pembrokeshire County Council Leader Cllr Jon Harvey said: “Mike was the prime example of what someone in local politics should be – working for and demanding better for his constituents.

“Mike was unashamedly forthright. He would argue his corner with conviction and always with facts on his side.

“He has kept me and many predecessors as leader firmly on our toes. The chamber and Pembrokeshire as a whole will be much poorer for his loss.”

Cllr Jacob Williams, a friend and fellow blogger, described him as leaving “a formidable legacy”.

“I was first elected to the council with Mike in 2012, and he’s been an enormous part of my life ever since. To say he was my mentor wouldn’t do him justice – I couldn’t have wished for a better friend, and I’ll miss him dearly,” he said.

If the Hakin seat is contested, the election will be held on March 17. Nomination papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer at County Hall, Haverfordwest by 4:00pm on February 18.

Applications to register to vote must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by midnight on February 27.

The Hakin contest follows the recent Fishguard North-East byelection, held on February 10 after the death of Cllr Jordan Ryan. That seven-way contest was won by Plaid Cymru candidate Billy Shaw with 253 votes.

Full results were: Caleb Charles Churchill (Welsh Liberal Democrats) 135; Paul Stephen Howe (Welsh Labour) 83; Peter Martin John (Reform UK) 95; Brian Andrew Murphy (Welsh Conservative Party) 69; Teresa Ruth Tannahill (Independent) 79; Adrian John Adrian Tyrrell (Independent) 35; and William Cuthbert Linton Shaw (Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales) 253.

Output rises in January amid sustained increase in new orders

WELSH firms returned to growth in January, with business confidence climbing to its highest level in 16 months, according to the latest Cymru Growth Tracker from NatWest.

The Wales Business Activity Index — a seasonally adjusted measure of month-on-month changes across manufacturing and services — rose to 50.3 in January, up from 49.4 in December. Any reading above 50 signals growth, ending a four-month run of contraction for the Welsh private sector.

The improvement was supported by a continued rise in new orders, although the pace of expansion eased and remained only modest overall.

Business optimism strengthened for the third consecutive month, reaching its highest point since September 2024. Firms said they were hopeful that increased investment would help drive growth throughout 2026, despite ongoing concerns about the impact of higher prices on customer demand.

However, inflationary pressures remained elevated. Input costs rose at the joint-fastest pace since last August, matching December’s four-month high and remaining historically strong. Of the 12 UK regions monitored, only Northern Ireland recorded a sharper increase in cost pressures.

Welsh companies raised their selling prices for the second month in a row in an effort to pass on higher costs. The rate of price increases was the steepest since May 2025 and broadly in line with the UK average.

Despite the return to growth, staffing levels continued to fall. Workforce numbers declined at the fastest rate since December 2024 — the steepest reduction of any UK region — as firms cited financial pressures and cost control measures.

Backlogs of work fell at a marked pace, faster than in December, suggesting businesses were able to work through outstanding orders as output improved.

Jessica Shipman, Chair of the NatWest Cymru Board, said Welsh businesses were showing “growing optimism about future output”, but warned that cost pressures remained significant and were contributing to job losses.

Although activity returned to growth, the rate of expansion in Wales remained well below the UK average, and confidence levels were slightly weaker than the national trend.

Harper Adams study shows strong growth rates and smooth weaning at 35 days

A TRIAL carried out in 2025 at Harper Adams University has found that surplus lambs can achieve strong daily growth rates when fed milk replacer mixed and delivered cold from eight days of age.

The study, using Lamlac ewe milk replacer, recorded an average weaning weight of 15kg at 35 days of age. Individual lamb weights ranged from 10kg to 19kg, while average daily liveweight gain up to weaning reached 332g per day.

Dr Jessica Cooke, speaking on behalf of Lamlac, said feeding ewe milk replacer cold should be considered a proven and practical technique for producers managing surplus lambs during busy lambing periods.

“Feeding cold milk provides a simple, time-efficient and practical method of rearing surplus lambs on farm, particularly where warm water is not readily available or when lambs of different ages require milk at a consistent temperature,” she said.

“With good attention to detail and suitable environmental conditions, lambs can successfully maintain strong daily growth rates when reared on Lamlac mixed and fed cold from week one. It also reduces labour input compared with preparing and feeding warm milk.”

Colostrum and early management

The trial involved twenty-three Lleyn x Aberblack/Charolais lambs. All were left with the ewe for twenty-four hours to receive colostrum naturally, or were fed colostrum artificially where required.

After the first day, lambs were placed in a training pen and fed warm Lamlac ad-libitum through an Ewe-2 feeder. The milk replacer was mixed at a rate of 200g powder to 800ml of water.

From day eight, lambs were moved to a larger pen where Lamlac was mixed and delivered cold at 10°C using two Ewe-2 feeders.

Fresh creep feed and straw were introduced from day seven to support rumen development and help minimise digestive upset around weaning.

Weaning targets met

Lambs were weaned abruptly at 35 days of age. The target was a minimum bodyweight of 10kg and a daily intake of 250g of solid feed.

Dr Cooke said the findings demonstrate the flexibility available to producers.

“After following recommended rearing practices during the first week of life, feeding lambs cold ad-lib milk offers a straightforward, practical and highly cost-effective method of rearing surplus offspring, particularly where warm water or additional labour are limited.

“However, it is vital that producers use a high-quality milk replacer to ensure good mixing quality and avoid potential problems.”

The trial results suggest cold milk feeding can provide an effective and labour-saving alternative for sheep farmers seeking consistent growth performance in surplus lambs.