News

Harding bungles on constitution

Published

11 years ago

December 9, 2014

Tom Sinclair

Got it wrong: Monitoring Officer Laurence Harding pictured centre

IN AN EMBARRASSING incident at a Corporate Governance Committee meeting on Monday( Nov 17), Council Monitoring Officer Laurence Harding was forced to withdraw an objection he had raised to a proposal for the annual election of the Council Leader. In a deathly hush, in which a pin could have been heard to drop, Mr Harding flicked desperately through the pages of the folder in front of him after being repeatedly asked to justify the advice he had tendered to councillors to reject a proposal for an annual leadership ballot presented by East Williamston’s Jacob Williams.

The quiet was a welcome respite from lengthy and sometimes testy exchanges between councillors on the opposition and IPPG sides of the committee. The meeting started badly with recriminations about the lack of trust between the opposition leaders and Council Leader Jamie Adams, with the matter being batted back to a meeting of the leaders’ group to try and move on. The level of nit-picking debate scarcely improved over the following two hours. The last item of business, on the annual election of a council leader, divided members sharply.

Jacob Williams’, whose proposal it was, first addressed the issue of the objection to his proposal by council officers. He told the meeting that having spoken with Acting Head of Paid Service Ian Westley, he was happy to clear any misapprehension about his motion and was happy to agree a minor amendment to its wording to progress the matter. Bizarrely, there then followed a protracted discussion about the existing constitutional provision which Cllr Williams wanted to replace.

After long and tortuous discussion which resembled a debate about how many angels danced on the head of a pin, Cllr Williams fixed Monitoring Officer Harding with a direct challenge to advice he had given that the present rules already encompassed the substance of Cllr Williams’ proposal.

Cue a very, very long silence. At the end of his reverie, Laurence Harding was – to his evident mortification – compelled to concede Cllr Williams’ point that the current constitution did not permit the leader to be subject to annual election on a normal notice of motion. With that fox shot, the IPPG representatives finally got the crux of their objections to Cllr Williams’ plan.

They were unanimously concerned that such an arrangement would prevent the strong leadership upon which they felt the Council depended. The self-interest of their group to divvy up allowances and positions was more important than a Leader having the confidence of Council members. Cllr Jamie Adams said that he could not imagine anyone willing to take up the leadership on the “temporary and short-term” basis proposed by the motion.

Bob Kilmister pointed out that the IPPG’s stance was the same as prevented the Council following its working together agenda, from which he and others had withdrawn due to a lack of trust between the opposition leaders and IPPG leader Adams. Keith Lewis from the IPPG, while admitting he had lost track of the debate, argued that the Council needed consistency and continuity.

Responding that Cllr Lewis appeared to envisage a position in the cause of continuity where a leader was a lame duck without backing from the Council’s membership, Jacob Williams pointed out that Jamie Adams was quite prepared to go along with Laurence Harding’s position, which if it had been correct would have amounted to the same, if not a less secure position. Paul Miller pointed out that Councillor Adams’ only mandate as leader came from arrangements within the ruling group, without any manifesto or input from the people of Pembrokeshire.

The Committee’s arguments on the point were brought to an unsatisfactory close by the expedient of calling a vote which proceeded to divide on party lines. The “Independent” group carrying the day by acting together to defeat the proposal 7-6.

News

Reform reveals west Wales candidates for Senedd battle

Published

2 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Monkton councillor tops Pembrokeshire list as party confirms Carmarthenshire names and includes Haverfordwest councillor in unwinnable Swansea spot

REFORM UK has unveiled its full list of candidates for the 2026 Senedd election, setting out its challenge across west Wales including Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

The party has named Susan Claire Archibald, a sitting councillor for Monkton on Pembroke Town Council, as its lead candidate for the Ceredigion Preseli, Mid and South Pembrokeshire regional list.

Speaking to The Herald, Archibald said: “I am honoured to represent Reform UK and Wales.” She added that a fuller statement outlining her priorities would be released in due course.

The remaining candidates on the Pembrokeshire regional list are Paul Marr, a former prison officer, Michael Allen, Elisa Randall, Peter John and Bernard Holton.

Carmarthenshire candidates named

Reform has also confirmed its list for the Caerfyrddin and Llanelli region, with Gareth Beer placed first, followed by Carmelo Colasanto, Sarah Edwards, Christopher Brooke, Alan Cole and Michelle Beer.

The announcement forms part of a nationwide rollout of candidates as the party seeks to establish itself as a credible electoral force ahead of the 2026 vote.

Thorley listed in Swansea region

Among the names included elsewhere is Scott Thorley, a Haverfordwest-based councillor and the first Reform representative elected to Pembrokeshire County Council.

Thorley appears on the party’s list for the Gower and Swansea West region, where he is placed sixth.

Under the Senedd’s proportional representation system, candidates placed lower on regional lists are significantly less likely to be elected, meaning his position is widely viewed as a paper candidacy to complete the slate.

Election framing

Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas said the party was offering voters a stark political choice.

He said: “After a hundred years of failure, Labour are finished in Wales. The choice at this election is what comes next — common sense and a fresh start with Reform, or independence by stealth with Plaid Cymru.”

The Herald understands that further announcements, including candidate profiles and policy details, are expected in the coming weeks as the campaign begins to take shape.

Crime

Man bailed after serious assault in Fishguard town centre

Published

3 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault in Fishguard that has left a man in hospital.

The incident happened on Main Street at around 11:00pm on Saturday (Mar 21), when the victim was reportedly punched, sustaining head injuries. He remains in hospital receiving treatment.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.

Dyfed-Powys Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident, or who may have information that could assist the investigation, to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police quoting reference: 26*227686.

Information can be provided online via the Dyfed-Powys Police website, by emailing [email protected], by calling 101, or by sending a direct message on social media.

Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.

News

Childcare funding boost announced in Wales

Published

4 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Hourly rate to rise as costs increase

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has confirmed an increase in the hourly rate paid to childcare providers under its Childcare Offer, following a review of funding levels.

The Minister for Children and Social Care, DAWN BOWDEN MS, announced that the rate will rise to £6.67 per hour from April 6, 2026. The increase of 4.18% comes after feedback from childcare providers and sector data gathered during 2025.

The Welsh Government said the change is designed to help providers cope with rising costs, including increases to the National Living Wage.

The Herald understands the review drew on responses from the Childcare Offer’s Annual Survey, as well as information from Care Inspectorate Wales’ Self-Assessment of Service Statement (SASS).

The move follows a policy shift announced last year to review the rate annually, rather than every three years, in a bid to make funding more responsive to pressures facing the sector.

As part of the update, the maximum charge for meals will also increase by 4.18%, which ministers say is intended to balance affordability for both providers and parents.

Dawn Boden said the Welsh Government remains committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of childcare services, adding that officials will continue working with the sector to explore further improvements.