News

Paul Miller survives no-confidence vote over Welsh-medium education comments

Published

6 months ago

June 3, 2025

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL’S deputy leader, Cllr Paul Miller, has survived a vote of no-confidence brought over controversial remarks about Welsh-medium education.

At a special meeting held on Monday (June 2), councillors voted 28 against, 16 in favour, and 11 abstained, rejecting the motion tabled by the council’s Independent Political Group.

The motion followed comments made by Cllr Miller at a Cabinet meeting in April and again at the Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee in May, where he stated that “mums he spoke to in Neyland didn’t give a toss” whether their children were taught in Welsh or English, suggesting that some parents chose Ysgol Caer Elen for its facilities rather than its language policy.

Calls for accountability

Introducing the motion, Cllr Huw Murphy said the remarks were “unacceptable in 2025” and risked undermining equality in the delivery of Welsh-medium education. He criticised Cllr Miller for proposing to gather data from parents on their language choices, despite being told that such a move fell outside the remit of the school admissions code.

He added that the Deputy Leader had ignored advice from senior officers, the Welsh Language Commissioner, and even his own party’s former First Minister, Mark Drakeford.

Cabinet shift and apology

In response, Cllr Miller said he was repeating what had been told to him by local parents and insisted he had not intended to offend. He admitted his wording had been clumsy and apologised for any upset caused.

The Deputy Leader also pointed to a revised Cabinet decision made at an extraordinary meeting on May 21, which broadened the proposed parental survey to include all schools and all languages, rather than focusing solely on Welsh-medium settings.

Cllr Miller maintained that the initial motion had been mischaracterised and accused political opponents of seeking to “sow division” over a non-issue.

Mixed reactions from councillors

Council Chair Cllr Delme Harries reminded members that enabling choice in education was a core responsibility and stressed the need for respectful dialogue. He said: “How we respond to being incorrect is important. The Welsh language is a living language and deserves our respect.”

Some councillors, including Conservative Cllr Aled Thomas and Plaid Cymru’s Cllr Michael Williams, acknowledged that the comments had been ill-judged but stopped short of supporting a motion of no-confidence. Others, including Cllr Jamie Adams and former Leader Cllr John Davies, said senior councillors must use discretion when amplifying public opinions.

Conservative Group Leader Cllr Di Clements said the Cabinet had already changed course and called the motion unnecessary, citing the £2,000 cost of holding the extraordinary meeting. “That money would be better spent filling the black hole in the local authority’s finances,” she said.

Public response and political tension

The incident has sparked wider debate about the promotion of Welsh-medium education, with strong reactions on both sides. Prominent journalist Hefin Wyn criticised the council’s leadership for downplaying the issue and called the remarks an affront to the principle of language equality. His comments are due to be published in full in Friday’s edition of The Pembrokeshire Herald.

The council’s revised position means parents of all school applicants may now be asked why they choose a particular setting.

The final shape and cost of this data-gathering exercise have yet to be confirmed.

News

BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

Published

19 minutes ago

December 4, 2025

Staff Writer

THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old.

Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines
docked at Pembroke Port yesterday afternoon last week, marking the start of physical
deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock on
shortly after 4pm on Wednesday 26th November, bringing tower sections and other heavy
components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the
existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, has arrived in Pembroke Port today is
due to arrive in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.
The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-
loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through
Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the
latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived last week yesterday with the first components,” she said. “We are
expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be
blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with
a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG
terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to
power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Port of Milford Haven shipping movements showed the Peak Bergen approaching the Haven
throughout Wednesday morning before finally tying up at the cargo berth in Pembroke Dock.

Cranes began unloading operations yesterday evening.

The Weather conditions are currently were favourable for this morning’s the arrival of
the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are
expected to begin early next year, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide training opportunities and energy-
bill support for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.
Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery
programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.