News

Labour rift erupts over DARC as campaigners say Morgan’s move is too little, too late

Published

3 months ago

April 16, 2026

Anti-radar group says First Minister’s call for a pause falls far short of what angry Pembrokeshire residents are demanding

A LABOUR split over the proposed DARC radar project at Brawdy burst into the open this week after campaigners accused Eluned Morgan of offering a panicked half-measure instead of the outright opposition many in Pembrokeshire now want.

The First Minister’s call for the UK Government to pause the controversial Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability scheme has been seized on by opponents as proof that political pressure is mounting fast ahead of the Senedd election.

But PARC Against DARC, the campaign group leading resistance to the project, said Morgan’s intervention does not go nearly far enough and warned that a pause is not a rejection.

The group says local people have spent months raising the alarm over the scale, purpose and consequences of the proposed development at Cawdor Barracks, only to be met with silence, spin and shifting positions from Labour politicians.

A spokesperson for PARC said: “We welcome any movement away from support for DARC, but this does not go far enough. Calling only for a pause leaves the door open for another U-turn in future. The people of Pembrokeshire deserve clarity and a firm commitment that this project will not go ahead.”

The campaign said Morgan’s remarks appeared to be a direct response to rising public anger and growing electoral danger for Labour in west Wales.

After months in which campaigners said their warnings were brushed aside, the First Minister’s sudden intervention has been interpreted by opponents as evidence that DARC is now becoming a serious political liability.

PARC said the row had also exposed a deep divide inside Labour, with Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell continuing to defend the scheme by pointing to jobs and economic benefit.

Campaigners rounded on those claims, saying supporters of the project have repeatedly tried to sell DARC to the public on promises that do not withstand scrutiny.

A spokesperson said: “It is unbelievable how out of touch Henry Tufnell is on this issue. The suggestion that DARC would deliver major benefits for local jobs simply does not stand up to scrutiny.”

The campaign argues that what is being presented as opportunity could in reality leave Pembrokeshire carrying the burden of a deeply controversial military installation while seeing little genuine local gain in return.

It also says the way the scheme has been handled has further poisoned trust, with many residents feeling they were never properly informed, properly listened to, or treated with the respect they deserved.

The spokesperson added: “Local people feel they have been treated with contempt. Concerns have been raised again and again, yet campaigners say the consultation process was poorly communicated and deeply flawed. That has only hardened opposition.”

For opponents, DARC is no longer just a planning dispute. It has become a symbol of something much bigger — a project they say has been driven from above, wrapped in vague promises, and pushed forward without honest regard for the people expected to live in its shadow.

PARC says the case against the radar scheme now reaches far beyond politics, taking in the threat to Pembrokeshire’s landscape, damage to the area’s image, fears over wider military escalation and growing anger at the conduct of the consultation process.

The group also pointed to long-standing opposition from Plaid Cymru and the Wales Green Party, arguing that support for stopping DARC altogether is now far stronger and more politically significant than Labour had anticipated.

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “This is nothing but a last-ditch attempt by Eluned Morgan to cling on to her seat.

“Plaid Cymru has consistently opposed DARC alongside local communities and has repeatedly called on the UK Government to change course.”

Campaigners say the issue has now reached a decisive moment.

They insist Pembrokeshire is being asked to shoulder the risks of a project many residents neither want nor trust, and argue that anything short of a firm commitment to kill it off completely will be seen as betrayal.

A spokesperson said: “DARC must be stopped. It is as simple as that. We urge voters who oppose the scheme to back parties committed to blocking it.”

For Labour, the danger is clear. What was once treated as a defence project is fast becoming a political grenade — and in Pembrokeshire, it may yet explode at the ballot box.

News

Record 34 candidates to contest Clacton by-election triggered by Farage

Published

12 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Nigel Farage will face an extraordinary field of 33 opponents when voters in Clacton return to the polls next month

A RECORD 34 candidates have been confirmed for the Clacton parliamentary by-election, which will take place on Thursday, August 13.

The contest was triggered after Mr Farage resigned as the constituency’s MP before announcing that he would stand again for Reform UK.

He said the election would allow local voters to judge his conduct following intense scrutiny of his financial backing and two inquiries by Parliament’s standards commissioner.

Mr Farage has denied wrongdoing and maintains that gifts and other support he received were personal and did not need to be registered under parliamentary rules. He has described the by-election as a contest between the public and the political establishment.

Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party are among the larger parties that have declined to field candidates.

Their absence has left political satirist Count Binface and Reclaim Party leader Laurence Fox among the best-known names challenging Mr Farage.

The ballot paper will also feature three candidates from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, several representatives of smaller political parties and a large number of independents.

Tendring District Council confirmed the final list after nominations closed on Friday.

The council said the field of 34 is believed to be the largest ever assembled for a UK parliamentary election.

The previous record is understood to have been 26 candidates at the Haltemprice and Howden by-election in July 2008. That election was called after Conservative MP David Davis resigned and stood again to campaign over civil liberties.

Full list of Clacton candidates

The candidates standing on August 13 are:

Joseph 77, Independent
Adham Alkhatip, The Forward Party
Count Binface, Count Binface Party
Nick The Incredible Flying Brick, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Tony Cane, Independent
Woke Trump Carrzee, Independent
William Stuart James Clouston, Social Democratic Party
Rees Cowne, Independent
Glenn Charles Cummings, Independent
Martin Davies, Freedom Alliance – Real People, Real Alternative!
Andy Erlam, Independent
Nigel Farage, Reform UK
Attieh Fard, Independent
Laurence Fox, The Reclaim Party
Tony Francis, Independent
Robin Green, Independent
Abi Hookway, Independent
Howling Laud Hope, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Stephen Richard Ingram, Independent
Amy Morris, Independent
Derrick Norbert Morris, Independent
Michael Noel O’Keeffe, Independent
Martyn OBrien, Independent
Nick Pelas, Independent
Ketankumar Pipaliya, UK VOICE safer and stronger UK
Daniel Pocock, Independent
James Ransley, Consensus Party Candidate
Gerry Smith, Independent
Kai Stephens, British Democrats
John Stevens, Rejoin EU
Baron Von Thunderclap, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Pamela Walford, Independent
Marcus White, Everyone is God Party
Marc Wilkinson, Independent

Almost 80,000 people are eligible to vote across the constituency’s 51 polling stations.

Residents who are not already registered must apply by July 28. The deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on July 29, while applications for proxy votes and free Voter Authority Certificates must be submitted by 5pm on August 5.

Mr Farage first won Clacton for Reform UK at the 2024 general election, receiving 21,225 votes and securing a majority of 8,405 over the Conservatives.

The seat has officially been vacant since July 8 following his resignation.

Charity

Forever 11 water safety programme reaches nearly 2,000 Pembrokeshire pupils

Published

12 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

A CHARITY established in memory of 11-year-old Zac Thompson is helping almost 2,000 Pembrokeshire schoolchildren learn potentially life-saving skills in and around the water.

Forever 11 was founded following Zac’s death in 2022, when he was swept into the sea.

The charity began delivering water safety programmes in 2023, initially working with one school. It now supports pupils at 13 primary schools across Pembrokeshire, with around 2,000 children expected to take part in its sessions this year.

Forever 11 chair Carli Newell said the charity believes water safety should be treated as an essential life skill for children growing up in a coastal county.

She said: “Every child in Pembrokeshire deserves the right to have water safety sessions.

“Especially where we live, it should be as important as being able to read.”

Working alongside organisations including PaddleWest, Activity Pembrokeshire and Windswept Wales, the charity provides practical kayaking, paddleboarding and sea kayaking sessions.

Pupils are also taught important safety advice, including the RNLI’s Float to Live guidance, while some children have the opportunity to gain nationally recognised Paddle Safe and Swim Safe qualifications.

The programme was originally aimed at pupils in Years 5 and 6, but it has since been extended to children in Years 3 and 4.

The charity hopes that introducing younger pupils to the water will help them build confidence and develop essential skills before reaching the age group most at risk of accidental drowning.

Forever 11 trustee Lucy Garett said national drowning figures are reviewed each year to help shape the programme.

She said: “The trends are all the same every year.

“It’s mostly children aged between 10 and 19 who are at risk of accidental drowning.

“We want children to have at least one or two sessions in the water before they reach that higher risk group.”

The sessions are offered to schools free of charge, with the costs covered through fundraising and public donations.

This means children can participate regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

Forever 11 estimates that it has delivered more than 10,000 hours of water safety education since its work began.

Ms Garett said the response from schools, parents and pupils had been extremely positive.

She added: “Some parents have told us their child had been completely scared of going in the water, but afterwards they said it was one of the best days they’d ever had at school.”

The charity now hopes to work with more watersports providers, allowing the scheme to reach additional schools throughout Pembrokeshire.

Its long-term ambition is for every primary school pupil in the county to finish school with the knowledge and confidence needed to stay safe around the water.

The charity said: “We want every primary-aged child to know what to do to keep themselves and others safe in and around the water.”

Forever 11 will continue raising awareness and funds at Pembroke Regatta on Saturday, July 25, followed by its annual Forever 11 Fun Day on Sunday, July 26.

News

Three kayakers rescued after getting into difficulty near Skomer

Published

14 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Coastguard teams and two RNLI lifeboats were called after the group was pushed south while attempting to pass through Jack Sound

THREE kayakers were rescued after getting into difficulty while returning from Skomer Island through Jack Sound.

Watchkeepers at NCI Wooltack Point had been monitoring the group as they attempted to make the crossing, but the kayakers were pushed south and eventually disappeared from view from the station.

One watchkeeper continued searching from the lookout while another went outside to try to locate them. The kayakers were eventually spotted from the cliff-top path in a nearby bay, where it was confirmed that they required assistance.

HM Coastguard was alerted and both Angle RNLI lifeboat and Little and Broad Haven RNLI lifeboat were tasked to the incident.

The rescue was successfully completed, with NCI Wooltack Point praising the teamwork between Pembrokeshire’s search and rescue agencies.

The kayakers later made a donation to the station in recognition of the assistance they had received.

Photo: NCI Wooltack Point watchkeeper Charles