Politics

Morgan’s big speech a tired rehash of old hits

Published

7 months ago

May 8, 2025

ELUNED MORGAN’s big speech aimed to rally the faithful ahead of next year’s Senedd election and reach out to those Labour voters alienated by the Labour government in Westminster. Artful leaks beforehand claimed she would “call out Keir Starmer”, criticise Westminster’s welfare reforms, “put country before party”, and invite voters to join her on the “Welsh red way”.

LABOUR’S SUPPORT CRATERS

Instead, it was desperate stuff, revealing the depths of Labour’s desperation in Wales. Labour’s share of the Welsh vote in last July’s General Election fell, and the edges of that vote are vulnerable. Reform UK has surged in opinion polls, which suggest that Nigel Farage’s policy-free limited company is taking votes from Labour in Wales at a rate even higher than it is stealing them from the Welsh Conservatives.

On the evening Baroness Morgan delivered her rallying call, a Barn Cymru/ITV poll revealed Labour’s support in Wales had fallen to an all-time low of 18% of those surveyed.

The opportunity existed for Baroness Morgan to do the unthinkable and set out once and for all how she would strike out from Keir Starmer’s unpopular Westminster government, stand up to it in the interest of Wales, and produce real changes in its approach to benefit Welsh voters.

Then reality intervened.

OLD LINES RE-USED

Even with devolution and the much-vaunted “partnership in power” at either end of the M4, the First Minister’s influence on Labour’s direction at the UK level is virtually non-existent.

Carefully leaked excerpts from her speech and remarks the First Minister made to a meeting of Labour’s Welsh constituency MPs stand revealed as the efforts of a struggling First Minister and an exhausted government to cling to power in Cardiff Bay.

Her message offered nothing concrete that was new, and nothing new that was concrete. Instead, Baroness Morgan leaned heavily on old Labour rhetoric that has echoed through decades of Welsh political life.

She framed Reform UK as a growing threat to Wales. She urged voters not to “gamble with our future” by backing Reform or Plaid Cymru, warning that a split on the left could open the door to right-wing populism.

She did not seem to understand that the new electoral system Labour and Plaid Cymru imposed on Wales for 2026 reduced the scope for tactical voting and did away with the possibility of split votes, where you could vote for a candidate on the constituency list and a party on the regional one.

That no longer exists. A vote cast will be a vote for a party and not an individual. A vote for Plaid Cymru, Labour, Reform UK, the Welsh Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, or the Green Party is a vote for that party alone.

“YOU’LL NEVER TAKE OUR WIND!”

Even her efforts to connect present-day grievances with long-standing injustices came across as faintly ridiculous.

“We saw them take our coal,” Eluned Morgan said in her Braveheart moment.”We saw them take our water. We will not let them take our wind”.

Worse, her next line unwittingly referenced fictional Prime Minister Jim Hacker’s efforts to save the British sausage from EU food standards: “Not this time. Not on my watch.” At least she avoided saying “here I stand, I can do no other.”

The problem with Baroness Morgan’s approach is that it doesn’t allow her to address, or even acknowledge, the sources of voters’ dissatisfaction with Labour’s record in the Welsh Government.

According to the First Minister, “The Welsh NHS is not a failing system in need of rescue. It’s a public service that works.”

Pull the other one, it’s got bells on. It’s worth remembering that the Welsh Government denies the existence of a crisis in the Welsh NHS, despite doctors, nurses, clinicians, and reviews commissioned by it highlighting its extent.

And, because Eluned Morgan cannot acknowledge that voters might have some reason to be unhappy, it is hard for her to explain how she intends to address their concerns. Instead of addressing voters’ concerns, she spoke to the faithful as though voters were incidental to democracy.

THE POLICY VACUUM

Vacuous phrases, such as “Time for change isn’t just a slogan. It’s a demand,” added nothing to her message. She might come to reflect that “time for change” after being in power for a quarter of a century is precisely the sloganeering Labour in Wales might want to avoid.

Again, the First Minister spoke to the metropolitan media and the magic circle bounded by the Cardiff Ring Road, saying, “This is our Wales. Not a Wales of division or decline—but of solidarity, fairness and progress.”

Tell that to farmers, steel workers, the tourist industry, or the defence firms that the Welsh Government prevents from seeking funding from the Development Bank of Wales. Try saying it to the growing number of children who grow up in poverty in Wales and their parents, whose experience is almost identical to their own.

Political opponents and analysts were quick to point out that Morgan’s speech repeated themes long used by her Labour predecessors, from Rhodri Morgan’s “clear red water” to Carwyn Jones’ defiant calls for fairness from Westminster.

THE SAME OLD SONG

“The problem isn’t the message—it’s that we’ve heard it all before,” one Labour insider told The Herald. “Solidarity, NHS, devolution, anti-Tory sentiment—it’s the same script we’ve used since 1999.”

Welsh Conservative MS Darren Millar called the speech “a last-ditch, desperate attempt to save the Labour Party’s bacon,” adding: “Labour has broken the Welsh NHS, broken our education system, and broken our economy.”

Despite a clear effort to contrast Labour’s values with those of Reform—portrayed as “cynical”, “dishonest”, and “dangerous”—Morgan offered few fresh policies. Instead, she cited well-known Labour achievements like free prescriptions and school meals, and highlighted past battles with Westminster over steel, coal, and infrastructure.

Even Morgan’s call for “mutual respect” with a UK Labour government sounded like a rerun of speeches by former First Ministers, all of whom have, at one time or another, promised to “stand up for Wales” against London.

There was also pointed criticism of UK Labour welfare proposals, with Morgan insisting: “We will call it out if UK Labour get it wrong for Wales.” However, it remained unclear whether this marked a meaningful policy divergence or pre-election positioning.

“I can’t get a GP appointment, my son’s school is underfunded, and our train line is a joke,” said Julie Morgan, a retail worker in Pembrokeshire (no relation). “I’ve voted Labour all my life, but I honestly don’t know what they stand for anymore.”

And the problem for Eluned Morgan is that, nebulous aspirations and slogans apart, she couldn’t explain that either.

Business

Computer gaming lounge plans for Tenby cinema submitted

Published

2 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

FORMAL plans to turn Tenby’s former Poundland and Royal Playhouse cinema to a retro computer gaming lounge have been submitted to the national park.

Following a takeover by investment firm Gordon Brothers, Poundland shut 57 stores earlier this year, including Tenby’s branch on White Lion Street.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Matthew Mileson of Newport-based MB Games Ltd, seeks permission for a change of use of the former Gatehouse (Playhouse) Cinema, most recently used as a Poundland store to a retro gaming lounge.

This follows a recently submitted application for a ‘CONTINUE? Retro Gaming Lounge’ sign on the front of the former cinema, ahead of the wider scheme for a retro gaming facility at the former cinema site, which has a Grade-II-listed front façade.

A supporting statement for the change of use scheme through agent Asbri Planning Ltd says: “The proposed retro gaming lounge will be inviting to all ages, including families, groups and individuals with no age restriction. The applicant has several similar premises across other parts of the UK and operates under a successful business model.

“This includes a fee being payable to enter the premises which thereby grants access to unlimited game time to all consoles/arcade machines. There will be no slot or coin-based reward games, so the proposal would not be considered/classed as gambling. The site will provide snacks and drinks (including alcohol) which will be canned/bottled drinks.

“The sale of such drinks would be ancillary to the overall function of the premises, and a separate alcohol licence will be submitted, accordingly.”

It adds: “The development would provide a much-welcomed addition to White Lion Rd which will improve the vitality and viability of the immediate area by promoting greater levels of footfall within the area and introduce greater variety to the shopping frontage at this location.”

It proposes opening hours of 10-10, Sunday to Thursday, and to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

The application, and the related signage scheme, will be considered by park planners at a later date.

Prior to being a Poundland, the site was the Royal Playhouse, which had its final curtain in early 2011 after running for nearly a century.

The cinema had been doing poor business after the opening of a multiplex in Carmarthen; in late 2010 the opening night of the-then latest Harry Potter blockbuster only attracted an audience of 12 people.

Business

Cosheston Garden Centre expansion approved by planners

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS to upgrade a garden centre on the main road to Pembroke Dock have been given the go-ahead.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, submitted through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, Mr and Mrs Wainwright sought permission for upgrade of a garden centre with a relocated garden centre sales area, additional parking and the creation of ornamental pond and wildlife enhancement area (partly in retrospect) at Cosheston Garden Centre, Slade Cross, Cosheston.

The application was a resubmission of a previously refused scheme, with the retrospective aspects of the works starting in late 2023.

The site has a long planning history, and started life as a market garden and turkey farm in the 1980s, and then a number of applications for new development.

A supporting statement says the previously-refused application included setting aside a significant part of the proposed new building for general retail sales as a linked farm shop and local food store/deli in addition to a coffee bar.

It was refused on the grounds of “the proposal was deemed to be contrary to retail policies and the likely impact of that use on the vitality and viability of nearby centres,” the statement said, adding: “Secondly, in noting that vehicular access was off the A 477 (T) the Welsh Government raised an objection on the grounds that insufficient transport information had been submitted in respect of traffic generation and highway safety.”

It said the new scheme seeks to address those issues; the development largely the same with the proposed new garden centre building now only proposed to accommodate a relocated garden centre display sales area rather than a new retail sales area with other goods, but retaining a small ancillary coffee bar area.

“Additional information, in the form of an independent and comprehensive Transport Statement, has now been submitted to address the objection raised by the Welsh Government in respect of highway safety,” the statement said.

It conceded: “It is acknowledged that both the creation of the ornamental pond and ‘overspill’ parking area do not have the benefit of planning permission and therefore these aspects of the application are ‘in retrospect’ and seeks their retention.”

It finished: “Essentially, this proposal seeks to upgrade existing facilities and offer to the general public. It includes the ‘relocation’ of a previously existing retail display area which had been ‘lost’ to the ornamental pond/amenity area and to provide this use within the proposed new building and moves away from the previously proposed ‘farm shop’ idea which we thought had merit.

“This revised proposal therefore involves an ‘upgrading’ rather than an ‘expansion’ of the existing garden centre use.”

An officer report recommending approval said that, while the scheme would still be in the countryside rather than within a settlement boundary, the range of goods sold would be “typical of the type of goods sold in a garden centre and which could be sold elsewhere within the garden centre itself,” adding: “Unlike the recent planning application refused permission it is not intended to sell delicatessen goods, dried food, fruit and vegetables, pet products and gifts.”

It added that a transport statement provided had been reviewed by the Welsh Government, which did not object on highway grounds subject to conditions on any decision notice relating to visibility splays and parking facilities.

The application was conditionally approved.

Business

Tenby Poundland site could become retro gaming lounge

Published

3 days ago

December 12, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

TENBY’S former Poundland and Royal Playhouse cinema could become a retro computer gaming lounge, plans submitted to the national park hope.

Following a takeover by investment firm Gordon Brothers, Poundland shut 57 stores earlier this year, including Tenby.

Prior to being a Poundland, the site was the Royal Playhouse, which had its final curtain in early 2011 after running for nearly a century.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Matthew Mileson of Newport-based MB Games Ltd, seeks permission for a ‘CONTINUE? Retro Gaming Lounge’ sign on the front of the former Gatehouse (Playhouse) Cinema, White Lion Street, most recently used as a Poundland store.

The signage plans form part of a wider scheme for a retro gaming facility at the former cinema site, which has a Grade-II-listed front facade, a supporting statement through agent Asbri Planning Ltd says.

“The subject site is located within the settlement of Tenby along White Lion St. The site was formerly the Gatehouse Cinema and currently operates as a Poundland discount store, which closed on October 18.”

It adds: “This application forms part of a wider scheme for the change of use to the former Gatehouse Cinema. Advertisement consent is sought for a non-illuminated aluminium composite folded panel that will be bolted onto the front façade of the proposed building, in replacement of the existing signage (Poundland).”

It stresses: “It is considered that the proposed advertisement will not have a detrimental impact on the quality of the environment, along with being within a proportionate scale of the building. It is considered that the proposed signage will reflect site function.

“Furthermore, due to the sympathetic scale and design of the sign itself, it is considered that the proposal will not result in any adverse visual amenity impacts.

“The proposal is reduced in sized compared to the existing Poundland advertisement. The sign will not be illuminated. Given the above it is considered that such proportionate signate in association with the proposed retro gaming lounge is acceptable and does not adversely affect visual amenity.”

An application for a retro gaming lounge by MB Games Ltd was recently given the go-ahead in Swansea.