News

Smoke and mirrors as 20mph is here to stay

Published

2 years ago

May 5, 2024

LAST week, Labour’s new Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Ken Skates, delivered his statement to the Senedd and seemingly reversed Labour’s blanket 20mph speed limit, writes Natasha Ashgar MS.

However, looking closely at what has been said, it becomes increasingly clear that Mr. Skates has played a PR masterclass.

Unfortunately for Wales and the people who have signed the record-breaking half-a-million-strong petition. 20mph is going nowhere and is firmly here to stay.

As time has progressed since Labour’s blanket 20mph policy was introduced last year, public opinion against it has only grown. This disastrous blanket policy has negatively impacted bus services, commuters, emergency services, tourists, residents from all corners of Wales and businesses.

The most concerning aspect of this seemingly public U-turn is that Labour, Plaid and the only Liberal Democrat are all still actively misleading the public, ignoring their plea, petition and calls to rescind even more than before.

Make no mistake about it: Labour will change nothing. The Welsh public has received a lot of warm words, and the press has been quick to report that change is coming. However, no streamlined system exists to create equality amongst councils to revert back and give the public what they want. When all is said and done and when the dust settles, the default speed limit across Wales will remain 20mph.

The Welsh Conservatives have been clear from the start. We would scrap the blanket speed limit and introduce appropriate speed limits in areas where there is clear evidence that they are necessary, such as outside schools, hospitals, and playground areas and revert to 30mph where required.

The Labour Government in Wales is no stranger to anti-motorist initiatives. It has previously banned all roadbuilding and scrapped the relief road for the M4. Despite wafer-thin assurances, it continues flirting with congestion and road charging.

The estimated cost of 20mph is £33 million, a massive amount to spend on such a madcap initiative. Yet, reversing sections of this law will cost an additional £5m. This is an extravagant cost considering the lack of changes we will actually see on our roads.

However, this is all just the tip of the iceberg.

The Welsh Government’s own estimates acknowledge that the policy could impose a staggering cost of as much as £9 billion on the Welsh economy. That substantial amount could be better spent on the failing NHS, a below-par education system (as Wales ranks at the bottom of PISA), or even investing in local public transport services such as buses and train services.

By imposing their punishments on motorists, Labour is strangling economic activity throughout all of Wales.

Blanket 20mph zones and a ban on new roadbuilding before creating a strong, sufficient, and synchronised public transport infrastructure is put in place is nothing short of madness, particularly at a time when Labour-run Transport for Wales (TfW) has come bottom in the UK for overall customer satisfaction and clocked up 1 million minutes of delays last year alone.

Labour’s unexpected change of tack is nothing more than an attempt to curry favour of voters in the run-up to a General Election. Keir Starmer will not want such a divisive issue standing in his way. Yet, with him referring to Wales as a blueprint for what a Labour Government will look like in the UK if he wins the next GE, we can see far more of Labour’s divisive socialist policies becoming law throughout the UK with no light at the end of the road.

In a world where we are seeing huge technological advancements and transport innovation, Wales has had a Labour government in place for twenty-five years who, in the words of Doc Brown from Back to the Future, have firmly decided ‘where we are going, we don’t need roads.’

Natasha Asghar is a Welsh Conservative member of the Senedd for South Wales East and Shadow Minister For Transport.

Named British Vogue’s Force for Change
Named as BBC’s 100 women
Award winner- ‘Devolved Politician of the year 2024’ for her work on the 20mph campaign in Wales.

Crime

Man sentenced for stalking Milford Haven woman

Published

9 hours ago

March 15, 2026

Court Reporter

Restraining order imposed by Haverfordwest magistrates

A MAN has been sentenced after admitting stalking a woman in Milford Haven.

Andrew Richards, 39, of High Street, Neyland, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court for sentence on Monday (Mar 9).

Richards had previously pleaded guilty to stalking without fear, alarm or distress, contrary to section 2A(1) and (4) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

The court heard that between December 2, 2025 and February 15, 2026, he pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the stalking of Tamsin Matthias and which he knew, or ought to have known, amounted to harassment.

Magistrates imposed a community order running until September 8, 2027.

As part of the order, Richards must undertake alcohol treatment for nine months under the direction of the probation service.

He must also complete up to twenty days of rehabilitation activity as directed by probation.

Richards was ordered to pay a £120 fine, £500 compensation to the victim, £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge.

The court made a restraining order lasting until September 8, 2027.

Under the order, Richards must not contact the victim directly or indirectly and must not post, or cause to be posted, any material on social media or the internet referring to her directly or indirectly.

The court heard a victim personal statement from the complainant, which was read to the court by the prosecutor.

The case was prosecuted by Dennis Davies, with Richards represented by Mike Kelleher.

The hearing was before magistrates Mrs J Morris, Mr C Pattison and Mr J Steadman.

Crime

Man, 80, sentenced for stalking after campaign of unwanted emails and posters

Published

9 hours ago

March 15, 2026

Court Reporter

Restraining order imposed after Haverfordwest case

A MAN has been sentenced for stalking after admitting a campaign of unwanted contact and harassment in Haverfordwest.

Michael Lockheart, 80, of Daisy Lane, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court for sentence on Monday (Mar 9).

The court had previously heard that between July 27 and September 10, 2025, Lockheart pursued a course of conduct which amounted to stalking.

The offence involved sending numerous unwanted emails after being told to stop making contact, putting up defamatory posters in public places, and sending malicious correspondence to the complainant’s GP and local authority.

Lockheart had entered a guilty plea to stalking without fear, alarm or distress, contrary to section 2A(1) and (4) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, on January 27, 2026.

Magistrates imposed a community order running until March 8, 2028.

As part of that order, Lockheart must undergo non-residential mental health treatment for 12 months under Dr Cormac Duffy, as directed by probation.

He must also complete up to 25 days of rehabilitation activity.

Lockheart was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation, a £600 fine, £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.

The court also made a restraining order lasting until March 8, 2028.

Under that order, he must not seek, approach or communicate with the complainant by any means, directly or indirectly. He must not knowingly enter any address where she is living, and must not post, or cause to be posted, any material online or on social media referring to her directly or by implication.

A victim personal statement was read to the court by the prosecutor.