WELSH Labour leader Eluned Morgan has pledged to freeze Welsh rates of income tax if her party forms the next government, as Labour prepares to launch its Senedd election manifesto on Monday (Mar 30).

Speaking in Swansea, Morgan is expected to position the policy as part of a wider effort to ease pressure on households during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

In remarks released ahead of the launch, she said a future Welsh Labour government “will not raise income tax” during the next Senedd term.

She added: “Fairness starts with understanding the pressure families face, but fairness also means action.

“This manifesto delivers real help with the cost of living.”

Key pledges outlined

Alongside the proposed tax freeze, Welsh Labour says its manifesto will include a number of headline commitments.

These include a £2 cap on single bus fares across Wales, maintaining £1 fares for young people, and continuing free travel for over-60s.

The party has also pledged to create 20,000 new childcare places, expanding provision to include children from nine months old.

Other priorities outlined ahead of the launch include investment in the NHS, with plans for new hospital developments and expanded mental health support, as well as measures aimed at tackling environmental issues such as river pollution and fly-tipping.

Labour also says it will focus on job creation through green energy projects and introduce a “lifelong retraining guarantee”.

Context and scrutiny

The Welsh Government has the power to vary income tax rates in Wales, but changes have not been made since partial control over income tax was devolved in 2019.

A freeze would maintain current rates rather than reduce the tax burden, meaning the policy is unlikely to increase take-home pay directly but could prevent future rises.

Opposition parties are expected to challenge Labour’s plans during the campaign, particularly around funding commitments and delivery of large-scale pledges such as NHS investment and childcare expansion.

Welsh Labour also used its pre-launch briefing to criticise Plaid Cymru, claiming its rivals are focused on constitutional issues rather than economic priorities. Plaid Cymru has yet to formally respond to the manifesto announcement.

Election backdrop

The Senedd election is due to take place on Thursday (May 7), with the cost of living, NHS performance, and economic growth expected to dominate the campaign.

A US AIR FORCE E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft appears to have been heavily damaged — and possibly destroyed — during an Iranian missile and drone strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday (March 27).

Images circulating online, now also carried by The New York Times and other international outlets, show the rear fuselage of an E-3 burned out, with its distinctive radar dome separated and lying on the tarmac nearby. The extent of the visible damage suggests the aircraft may be beyond repair, although US officials have not formally confirmed the loss.

Reports cited by the The Jerusalem Post indicate that between ten and twelve American service personnel were wounded in the attack, with at least two said to be in a serious condition. The strike, which took place around 60 miles south of Riyadh in the early hours, is understood to have involved a coordinated barrage including at least one ballistic missile alongside multiple attack drones.

The same reports claim that other aircraft at the base may also have been damaged, including KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft, although this has not been independently verified.

Prince Sultan Air Base has been a key hub for US air operations in the region and has reportedly come under repeated attack in recent weeks. According to the Jerusalem Post, earlier incidents included a strike that wounded fourteen personnel earlier in the week, and a missile attack on March 1 which is said to have killed one servicemember.

High-value target

The E-3 Sentry is one of the most important aircraft in the US military’s inventory. Based on a modified Boeing 707 airframe, it is equipped with a large rotating radar dome providing 360-degree surveillance over hundreds of miles. The aircraft acts as a flying command centre, coordinating fighters, tracking threats, and managing complex air operations in real time.

The US Air Force originally operated around thirty E-3 aircraft, although that number has now been reduced to approximately sixteen as the ageing fleet is gradually retired. Around six had reportedly been deployed to the Middle East ahead of the current conflict.

Each aircraft cost roughly $270 million to build in the 1990s, which would equate to approximately $500 million to $700 million (£400m–£550m) today. However, analysts say the true value of the platform lies not in its price tag, but in the critical role it plays in maintaining air superiority and battlefield coordination.

Heather Penney, a former F-16 pilot and analyst at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, described the potential loss as “incredibly problematic,” noting that such aircraft act as the “chessmaster” of modern air warfare, overseeing and directing operations across the battlespace.

Strategic implications

If confirmed, the loss or severe damage of an E-3 would represent a significant blow to US and allied operations in the region. The aircraft provides early warning of incoming threats and enables the coordination of large-scale air campaigns — capabilities that are difficult to replace quickly.

The strike may also highlight increasing sophistication in Iranian targeting. The Jerusalem Post reports that the attack appeared to focus on high-value assets, suggesting access to detailed intelligence on aircraft positions and operational patterns at the base. However, claims of external intelligence support have not been independently verified.

The incident underlines the vulnerability of even heavily defended installations to coordinated missile and drone attacks, and raises further concerns about escalation in an already volatile region.

At the time of publication, US officials had not issued a detailed public assessment of the damage or confirmed whether the aircraft has been written off.

Sixteen held as police press ahead despite ongoing legal dispute

SIXTEEN protesters have been arrested outside New Scotland Yard in London after holding placards expressing support for Palestine Action, as the Metropolitan Police Service continues to enforce controversial powers under terrorism legislation.

The demonstrators, described by campaign group Defend Our Juries as peaceful, were sitting outside the Met’s headquarters holding signs reading: “I oppose genocide – I support Palestine Action.”

The arrests come just days after the force confirmed it would resume enforcement action, reversing an earlier position taken following a February ruling by the High Court which found the proscription of Palestine Action to be unlawful.

Policy reversal

In the wake of that ruling, the Met had stated it would pause arrests and instead “focus on gathering evidence,” describing that approach as “the most proportionate” while awaiting further legal clarity.

However, earlier this week the force confirmed it would resume arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000, citing the need to provide clear guidance to officers and enforce the law as it currently stands.

The Government has since been granted permission to appeal the High Court decision, with the case due to be heard at the Court of Appeal later this month.

Welsh protesters involved

There is also a clear Welsh dimension to the protests, with campaigners from Pembrokeshire and across Wales regularly travelling to London to take part in demonstrations linked to Palestine Action.

The Herald understands that Welsh protesters have already been arrested at previous events prior to the High Court ruling, raising concerns locally about the use of terrorism legislation against those attending peaceful protests.

The latest arrests are therefore likely to resonate in west Wales, where opposition to the policing approach has been growing among activists and community groups.

Legal and political criticism

The move has drawn criticism from campaigners and legal figures. Law firm Hodge Jones & Allen has argued that such arrests may be unlawful, given the High Court’s findings.

Critics say the situation has created a legal grey area, with police continuing to enforce legislation that has already been ruled unlawful but remains in effect pending appeal.

Labour MP Diane Abbott previously described the use of terrorism powers in such cases as “an abuse of power to silence opinions [the police] want to suppress.”

Protesters speak out

Among those taking part was Árainn Hawker, 54, from Somerset, who said: “The courts have ruled that this proscription is illegal… yet people are still being arrested under it. That is an affront to justice.”

Another protester, who gave their name as Ams, said they believed the arrests were intended to deter further demonstrations, adding: “I refuse to be intimidated and I refuse to comply with this authoritarian overreach.”

Further protests planned

Defend Our Juries has announced plans for a further mass protest in Trafalgar Square on April 11, as part of its ongoing “Lift the Ban” campaign.

Despite the backlash, the Metropolitan Police Service has indicated it will continue enforcing the law pending the outcome of the appeal, meaning further arrests are likely in the coming weeks.