TENBY residents gathered in solemn reflection at the town’s cenotaph this on Sunday (Nov 8) to mark Armistice Day and honour all those who gave their lives in service to their country.

Rain fails to dampen spirits

Despite the drizzle, a large crowd assembled at the war memorial on South Parade as the clock struck 11:00am. The Last Post was sounded, followed by two minutes’ silence observed across the town.

Civic leaders and young representatives

The Mayor of Tenby, town councillors, veterans, members of the Royal British Legion and representatives from youth groups, cadets, emergency services and local schools took part in the wreath-laying ceremony. Among them was a young boy who stepped forward to lay a poppy wreath—symbolising the next generation’s gratitude for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

A service of unity and respect

As the names engraved on the cenotaph were read aloud, the assembled crowd stood shoulder to shoulder, remembering those from Tenby and beyond who never returned home. Local clergy led prayers, and the service was accompanied by music from the Salvation Army Band.

Following the ceremony, the parade marched through the town walls led by the Royal British Legion standard bearers, with applause from residents lining the streets.

The annual service once again showed Tenby’s deep respect for its history, its veterans and the continuing legacy of remembrance.

Lest we forget.

Photos by Gareth Davies/Herald

This column is “THE ALTERNATIVE VIEW” by Mike Dello

THERE have been some terrific comedy double acts over the years – Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Morecambe and Wise. Well, take a bow, at considerable expense, the government’s own pair: Mahmood and Lammy – the Home Secretary and Justice Secretary.

It would all be rather funny if this hapless duo hadn’t compromised the safety of the British public. The system somehow managed to accidentally release migrant sex offender Hadush Kepatu – yes, by mistake. From all accounts, this individual even tried to get back into prison, but was sent away, wandering the streets for forty-eight hours before being re-arrested.

He was then promptly deported to Ethiopia – with £500 of taxpayers’ money in his pocket. And, given we’re still bound by the European Convention on Human Rights, one suspects he may soon turn up again on a small boat, free of all checks.

Meanwhile, 49-year-old Wayne Broadhunt was murdered while walking his dog this week – reportedly by a migrant – as this scandal reaches epidemic proportions.

Starmer’s house of cards

Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership continues to unravel. Lucy Powell has defeated Bridget Phillipson in a members’ vote for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party – despite being sacked from the Cabinet by the Prime Minister only a few short weeks ago.

As BBC Political Editor Chris Mason dryly observed: “It’s a result the Prime Minister did not want.”

Then there’s Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, now under fire over alleged rule breaches involving her personal rental affairs. Starmer is standing by her, of course – though one might think the person managing the nation’s finances should at least keep her own in order.

Conflict abroad and chaos at home

The paper-thin ceasefire in Gaza has been shattered once again, with Israel launching air strikes that killed more than a hundred civilians after the killing of an Israeli soldier by Hamas.

And across the Atlantic, Hurricane Melissa has devastated Jamaica, with winds of up to 185mph leaving a trail of destruction. In an ironic twist, some climate campaigners are finally conceding that such disasters are not becoming more frequent – as they long claimed – but more severe.

Meanwhile, Net Zero by 2030 looks increasingly like a fantasy. Wind farms aren’t delivering what was promised, and these expensive steel giants are driving energy bills through the roof. One wonders if Sir Ed Miliband, the government’s “climate chappy,” has received his knighthood yet.

True heroes among us

The word “hero” is often used loosely – but seldom has it been more deserved than in the horrific events of Saturday night, when 32-year-old Anthony Williams went on a stabbing spree aboard a passenger train between Doncaster and London.

Eleven people, including the driver, were injured – some seriously. Driver Andrew Johnston showed exceptional skill and courage in diverting the train into a platform at Huntingdon, enabling police to apprehend Williams within minutes.

Among the passengers was Nottingham Forest fan Stephen Crean, who quite literally put his body on the line to protect others, suffering grave injuries in the process. He and others on that train are the true heroes of our times – far more deserving of honours than certain MPs, lords or celebrity “captains of industry.”

Thankfully, such incidents remain rare – a small comfort when more than five million people travel safely on Britain’s railways every day.

A final word

It is worth remembering that during the 1982 Falklands conflict, Prince Andrew – as he then was – served as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot on numerous dangerous missions, including anti-surface operations and casualty evacuations. He was rightly honoured for that service.

Today, his reputation lies in ruins due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein. While King Charles was right to strip him of certain titles and privileges, his wartime honours should stand. If not, the word “hero” loses all meaning.

And finally, the BBC once again finds itself accused of manipulating footage – this time allegedly inserting false words into Donald Trump’s mouth during a Panorama documentary to suggest he incited the 2020 Capitol riot.

If true, it’s yet another reason why the broadcaster should be defunded and made to stand on its own feet, rather than forcing taxpayers to bankroll what many now see as a partisan, outdated institution.

Labour’s century-long dominance crumbles, Reform’s hype machine crashes, and Plaid Cymru’s clarity of values carries the day – a result that offers lessons for the whole of Britain.

WHEN the votes were counted in Caerffili Leisure Centre in the early hours of Friday morning, the noise of history being made echoed across Wales. A confident Reform UK had swaggered into town expecting a coronation. Labour, the century-old giant of Welsh politics, assumed its red wall would somehow hold. But it was Plaid Cymru that emerged triumphant – calm, rooted, and utterly sure of itself.

This was more than a by-election. It was a political reckoning. In one dramatic night, the people of Caerffili rewrote assumptions about Welsh politics and sent a message that will be studied in campaign rooms from Cardiff to Westminster: Wales will not be bullied by bluster or frightened by fear.

Labour’s century of dominance shaken

For over one hundred years, Labour has been Wales’ natural party of government. It has led the Senedd since devolution began in 1999 and has long been hailed as one of the world’s most successful election machines. In 2021, Labour won Caerffili with 46 per cent of the vote. Four years later, that figure fell to just 11 per cent. The collapse was breathtaking.

Under the new proportional voting system that will take effect in the 2026 Senedd election, 11 per cent support is near extinction territory. Once a party drops below that threshold, it risks winning no seats at all in a region. Labour, so often complacent about its Welsh heartlands, suddenly finds itself staring into the abyss.

Keir Starmer, now both prime minister and party leader, never even visited the constituency. That absence spoke volumes. It was either an admission that he feared being an electoral liability, or worse, a sign that he simply did not care. Either way, it left local campaigners deflated and handed Plaid Cymru an open goal.

Reform’s humiliation

For Reform UK, the Caerffili by-election was supposed to be its great unveiling in Wales. Nigel Farage and his entourage flooded south-east Wales, beaming for cameras, boasting about “ground zero” for their populist surge. Pollsters and bookmakers predicted victory. Reform’s candidate, Llyr Powell – formerly employed by Nathan Gill, himself once described as a Russian asset – was so confident he was practically measuring up curtains for a Senedd office.

Then came the count. Plaid’s veteran councillor Lyndsay Whittle, who has served his community for fifty years, won comfortably. Farage, reportedly armed with a victory speech for the TV cameras, disappeared before dawn without a word. Reform’s campaign manager Zia Yusuf attempted to spin a “moral victory”, while Powell looked like he wanted the earth to open up and swallow him.

The myth of unstoppable momentum

For weeks before polling day, social media gave the impression that Reform had already won. Comment sections beneath every news story were filled with the same slogans, memes, and insults aimed at the Welsh Government and anyone defending its “Nation of Sanctuary” policy.

The pattern was clear: identical messages, fake accounts, and waves of abuse targeting Ukrainian refugees and Plaid supporters. Many appeared to be automated or based outside Wales altogether. Bots cannot cast ballots – and Caerffili’s real voters proved immune to the noise.

On one news post alone, not a single pro-Reform commenter appeared to live in Caerffili. More than half were posting from England. The online mob may dominate X and Facebook, but they don’t represent Welsh streets, workplaces, or homes.

Plaid’s clarity and community

Plaid Cymru won because it remembered what Welsh politics is supposed to be about – service, integrity, and community. Lyndsay Whittle’s half-century of local work gave authenticity. Rhun ap Iorwerth, the party’s leader, has never tried to out-Farage Farage. He has been clear that Wales’ problems will not be solved by blaming immigrants, but by challenging inequality and mismanagement.

That clarity stood in stark contrast to Labour’s dithering and Reform’s division. While UK Labour spent months trying to sound “tough” on immigration, Plaid appealed to Welsh values of fairness, compassion and self-reliance. Voters noticed.

The red wall no longer red

Caerffili’s result doesn’t just mark a one-off rebellion. It shows that Wales’ old loyalties are finally breaking down. Labour’s message no longer resonates with working-class communities struggling with NHS waiting times, housing shortages and the cost of living. People are not abandoning Labour because they have suddenly turned right-wing; they are doing so because they no longer see evidence that Labour is improving their lives.

Plaid offered something recognisable – a party rooted in Wales, unafraid to challenge both Westminster and Cardiff Bay. Reform offered anger without solutions. Labour offered management without meaning.

Lessons for Britain

Across the UK, this result should sound alarm bells for both major parties. It proves that standing firm against the hard right can work. Sixty per cent of votes cast in Caerffili went to parties of the centre-left: Plaid, Labour, the Greens and Liberal Democrats. The majority of Wales still believes in decency, public service and equality – values that cannot be reclaimed by mimicking Farage.

Farage’s brand of politics thrives on resentment and online theatre. But as the people of Caerffili demonstrated, the real world still matters. Leaflets, doorsteps and community credibility still beat memes and rage.

A warning for the next election

Wales now faces a critical test. Under the new proportional Senedd system, Reform will almost certainly secure a sizeable presence in 2026 – perhaps as many as thirty seats. Each will come with publicly funded staff and resources, giving the far right a platform unprecedented in Welsh politics.

That makes what happened in Caerffili even more important. It shows that populism can be defeated, but only when other parties are clear about what they stand for. If the mainstream retreats into fear or imitation, Farage will fill the vacuum.

The battle for Wales’ soul

Next year’s election will not be a routine devolved vote. It will be a choice between two versions of Wales: one rooted in compassion, respect and community; the other driven by bitterness, blame and imported culture wars.

History shows how seductive it can be to believe simple answers to complex problems. But Wales has faced down worse storms before. It will do so again, if its people stand as firmly as Caerffili did this week.

Ignore the trolls and the bots. Keep faith in facts, fairness, and each other. The lesson from Caerffili is clear: when the noise fades, Wales still knows who it is.