News
Lib Dems hit out after Conservative councillor defects to Reform in Swansea
Party says Tories are ‘a dead force in Wales’ and accuses Reform of offering ‘soundbites not solutions’
A PROMINENT Liberal Democrat councillor has slammed both the Conservative Party and Reform UK following the defection of a sitting Swansea councillor.
Francesca O’Brien, a Conservative councillor in Swansea, has switched her allegiance to Reform UK, prompting a sharp response from Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate and Waterfront councillor Sam Bennett.
In a statement issued on Monday (August 18), Cllr Bennett said the defection revealed a collapse in confidence in the Conservative Party across Swansea and Wales.
“This just shows the Conservatives are a dead force in Swansea and Wales,” said Cllr Bennett, “with councillors jumping ship to save their own jobs.
“Reform, on the other hand, is very good at offering soundbites and pointing out problems, but they never offer any solutions to those problems.”
The Liberal Democrats currently hold the position of largest opposition group on Swansea Council and say they are preparing for significant gains both in the Senedd and in the next round of council elections in 2027.
Cllr Bennett added: “As we head into the Senedd elections, we have a clear focus on improving the affordability of childcare for working families, fixing our NHS by investing in social care, supporting our small businesses to grow, and cleaning up our rivers and seas.”
Cllr O’Brien’s decision to join Reform UK comes at a time of heightened political activity, with parties preparing their campaigns ahead of both Senedd and general elections.
Reform UK has been gaining support in opinion polls but remains without representation in the Senedd. The party is fielding candidates across Wales in the upcoming elections.
Crime
Two arrested after high-value shoplifting incident in Kilgetty
TWO men have been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting following a rapid police response to a reported high-value theft at a supermarket in Kilgetty.
Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to the Co-op store at around 3.35pm on Wednesday (Jan 28), after a report that a large quantity of alcohol and other items had been stolen.
Using information provided by the caller, Roads Policing Unit officers worked closely with control room staff to identify a vehicle believed to be involved. Several patrol cars were deployed, and the vehicle was located a short time later travelling east.
Police said the safety of all those involved was treated as a priority, with specialist Tactical Pursuit and Containment (TPAC) advice obtained while officers maintained constant observation of the vehicle.
The car was brought to a safe stop on a back road approaching Hendy, involving three Roads Policing Unit vehicles. No injuries or damage were reported.
Following roadside checks, two men — aged 67 and 46 — were arrested on suspicion of theft from a shop.
Both remain in police custody while enquiries continue.
Police said the swift response helped prevent further offending and demonstrated the effectiveness of specialist roads policing officers acting on real-time intelligence.
Climate
Breaking down barriers between finance and industry in offshore renewables sector
EARLIER this week, Marine Energy Wales brought together senior representatives from national and devolved finance institutions with developers, ports and supply-chain companies operating across Wales’ offshore renewable energy sector for a dedicated finance roundtable in Pembroke Dock. Attendance was limited to premium MEW members to allow for frank, focused discussion.
The session was intentionally designed to be different.
Rather than relying on formal presentations or sales pitches, the roundtable created a facilitated, closed-door space for open dialogue. Finance organisations were able to explain clearly how they operate, what types of projects they can support, and where constraints still exist. Industry participants, in turn, set out the real-world challenges they are facing across tidal energy, floating offshore wind, port infrastructure and supply-chain development.
What emerged was more than information sharing—it was a clearer, shared understanding of how decisions are made on both sides.
From siloed conversations to shared problem-solving
A consistent theme from the discussion was that significant public and institutional finance is now available to support clean energy projects. However, navigating that landscape remains complex, particularly for early-stage developments, smaller supply-chain businesses and emerging technologies.
By bringing the right people into the room at the same time, the roundtable helped to:
- demystify how different finance bodies assess risk, scale and project readiness
- highlight where policy ambition, market signals and investment criteria are not yet aligned
- identify opportunities where better sequencing and coordination of funding could unlock progress
- establish direct relationships that will support follow-up conversations beyond the room
The discussion also surfaced where gaps remain. In particular, the need for clearer market signals and more tailored support for tidal stream and other early-stage marine technologies was repeatedly raised. These are challenges that are difficult to address in isolation, but far more productive to tackle collectively.
The value of convening
For Marine Energy Wales, the roundtable reinforced the importance of our role as a neutral convener for the sector.
Members consistently tell us that access to finance is one of the most significant barriers to progress—not only in terms of capital availability, but in understanding how to engage effectively with funders. At the same time, finance organisations are keen to deepen their understanding of project development timelines, technology risk and the scale of Welsh supply-chain ambition.
Creating space for those conversations is where real value is added.
This is not about Marine Energy Wales brokering individual deals. It is about building shared understanding, reducing friction, and helping to align finance, policy and industry around credible pathways to delivery.
What comes next
This roundtable was not a one-off.
Marine Energy Wales is committed to continuing this work, developing structured and trusted forums where finance, industry and government can engage early, openly and constructively. As Wales moves from ambition to delivery in offshore wind and tidal energy, these relationships and conversations will be critical to ensuring projects are investable, deliverable and anchored in Welsh economic benefit.
We will continue to work with our members and partners to identify priority issues, convene the right voices, and help turn opportunity into tangible outcomes on the ground.
Business
Eight-year prison sentence after vehicle stop uncovers drugs worth over £150,000
A ROUTINE vehicle stop by roads policing officers has led to an eight-year prison sentence after more than £150,000 worth of illegal drugs were discovered in a car in Pembrokeshire.
On Friday, January 2, officers from the Roads Policing Unit stopped a grey Seat Ateca on Hoyland Road, Pembroke. The vehicle was being driven by 43-year-old Dean Evans.
During the stop, Evans told officers they would find “stuff” in the car. He and the vehicle were subsequently searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
A search of the boot uncovered a cardboard box containing a one-kilogram block of cocaine and ten half-kilogram packages of herbal cannabis. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be well in excess of £150,000.
Evans was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs. He was later charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs.
The 43-year-old pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, January 3.
On Thursday, January 28, Evans was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to eight years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.
DC Jones, from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “Tackling the supply of illegal drugs is a priority for Dyfed-Powys Police, and the misery that illegal drugs bring to local communities will not be tolerated.
“We welcome the sentence passed to Dean Evans, given the large quantity of harmful drugs he was caught trafficking into Pembrokeshire.
“This sentence should serve as a stark warning to anyone tempted to become involved in the illegal drugs trade in Dyfed and Powys.”
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