News

Paul Dowson defends controversial record in Herald election interview

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2026

Independent candidate says he has been “targeted” as he sets out right-wing platform for Ceredigion Penfro

INDEPENDENT Senedd candidate Paul Dowson defended his controversial public record in a combative interview with The Herald, insisting he had been “targeted” for speaking out and dismissing official findings against him as “corrupt”.

The former Pembrokeshire county councillor, who is standing in Ceredigion Penfro at the Senedd election on Thursday, May 7, said he decided to run because he was unimpressed by the choice facing voters and believed the main parties had failed west Wales.

“From my experience, there’s a lot of parties and a lot of politicians that really say a lot and do nothing,” Dowson told The Herald. “I have proven to be quite the opposite, where I do a lot and say very little.”

He added: “Looking at the candidates for this Senedd election, I was not impressed at all… I thought, well, somebody with some common sense has got to get in.”

Dowson said his three main priorities for west Wales were business, the NHS and transport.

“Our businesses have been killed,” he said. “There’s no investment in business whatsoever. NHS… and transportation and roads have really just been underfunded for too long.”

He also claimed that “the health services are absolutely ruined” and said those running public services were not being properly held to account.

Politically, Dowson made clear he sees himself on the right and sought to distance himself from Reform UK. Asked whether he was more right-wing than Reform, he replied: “Yeah, very much so,” adding: “Reform will eventually show their true colours.”

But a large part of the interview centred not on policy, but on the baggage Dowson brings into the campaign.

He was challenged over his disqualification from holding public office for three years following findings by the Adjudication Panel for Wales. The ruling related to false accusations, misleading claims and conduct which brought the council into disrepute.

Dowson rejected that process outright.

“I didn’t take part in that process whatsoever,” he said. “I insisted that it was held in public so I could show how corrupt they were, and they refused.”

Later in the interview he added: “I’m quite done with having to explain it all the time, because why should I waste time explaining it? It was corrupt. There we are. Move on.”

Dowson was also challenged over his later conviction for working as a door supervisor without a valid licence in Tenby.

Asked what that said about his judgment, he argued the punishment was excessive and claimed he had effectively been caught up in delays around renewing his badge.

When challenged on whether his record showed “instability, poor judgment, disregard for standards”, he replied: “What my record shows is targeting if you speak against the mainstream.”

He went further, claiming he had been branded “a racist, a fascist, a bigot” after opposing support for Black Lives Matter protests during lockdown.

He also framed himself as a candidate willing to say what others would not.

“I’m honest,” he said. “I stand up and I’m brave enough to say the things other people would say.”

On policy, Dowson called for more support for small businesses, more scrutiny of Welsh Government spending, and stronger backing for the farming sector.

“Let’s leave farming to farmers,” he said, arguing that too many decisions affecting rural Wales were being made by people with little understanding of the industry.

He also set out some of his most divisive views on schools and culture. Discussing education, Dowson said: “I’m the only candidate that has publicly come out and protested against an Indian chap being allowed to wear a dagger in school.”

He added: “The biggest problem in schools is ideology needs to be wiped out. People need to be retrained to teach facts, to teach science, to teach biology.”

On the environment, Dowson said pollution should be tackled with stricter rules on what is discharged into rivers and the sea, but he also rejected mainstream views on climate change.

Asked directly whether he was a climate change denier, he replied: “Denier.”

The interview leaves little doubt that Dowson is trying to turn controversy into part of his political pitch. Rather than distancing himself from the rows that have dogged his time in public life, he is presenting them as proof that he is the only candidate prepared to challenge the system head-on.

Crime

Police search cemetery after suspect flees Milford Haven domestic incident

Published

33 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Heavy police presence, including dogs and drones, followed search for 23-year-old man

POLICE were seen in large numbers at a Pembrokeshire cemetery on Monday (April 20) as officers searched for a man who had fled following a domestic incident in Milford Haven the previous day.

Dyfed-Powys Police said they received a report of a domestic incident in Waterloo Square, Milford Haven, at around 10:00am on Sunday (April 19).

Officers attended, but during efforts to arrest a 23-year-old man, he fled the scene.

The Herald understands the search then moved to the Milford Haven Cemetery area on Monday, where a significant police presence was reported, including dog units, drones and several police vans.

The man was later arrested on suspicion of a domestic-related offence and escaping lawful custody.

He has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.

News

Plaid Cymru Senedd election candidates emphasize call for Scarlets’ survival

Published

4 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

CEFIN CAMPBELL and Mari Arthur, Plaid Cymru’s candidates in Sir Gaerfyrddin for the Senedd election next month have reiterated their call to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for the Scarlets to be protected in any future plans for the future of professional rugby in Wales.

This comes after WRU’s Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) last week in Cardiff, after more than 50 member clubs demanded accountability.

Plaid Cymru representatives in Carmarthenshire have long argued for the survival of professional rugby in the region, pointing to the Scarlets’ £17 million contribution to the local economy and the 400 full and part-time jobs that are supported by the club. The club also boasts an impressive pedigree, having produced 34% of Welsh internationals in the past decade alone.

Cefin Campbell and Adam Price, currently seeking re-election as Plaid Cymru candidates to the Senedd for Sir Gaerfyrddin, as well as Plaid Cymru MP for Caerfyrddin Ann Davies, submitted a formal response to the WRU’s consultation last year, declaring that dissolving the Scarlets would not solve WRU’s historic mismanagement of professional rugby in Wales.

Lifelong Scarlets supporter and Plaid Cymru’s lead candidate in Sir Gaerfyrddin, Cefin Campbell, said:

“Like thousands across west Wales, this club is in my DNA. I am an ardent supporter of the Scarlets and share supporters’ disillusionment at the confusion and vague plans presented by the WRU.

“Watching them play Cardiff over the weekend, the thought of losing this club – which has produced so many greats for the national team such as Phil Bennett, Delme Thomas, Ray Gravell, Stephen Jones and Ken Owens to name a few – weighed heavily on my mind. The economic and social impact on the region would also be immense.

“I’m also a fan of club rugby in all its forms. The Ospreys are our neighbours and rivals and that rivalry is part of what makes the game here so special. The WRU should not be forcing west Wales to choose between its clubs. That is not a solution.”

Mari Arthur, also a Plaid Cymru candidate in the election in May, said: “I’m so proud that we as Plaid Cymru representatives in the area have led the way in defending the Scarlets over months and years of speculation over their future. We have made it absolutely clear to the WRU that we are fundamentally opposed to any plan that puts the future of the Scarlets at risk. Unfortunately, that threat still hovers over our club.

“The Scarlets are central to the identity and economy of this region and are a cornerstone of the game in Wales. We call on the WRU’s incoming leadership to start again: to pause this plan, engage with the alternatives, and protect the long-term future of the Scarlets.”

News

Cardigan distillery wins gold for debut Welsh whisky

Published

5 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

In the Welsh Wind celebrates major success at the World Whiskies Awards 2026 with Brychan, its first blended Welsh malt whisky

CARDIGAN distillery In the Welsh Wind is celebrating after its debut blended Welsh malt whisky, Brychan, struck gold at the World Whiskies Awards 2026.

The whisky was also named category and country winner for Best Welsh Blended Malt 2026, marking a major achievement for the west Wales distillery.

The award is significant not only for the company, but also for Welsh whisky more widely, with Brychan described as the first blend of single malt Welsh whiskies to come to market in Wales.

Produced near Cardigan on the Cambrian Coast, Brychan is a small-batch release made from a carefully selected blend of Welsh single malt whiskies aged in bourbon, port and red wine casks. Just 10 casks were chosen for the launch.

Ellen Wakelam, co-founder and director of In the Welsh Wind, said: “We are delighted and immensely proud to have won these awards. For us, Brychan is the culmination of many years of dedication to whisky-making here in west Wales.

“To have our first blended malt recognised at this level and to be judged as gold award-winning standard is incredibly exciting and rewarding for us as a craft distillery and for Welsh whisky as a whole. Brychan, however, is just the beginning.”

She said the aim when creating Brychan was to produce a distinctive blend that would be greater than the sum of its parts.

Made in collaboration with other Welsh distilleries, Brychan is the first in a planned series of blended Welsh malt whiskies from In the Welsh Wind.

Its character comes from a combination of bourbon casks, which add depth and warmth, port casks for richness, and red wine casks to bring a softer red-fruit note.

The distillery said the result is a whisky with complexity, balance and broad appeal, designed to suit both seasoned enthusiasts and those new to Welsh whisky.

In the Welsh Wind is planning to release two more blended Welsh malt whiskies later this year.

Brychan is priced at £45 and is available from the distillery’s online shop and at its distillery shop in Tanygroes.