News

Reform UK promises NHS cuts and speed limit reversal

Published

9 months ago

September 2, 2025

REFORM UK has pledged to slash NHS “back office” roles in Wales if it gains power at the next Senedd election, with deputy leader Richard Tice promising to redirect money into frontline care.

Speaking on the campaign trail, Mr Tice said the party would prioritise reducing what it describes as wasteful spending and unnecessary bureaucracy. He stressed that doctors and nurses would not be affected, and that the focus would be on management and administrative roles.

“The NHS is not short of money,” he said. “It’s the way it is being mismanaged, the way it wastes money. That’s why waiting lists are so long. We need to cut the waste and put those resources where they matter – into frontline services.”

Reform argues that slimming down the NHS’s administrative structure would free up resources to tackle long waiting lists and boost productivity. Critics, however, have warned that repeated reorganisations of the health service risk undermining continuity of care, and that administrative staff are often essential for keeping hospitals and surgeries running.

Speed limit pledge

Mr Tice also took aim at the Welsh Government’s 20mph default speed limit in built-up areas. Labour introduced the policy last year at an estimated cost of tens of millions of pounds. He vowed that Reform would scrap the measure despite the cost of reversing it.

The speed limit change remains one of the most divisive policies introduced by the Welsh Labour Government. Ministers insist it will save lives and reduce injuries, while opponents claim it is costly, confusing and damaging to local economies.

Polling shows surge in support

Reform UK has stepped up its campaign in Wales, buoyed by a series of polls suggesting it is now a serious contender.

A More in Common poll for Sky News in July placed Reform in the lead with 28% support, ahead of Plaid Cymru on 26% and Labour on 23%. A separate YouGov/ITV Wales survey put Plaid first on 30%, Reform second on 25%, and Labour trailing badly on 18% – a dramatic drop from the 36% regional vote Labour secured at the 2021 election.

Even Labour’s own internal figures, leaked earlier this year, showed Reform at 25% – level with both Plaid Cymru and Labour.

The trend has alarmed Welsh Labour, which has dominated devolved politics since 1999 but is now showing signs of weakness in key areas. Reform has gained ground in post-industrial communities where frustration over the state of the NHS and dissatisfaction with economic prospects run deep.

Electoral mountain to climb

Despite its rise in the polls, Reform still faces steep odds of forming a government. The 2026 Senedd election will be the first held under sweeping electoral reforms. The Senedd will expand from 60 to 96 members, elected through proportional representation on regional party lists. The new system makes it harder for any party to achieve an outright majority.

Both Labour and Plaid Cymru have already ruled out entering coalitions with Reform, significantly limiting its path to power. Even if Reform wins the largest share of the vote, its ability to turn that into meaningful control of the Senedd looks slim without partners willing to work with it.

Political analysts also caution that while mid-term polling can exaggerate support for insurgent parties, translating that into seats and sustained influence is a different challenge.

Looking ahead

Reform UK’s message is designed to tap into voter frustration over the state of public services and the Welsh Government’s policies on transport, the economy and energy. Its leadership is gambling that a focus on cutting NHS waste and rolling back unpopular measures like the 20mph speed limit can drive a breakthrough.

With less than a year until polling day, the party has momentum. But with coalition arithmetic stacked against it and opponents refusing to work alongside it, the real question may not be whether Reform tops the poll – but what it can do with the seats it wins.

Community

Surfers take sewage protest to Broad Haven beach

Published

16 hours ago

May 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

CAMPAIGNERS took to the sea at Broad Haven today in a colourful protest demanding urgent action over sewage pollution in Welsh waters.

Surfers, paddleboarders, swimmers and families gathered on the beach on Saturday, with banners calling for cleaner seas and an end to pollution incidents affecting rivers and coastal waters.

The protest was part of the Surfers Against Sewage campaign, with demonstrators carrying placards reading “Keep the sea clean”, “Stop the pollution” and “Cut the crap”.

Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell attended the demonstration and made a speech supporting calls for tougher action. He has also recently written to Welsh Water raising concerns about pollution and water quality in the Tenby area.

***Henry Tufnell MP speaking at the protest (Pic: Martin Cavaney / Herald)***

Local community councillor Jeff Tierney, who works on and in the water at Abereiddy, said he fully supported the campaign.

Cllr Tierney said: “As a surfer, local community councillor and someone who works on and in the water at Abereiddy, I fully support the Surfers Against Sewage campaign.

“We are lucky at Abereiddy our water is excellent, but it’s clear the water companies have failed to invest adequately in ageing infrastructure over the past decades, allowing unregulated sewage discharges, poorly maintained drains and outdated treatment systems to become the norm.

“The result is that some of the treatment works are completely overwhelmed with sewage now effectively bypassing the treatment process, resulting in some rivers and coastal areas at times becoming unsafe and hazardous for swimmers, surfers, fishermen and other water users.

***Making a stand: Surfers, swimmers and campaigners gathered at Broad Haven beach to protest over sewage pollution in Welsh waters (Pic: Martin Cavaney / Herald)***

“Clean water should not be viewed as a luxury. It’s essential for public health, tourism, local livelihoods and the environment.

“The more this issue is brought into the public domain to make the public aware and put pressure on Natural Resources Wales to do their job properly, the better.”

Campaigners said the issue is no longer just an environmental concern, but one affecting public health, tourism, local businesses and confidence in Wales’ coastal waters.

Broad Haven, like many Pembrokeshire beaches, is central to the county’s identity and visitor economy.

Saturday’s protest showed the strength of feeling among those who use the sea regularly and believe not enough is being done to protect it.

Health

New NHS regional body raises questions over future hospital services in Pembrokeshire

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Health bosses promise better joined-up care — but patients will want assurances over Withybush and travel distances

PEMBROKESHIRE patients are likely to be asking what a major NHS shake-up means for the future of hospital services closer to home after a new regional health body formally took over planning across south west Wales.

Health chiefs this week confirmed that regional working has formally transferred from ARCH (A Regional Collaboration for Health) to the South West Wales Regional Joint Committee (RJC), bringing together Hywel Dda and Swansea Bay university health boards under a new leadership structure.

The move is being presented by NHS leaders as a way to improve coordination, reduce waiting times and strengthen specialist healthcare across the region.

Key programmes expected to continue under the new body include cancer care, stroke services, vascular treatment, orthopaedics, pathology and eye care.

But for many in Pembrokeshire, the announcement may trigger familiar concerns about whether “regional working” could eventually mean more services being delivered further east, requiring patients to travel longer distances to Carmarthen or Swansea.

Withybush Hospital remains fiercely valued by local communities, and previous changes to hospital services have often sparked strong public reaction.

For patients in more rural parts of Pembrokeshire — including St Davids, Fishguard, Newport, Crymych and Tenby — access to healthcare can already involve journeys of 40 to 60 miles or more for appointments and treatment.

While health officials insist the new structure is about improving care and making better use of expertise across the region, questions are likely to be asked locally over how Pembrokeshire’s voice will be represented in decisions affecting frontline services.

Among the issues patients may want clarified are whether services currently provided at Withybush could be affected, how travel difficulties for rural communities will be considered, and whether the new regional approach will improve care locally or lead to greater centralisation.

The Regional Joint Committee replaces ARCH, which since 2015 brought together Swansea Bay University Health Board, Hywel Dda University Health Board and Swansea University to support healthcare innovation and service planning.

Health leaders say the new committee will continue to support research, technology and partnership working, while involving patients and communities in shaping services.

But in here Pembrokeshire, many will this plan weaken Withybush, not strengthen it.

Crime

Man used vulnerable victim’s bank card at Milford Haven Tesco

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2026

Court Reporter

A 41-YEAR-OLD man has been given a suspended prison sentence after using a vulnerable man’s bank card at Tesco Extra in Milford Haven.

Mark Anthony Hambrook, of Keeston, admitted fraud by false representation when he appeared before magistrates.

The court heard that Hambrook dishonestly used the card on April 29, 2025, spending £220.

Magistrates said the offence crossed the custody threshold because it involved a breach of trust, a vulnerable victim, and was committed while Hambrook was on post-sentence supervision.

He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

Hambrook was also ordered to pay £220 compensation, together with a £154 surcharge and £85 costs.