Politics
Senedd member faces ‘trivial’ probe over eBay review

A SENEDD member was investigated after leaving a negative review about a pair of crystal sherry glasses bought on eBay for £9.99.
Douglas Bain, who is the Senedd’s standards commissioner, launched a formal investigation after the seller made a complaint against the unnamed politician.
The complainant claimed the politician, who Nation.Cymru reports to be Conservative MS Janet Finch-Saunders, had posted false information questioning their “integrity, reliability and honesty”, according to a report published on October 17.
The Senedd member bought two Waterford crystal glasses online but, when they arrived, disputed that they matched the seller’s description, leaving a stinging review.
Mr Bain, who was appointed in 2021, was satisfied the complaint – made under rule two of the Senedd’s code of conduct (members must act truthfully) – was admissible.
“At first sight this whole matter might appear trivial,” said Mr Bain.
“Why should a disagreement between a seller and buyer of two glasses costing £9.99 be the subject of a complaint about a member of the Senedd?
“However, the matter is one of concern to the complainant who believes that her reputation as an eBay seller may be damaged by the allegedly untruthful feedback report posted by the member who was the buyer.”
The dispute centred on whether the crystal glasses, which were purchased in January, were signed with an etching of the word “Waterford” or an image of a seahorse.
In the course of an investigation spanning the past year, Mr Bain went as far as to have an independent expert inspect the item in pursuit of the truth.
In the advert, the glasses were described as a “stunning” pair of Waterford Kylemore small liqueur glasses, in “super” condition with no signs of use.
But the politician was dissatisfied when they received the item, sending a private message to the seller complaining the glasses were “not as described, smaller and not signed”.
The seller asserted the glasses were as described and sought any evidence to the contrary, with the Senedd member no longer responding to messages.
On January 21, the politician posted a review: “Wrongly described and they are not signed. Will not deal with this E bay [sic] seller again.”
The seller urged the Senedd member to review their feedback, stating: “Glasses ARE the size stated and ARE signed,” but they continued to be blanked.
Seeking to make amends, the seller left replacement glasses at the Senedd member’s office but the member did not accept them and the complainant took them back.
A vital piece of evidence was lost in March, with the politician telling the complainant they had broken one of the original glasses.
Then, in April, the one remaining glass was examined by Mr Bain’s investigator who could find no trace of any etching nor mark.
The seller refused to accept the outcome of that examination.
During a telephone conversation with the standards commissioner in May, the complainant said the sherry glasses were smaller than the politician had expected.
In an effort to put the matter to bed, Mr Bain selected an independent expert who examined the glass in June before producing a report.
The expert concluded the item was a crystal liqueur glass, cut in ‘Kylemore’ pattern, on a hexagonal section baluster stem and 16-point star-cut circular base.
While the glass guru found no visible mark nor seahorse, they were satisfied “on the balance of probabilities” that the glass was made by Waterford and was not a fake.
Mr Bain concluded: “Even if, as the complainant asserts, the height of the glass was within tolerance and there was some vague mark which could have been the remnants of a Waterford crystal mark, it would still be my opinion that there had been no breach of rule two.
“I am satisfied that the member’s feedback report, even if it was factually incorrect, was honestly given. There is no evidence of any deceit, fraud or moral turpitude. Whilst it may, on the complainant’s account, have been imprecise and inaccurate – it was not untruthful.”
After discussing the report behind closed doors, politicians on the Senedd’s standards committee agreed with Mr Bain that their colleague had not breached the code of conduct.
In its annual report, the standards commissioner’s office, which cost £133,992 in 2023/34, said it had received 190 complaints, up 167% annually, with 84 ruled inadmissible.
News
Hundreds oppose plans for traveller site near Saundersfoot

A PETITION against a proposed traveller site on the edge of Saundersfoot has gathered nearly 300 signatures, with strong opposition also voiced by the village’s community council.
The application, set to be reviewed by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park planners, seeks to establish a site at Froghall Yard, Moreton Lane. It includes provisions for one static caravan, one touring caravan, a utility room, and ecological enhancements. The plans, submitted by applicant Dai Evans from Pontypool via Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, are partly retrospective.
At a recent council meeting, around 50 residents attended as members unanimously voted to reject the proposal. The council argues the land has remained agricultural for over 30 years and should not be repurposed.
Concerns have also been raised about the site’s visibility from Incline Way, making it difficult to screen from view. Additionally, councillors expressed frustration over extensive clearance work already carried out, including the removal of mature trees and potential disturbance to a badger habitat.
“This area plays a vital role in the village’s landscape, and allowing development here could set a dangerous precedent across the National Park,” the council warned.
The proposal follows two previous unsuccessful applications for development on the same site.
News
Free speech upheld as Ombudsman dismisses complaint against councillor

A COMPLAINT lodged by Pembrokeshire councillor Alan Dennison against a fellow councillor has been firmly dismissed by the Ombudsman, reaffirming the right to free political speech.

Cllr Dennison, a member of the Independent Political Group (IPG), had accused another councillor—Cllr Mike Stoddart—of bringing the office of councillor into disrepute and holding a prejudicial interest during a recent Planning Delegation Panel (PDP) meeting. However, the Ombudsman ruled that the complaint had no substance, confirming that the comments in question were protected under freedom of expression laws.
The dispute stems from recent exchanges on the Pembrokeshire Council Watch (PCW) Facebook page, where criticism was levelled at the IPG’s role in pushing through a 9% council tax increase on March 6. Cllr Dennison was reportedly unhappy with Cllr Stoddart’s scrutiny of the deal between the IPG and the council cabinet, which resulted in the tax hike.
Matters escalated when Cllr Dennison challenged Cllr Stoddart over his own stance on the budget. The councillor had supported a 7.5% increase proposed by the Conservatives but did not put forward an alternative budget himself—something Dennison took issue with. However, Cllr Stoddart pointed out that the IPG had similarly voted down a 12.5% increase in 2024 without proposing their own budget, branding the criticism as hypocrisy.
PLANNING PANEL DISPUTE
The rift deepened following a PDP meeting where Cllr Dennison sought to move a planning application for Imperial Hall Ltd on Hamilton Terrace from delegated powers to full committee scrutiny. The request was unusual as it would typically be made by the local councillor, Cllr Terry Davies, who had a declared prejudicial interest in the matter.
Cllr Stoddart, who also sat on the PDP, raised concerns over Cllr Dennison’s role, noting that he was listed as an employee of Imperial Hall Ltd on his councillor register of interests. Planning officers responded that his employment had ended some time ago but had not been updated on the register.
Shortly after the Facebook exchanges, Cllr Stoddart says he received an email from the Ombudsman’s office informing him of a formal complaint filed by Cllr Dennison regarding his conduct at the PDP meeting. The complaint had two parts: first, that Cllr Stoddart had a prejudicial interest due to a past electoral contest against Imperial Hall’s director Lee Bridges, and second, that his comments about the PDP process were inappropriate.
The Ombudsman dismissed both elements of the complaint, ruling that participating in the same election nearly three years ago did not establish a prejudicial interest. The decision also reaffirmed that political speech is protected under the Human Rights Act 1998, shielding councillors from attempts to silence debate.
HISTORIC FREE SPEECH CASE
This latest case draws parallels with a landmark legal battle fought by former councillor Malcolm Calver, who was reprimanded in 2015 for criticising Manorbier Community Council’s handling of a grant-related survey. Despite his statements being factually accurate, he was found to have brought the office into disrepute.
Refusing to accept the decision, Calver took the matter to the High Court, where Justice Beatson ruled that his comments, while ‘mocking and sarcastic,’ fell under the legal protection of political speech. The ruling reinforced that elected representatives and senior council officers should expect robust scrutiny.
The case, now known as Calver v Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, has since been cited in legal studies on freedom of expression.
The tradition of defending free speech in Pembrokeshire dates back even further. The Tenby Observer played a crucial role in securing press access to council meetings, following a legal challenge against Tenby Corporation in the early 1900s. Though the challenge was unsuccessful, it led to the passing of the Local Authorities (Admission to Meetings) Act 1908, ensuring greater transparency in local government.
A WIN FOR DEMOCRATIC DEBATE
Following the Ombudsman’s ruling, Cllr Stoddart, who has written a column about the matter, has framed the failed complaint as an attempt to stifle legitimate scrutiny of the council’s decisions. He stated: “Nice try, but no cigar.”
The decision serves as a reminder that councillors must be prepared to face public accountability without resorting to complaints aimed at silencing debate.
Cover image:
Cllr Mike Stoddart: Cleared of any wrong doing by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
Business
Former Haverfordwest chapel school building could be turned into flats

PLANS to convert the Sunday School building of Haverfordwest’s former Wesleyan Chapel, once the site of a regular place for preaching by John Wesley himself, to six flats have been lodged with Pembrokeshire County Council.
An application to council planners, which has no clear details about the applicant, listing Vitaly + Partners ltd as either the applicant or the agent, seeks the conversion of the Chapel Lane building.
Accompanying documents say Haverfordwest was a regular place of preaching for John Wesley, the founding father of Methodism, first visiting in 1763, with the first chapel built in 1772. By 1781 there were 60 members in the town, the largest congregation in the Pembrokeshire Circuit.
The chapel was rebuilt in 1818 and enlarged in 1835; the adjoining schoolroom built in 1874, with further chapel works in 1880-1.
The chapel closed in 1985 and the interior was stripped for use as an antiques showroom.
A heritage statement accompanying the application says: “The works on internal alternations of former school building started in 2014 after planning permission was approved. Then other records show that works has re-started in 2020. There are previous building inspector assessment notes available for more details. Since there has been numerous of owners and works started again in 2024.”
It adds: “The main factor to support proposed development is in fact it was approved few times in the past. The works already began, and the original layout and external elements are already altered.
“The building was abandoned and not maintained in any way. It did not look pretty and had a negative impact on the residents of the town. The building has had its original use adopted numerous of times to suit the needs of the particular time period and serve the town accordingly.
“The maintenance work to the building has already shown how much cleaner and more beautiful the building appearance became and it has had good impact on the residents who shared their views on social media talking positively about the renovation works on the building.”
The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.
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