News

Government to debate calls for restrictions on young drivers

Published

1 year ago

February 20, 2025

THE GOVERNMENT is set to debate proposals to introduce restrictions on newly qualified drivers aged 17 to 19, following a petition launched by a bereaved mother whose son was among four teenagers killed in a crash in North Wales.

The calls for change have intensified after a coroner raised concerns over young drivers carrying passengers, warning that similar tragedies could continue unless stricter regulations are introduced.

Coroner warns of risks in wake of inquest findings

Hugo Morris, 18, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17, and Jevon Hirst, 16, were killed in November 2023 when their car came off a rural road on a bend and overturned into a water-filled ditch in Gwynedd.

The inquest heard that the car, a silver Ford Fiesta, was being driven by Morris, who had passed his driving test just six months earlier. Evidence from a forensic collision investigator suggested he lost control while navigating the bend “a little bit too quickly,” causing the vehicle to understeer. The crash site was not visible from the road, and the wreckage was only discovered two days later by a refuse truck passenger.

Senior coroner for North West Wales, Kate Robertson, said she would write to the Department for Transport and the DVLA to raise concerns about young, newly qualified drivers being allowed to carry passengers, warning that without action, more deaths could occur.

The cause of death for all four teenagers was recorded as drowning, and post-mortem examinations confirmed none of them suffered any significant injuries in the crash itself.

Families demand changes to driving laws

Speaking outside court, Harvey Owen’s mother, Crystal, said her son had been “let down by an outdated driving licence system.” She has been leading a campaign for the introduction of a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system, which would prevent newly qualified drivers from carrying passengers under 25 unless accompanied by an older adult.

Her petition, launched last year, has now surpassed 100,000 signatures, requiring the government to debate the issue in Parliament.

Owen said that her son had been driven on an unfamiliar rural road by a young driver without her knowledge, and that restrictions on newly qualified drivers could have prevented the tragedy.

Wilf Fitchett’s mother, Heather Sanderson, said she and other parents had felt reassured because the driver had passed his test. She added that, at the time, she believed their decision to allow the trip was reasonable, based on the information they had.

Crash investigator says collision was “avoidable”

The inquest heard that there were no mechanical faults with the vehicle, no evidence of dangerous road conditions, and no history of previous serious crashes at the location. North Wales Police forensic collision investigator, Ian Thompson, concluded that the crash had been avoidable.

Thompson calculated that the maximum theoretical speed for safely navigating the bend was 38mph, but after driving the road himself, he said he only felt comfortable taking the turn at 26mph.

Following the crash, additional road signage and chevrons were installed, but a broken fence—damaged in a previous crash—had still not been replaced. The coroner said this would be included in a prevention of future deaths report.

Debate over restricting young drivers

Owen and other bereaved families argue that introducing a GDL system could reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries among young drivers. The campaign group Forget Me Not Families Uniting, which includes more than 150 families affected by similar tragedies, is backing the proposed changes.

Research shows that one in five newly qualified drivers crashes within their first year, with the risk increasing when they carry peer-age passengers. Campaigners say restricting young drivers’ ability to carry passengers could prevent hundreds of deaths each year.

However, critics argue that such measures would limit young people’s independence and mobility. Owen, responding to these concerns, said that while people may worry about restricting freedom, her son’s freedom “has been taken away forever.”

With the petition reaching the required number of signatures, the government is now set to debate the issue in Parliament.

Tragically died: Clockwise from top left: Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Hugo Morris and Wilf Fitchett. (Picture: North Wales Police)

News

Parties make final push as Wales prepares to vote in historic Senedd election

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Campaign leaders criss-cross country in last-minute battle for crucial votes

WALES heads to the polls tomorrow (Thursday, May 7) after a frenetic final day of campaigning that saw party leaders, candidates and activists make one last push to win over undecided voters in what is being described as the most unpredictable Senedd election in modern Welsh history.

With polling stations due to open at 7:00am, parties spent Wednesday targeting key battleground constituencies across the country, including the new Ceredigion Penfro seat, amid growing expectations of a fragmented Senedd and a dramatic shake-up in Welsh politics.

The election is the first to be held under Wales’ new expanded Senedd system, with 96 Members of the Senedd being elected across 16 large constituencies using a proportional closed-list voting system.

Reform UK appeared to finish the campaign with significant momentum following a major rally on Tuesday attended by party leader Nigel Farage. The event drew large crowds and considerable online attention as Reform attempted to convert strong polling figures into seats in Cardiff Bay for the first time.

Farage used the rally to attack both Labour and Plaid Cymru, while positioning Reform as the party of “change” for disillusioned voters. Reform campaigners have focused heavily on immigration, cost of living pressures and opposition to what they describe as “wasteful government spending.”

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth spent the final day presenting his party as the main alternative to both Labour and Reform UK, insisting Plaid could “build a fairer Wales” while warning against what he described as “divisive politics.”

Labour figures, including First Minister Eluned Morgan and deputy leader Huw Irranca-Davies, urged voters not to “take risks” with public services, arguing only Welsh Labour could protect the NHS and local councils during a period of economic uncertainty.

Labour activists were heavily focused on turnout operations in traditional strongholds, amid polling suggesting the party could lose ground after decades as the dominant force in Welsh politics.

The Conservatives attempted to rally core voters with warnings about both Labour and Reform, while also focusing on farming, the rural economy and healthcare waiting lists.

In west Wales, Conservative candidates Paul Davies and Sam Kurtz spent the day meeting voters and carrying out final campaign visits across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, arguing their experience and local knowledge would be important under the new electoral system.

The Liberal Democrats and Green Party also maintained visible campaigns in several areas, hoping tactical voting and the proportional voting system could help them secure representation.

Across Wales, campaign teams handed out leaflets outside transport hubs, supermarkets and town centres, while social media campaigning intensified throughout the day.

Political analysts believe turnout could prove decisive, particularly because the new voting system means relatively small shifts in support could determine the allocation of the fifth and sixth seats in many constituencies.

The campaign has been dominated by debates over the NHS, farming, the economy, transport, tourism and the rising cost of living, alongside concerns about the future direction of Welsh devolution.

Polling stations open across Wales from 7:00am until 10:00pm on Thursday, with counting due to begin on Friday morning.

The Herald will provide live election coverage online throughout polling day and count day, including updates from count centres, candidate interviews and reaction as results emerge from across west Wales and the rest of the country.

News

Plaid Cymru projected to lead Senedd as Labour faces historic collapse

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Final poll suggests Welsh politics could be on the brink of a major realignment

PLAID CYMRU is on course to become the largest party in the Senedd, according to the final YouGov MRP projection for ITV Cymru Wales before polling day.

The model suggests Labour’s century-long dominance of Welsh elections could be coming to an end, with Plaid projected to win 43 seats in the newly expanded 96-member Senedd.

Reform UK is forecast to finish second on 34 seats, while Labour is projected to fall to just 12.

The poll, based on responses from more than 4,600 adults between April 25 and May 4, puts Plaid Cymru on 33% of the vote, ahead of Reform UK on 29%. Labour is on 12%, the Conservatives on 9%, the Greens on 8% and the Liberal Democrats on 6%.

Labour facing major losses

The projection points to a dramatic collapse in Labour support across Wales.

YouGov’s central estimate would represent a notional loss of 32 seats for Labour compared with the 2021 result under the new electoral system.

It would also be Labour’s worst result at any major Welsh election since 1906.

The model suggests Labour may fail to top the poll in any of the 16 new Senedd constituencies, and could return no members at all in four of them.

In west Wales, Labour’s support is projected to have fallen into single figures in some areas.

First Minister Eluned Morgan, who leads Labour’s list in Ceredigion Penfro, could also be at risk if the projection proves accurate.

Reform surge

Reform UK is projected to make major gains, rising from just 1% of the vote in 2021 to 29% in the final pre-election model.

The party’s support appears to be spread widely across Wales, though it is weaker in Cardiff and strongest in parts of the south Wales valleys.

One of the most striking projections is in Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr, which includes the Merthyr Tydfil area where Keir Hardie was elected as Wales’s first Labour MP in 1900.

There, YouGov’s central estimate puts Reform UK narrowly ahead on 34%, Plaid Cymru on 33%, and Labour on 14%.

Smaller parties

The Conservatives are projected to win just four seats, which would be their weakest devolved election result.

That would leave them one short of the five members needed to form an official political group in the Senedd.

The Greens are forecast to enter the Senedd for the first time, winning two seats in Cardiff.

The Liberal Democrats are projected to win one seat in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, keeping Jane Dodds in the Senedd.

No majority expected

No party is projected to win the 49 seats needed for an outright majority.

YouGov’s modelling suggests Plaid Cymru would be best placed to lead the next Welsh Government, but would probably need support from another party.

Plaid and Labour together reach a majority in most of the model’s simulations, while a Plaid-Green arrangement does so far less often.

A Reform-Conservative majority appears unlikely in the projection.

Under the new D’Hondt voting system, small movements in vote share could still make a significant difference, particularly for the final seats in each constituency.

Polling stations open tomorrow, Thursday, May 7.