News
Council’s Deputy Leader doubles down in Welsh language row
THE DEPUTY LEADER of Pembrokeshire County Council has defended the Cabinet from claims it is “anti-Welsh”.Cllr Paul Miller’s remark came after the content of a Cabinet discussion on Welsh-Medium Education in Pembrokeshire was criticised by the leader of the opposition, Cllr Huw Murphy, and the Welsh Language Commissioner.
During the Cabinet debate on April 28, Cllr Miller opined that Welsh-medium schools were popular because they were new and had good facilities. He added fuel to the flames generated by his words by stating that most parents don’t care what language their children are taught in, as long as the quality of the education is good.
Cllr Miller’s words no doubt express his personal view and the view of those to whom he speaks.

However, their effect was to undo much of the good work the Council had done in meeting its obligations under the Welsh Government’s Code for Welsh in Education. Moreover, a Cabinet decision to ask officers to survey parents about the reasons for their choice of their children’s education was so poorly debated that it gave the impression that only parents electing to choose Welsh-medium education would be canvassed.
While the final wording of the Cabinet resolution on canvassing parents’ views is sufficiently neutral, the manner in which the Cabinet conducted its debate raised concerns among those more deeply rooted in the Welsh language than any Cabinet member.
Cllr Miller’s words and those of other contributors to the April 28 debate were dismissive and inflammatory.
They prompted Cllr Huw Murphy to refer the debate to the Welsh Language Commissioner and request a call-in to the local authority’s powerful Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The Welsh Language Commissioner’s response was blunt and excoriated the Cabinet debate.
Efa Gruffydd Jones wrote: “In 2019, the Welsh Government introduced significant changes to the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 and also to the Welsh in Education Strategic Plans (Wales) Regulations 2019.
One of the main changes was to move away from the concept of measuring demand, and, rather, to place a duty on local authorities to encourage the demand for Welsh-medium education. That is, local authorities are expected to expand Welsh-medium provision proactively, thereby encouraging more parents to choose Welsh-medium education for their children.”
She added: “It is not clear to me why there is a need to question the choices of parents regarding Welsh-medium education in particular.
“It is also difficult to see how a process of questioning parents’ motivation for choosing Welsh-medium education would be compatible with the commitments that have been made in Pembrokeshire County Council’s WESP.”
Cllr Miller’s attempt to defuse the row at the Education Committee meeting on Wednesday, May 14, was undone by his failure to reassure Committee members that the decision reached on April 28 was a neutral act by an authority merely seeking to capture potentially valuable data that might inform its future decisions. Cllr Miller constantly asked members to consider the issue in the context of the words of the resolution that the Cabinet passed. However, he failed to appreciate that the resolution’s context was framed by his and his fellow Cabinet members’ attitudes on April 28.
Instead, unwilling to apologise for fostering the wrong impression, Cllr Miller doubled down on his assertions about parents’ motivations for sending their children to the new Welsh-medium schools, stating that the parents he spoke to “couldn’t give a toss” about the medium of their children’s education. He also attacked Cllr Huw Murphy for calling in the decision and the Welsh Language Commissioner for her criticisms.
During the debate, it became apparent that the Cabinet was unaware of the additional cost of capturing the data it sought, how such a request might be framed, or how the received data would be handled. The Director of Education, Stephen Richards-Downes, could not help committee members who asked about the additional costs of the Cabinet’s proposal.
Cllr Miller might have paused to reflect that, accepting his rationale that free transport and good facilities in Welsh-medium schools enticed parents to send their children to Welsh-medium schools, the Council had work to do improving its English-medium provision.
At the conclusion of the debate, Cllr Huw Murphy pointed out the Cabinet had no Welsh speaker in its membership and that the absence of someone with a perspective on the importance of Welsh to Pembrokeshire’s communities would have avoided the loaded way in which the Cabinet conducted its debate.
The Committee voted to send the Cabinet decision back for reconsideration.
Charity
Vincent Davies raises £13,682 for air ambulance charity
Independent Haverfordwest store backs lifesaving crews with year of community fundraising
A WEST WALES department store has raised more than thirteen thousand pounds for a lifesaving emergency service after a packed year of community fundraising.
Staff at Vincent Davies Department Store collected £13,682 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity, after voting the organisation their Charity of the Year for 2025.
The independent retailer organised events throughout the year, including an Easter bingo, bake sales, quizzes, raffles, staff sales, Christmas jumper days and a festive wreath-making workshop. Charity jam jars placed in Café Vincent also helped gather steady donations from customers.
One of the most popular attractions was the store’s charity singing penguin trio, which drew smiles from shoppers of all ages and boosted collections.
Sarah John, Joint Managing Director at Vincent Davies, said: “Raising £13,682 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity is something we are extremely proud of at Vincent Davies Department Store. As a director, it’s wonderful to see our community come together to support a charity that makes such a lifesaving difference.”
The air ambulance is consultant-led, delivering hospital-level treatment directly at the scene of serious incidents and, when needed, transferring patients straight to the most appropriate specialist hospital.
Working in partnership with the NHS through the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service, crews can provide advanced critical care including anaesthesia, blood transfusions and even minor surgical procedures before reaching hospital.
Operating across the whole of Wales, its teams travel the length and breadth of the country by helicopter and rapid response vehicle to reach patients quickly in both rural and urban areas.
This is not the first time the Haverfordwest store has backed the cause. In 2016, staff previously raised £5,831 when the charity was also chosen as their beneficiary.
Mike May, the charity’s West Wales Regional Fundraising Manager, said: “We are so grateful to Vincent Davies Department Store for raising an incredible amount for our charity. Throughout the year they put on a variety of different events and what a successful fundraising year it was.
“The charity needs to raise £13 million every year to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road. By raising £13,682, the staff and customers have played an important part in saving lives across Wales.”
The store says it will announce its Charity of the Year for 2026 in the coming weeks.
Crime
Police assess complaints over Mandelson–Epstein links
Met says allegations will be reviewed to see if criminal threshold is met following release of US court files
SCOTLAND YARD is reviewing a series of complaints alleging possible misconduct in public office after fresh claims emerged linking former UK ambassador Peter Mandelson to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Metropolitan Police Service confirmed it has received “a number of reports” following the publication of millions of pages of material by the United States Department of Justice, and will now decide whether any alleged conduct reaches the level required for a criminal investigation.
Commander Ella Marriott said the force would assess each report individually, stressing that a review does not automatically lead to formal proceedings.
The documents, widely referred to as the “Epstein files”, appear to show Mandelson corresponding with Epstein while serving as business secretary during the government of Gordon Brown at the height of the global financial crisis.
According to reports, Epstein was allegedly given insight into internal policy discussions, including proposals around banker bonus taxes in 2009 and details of a eurozone bailout package shortly before it was announced publicly.
Payments questioned
Bank records cited in the US disclosure reportedly show payments totalling 75,000 US dollars made to Mandelson between 2003 and 2004. It is also claimed Epstein paid for an osteopathy course for Mandelson’s husband.
Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing and said he has “no record or recollection” of the alleged transfers.
On Sunday he resigned his membership of the Labour Party, saying he did not want his continued association to cause further difficulty for the party.
In interviews, he dismissed suggestions that Epstein influenced his decisions as a minister and said nothing in the released files pointed to criminality or misconduct on his part.
Pressure mounts
The political fallout has intensified, with Downing Street confirming Keir Starmer has asked Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald to carry out an urgent review into Mandelson’s historic contacts with Epstein while in office.
Brown has also called for an examination of whether any confidential or market-sensitive information was improperly shared during the financial crisis.
The case is the latest in a series of controversies linked to Epstein’s long-standing relationships with powerful figures on both sides of the Atlantic.
Police emphasised that no charges have been brought and that Mandelson is not currently under criminal investigation, but said the complaints process would be handled “thoroughly and impartially”.
Community
Councillor meets chief constable to address Monkton and Pembroke concerns
COUNTY COUNCILLOR Jonathan Grimes has met with the new Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys Police to discuss crime, antisocial behaviour and wider community issues affecting residents in Pembroke and Monkton.
Cllr Grimes, who represents Pembroke St Mary South and Monkton, said the meeting followed his invitation for senior police leaders to visit the area and hear first-hand about local concerns.
The Chief Constable, Ifan Charles, attended alongside officers from the Pembroke Neighbourhood Policing and Protection Team, meeting the councillor in Monkton for what were described as open and constructive talks.
As part of the visit, they also spoke with Monkton Priory Community Primary School headteacher Dylan Lawrence and Danny Nash from Pembrokeshire County Council Housing Services to gather views from education and housing professionals.
Discussions covered a range of issues raised by residents, including domestic abuse, drug and alcohol misuse, antisocial behaviour and environmental concerns such as littering, dog fouling and dangerous or inconsiderate driving.
Cllr Grimes acknowledged recent police successes, particularly in tackling drug-related activity, but said enforcement alone would not solve the area’s challenges.
He said closer cooperation between the police, council services, schools and the wider community would be needed to deliver longer-term improvements.
The councillor added that he plans to encourage residents to form a local community group in the coming weeks, aimed at developing practical solutions and strengthening partnership working across the area.
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