News

Herald links with Vote for Policies

Published

11 years ago

April 2, 2015

THE HERALD believes that voters deserve to know what they are voting for when they enter the ballot box.

We spoke with Matt Chocqueel Mangan, founder of the website Vote for Policies to find out how our readers can find out more about the policies parties stand for and how, sometimes, the results of a little digging can be surprising.

“The story goes back to 2010,” Matt told us over an uncertain telephone line. “I did not know who to vote for. I was not new to voting, but I am not a political person. I do not have a background in politics at all, my work has been in digital media and web design.”

We asked how he found out about parties’ policies: “In 2010 I found that it was incredibly dull and arduous to find out what was actually in parties’ manifestos. Smaller parties, such as UKIP or the Greens tend to put everything out there. Larger parties are rather more cautious and release only what suits them; they tend to want to set a news agenda rather than release the whole thing online.

“It occurred to me that voters should know which policies suit them, or tally with their beliefs and wishes, without having to pick their way through a lot of badly written jargon.

“So, we set up the website Vote for Policies, which took the policies the parties announced and allowed people to work their way through them without being distracted by the party political stuff that surrounded them on the parties’ websites or in their manifestos.”

The reaction to Vote for Policies took Matt aback: “It just really took off. This is not an opinion poll, all the site does is ask people which policy they prefer and it then matches those against the party the policy belongs to; there is no hidden catch to this and no political agenda.

“People have been surprised by what the results have told them. Around a quarter of users have said they are more likely to vote as a result of comparing policies; almost two-thirds have been surprised which party most closely matches with their individual concerns; a significant number have changed their voting intentions.”

The focus is very much on the individual, explained Matt: “This sort of blind testing is a revealing and worthwhile experience. There are no distractions from political spin and politicians. It empowers the individual by enabling them to make informed choices based on their own reactions to party policies.

“By this stage in the 2010 election campaign, we had 20,000 unique responses. In relation to May 2015, 200,000 individuals have already taken part by using Vote for Policies.”

The Herald has linked up with Vote for Policies for the current General Election campaign.

Follow the link on the Heralds’ Facebook pages and websites and show us what matters to our readers. We will be asking the General Election candidates for their reactions to what is revealed when you vote for policies and not personalities.

https://voteforpolicies.org.uk/survey/herald

Crime

Man admits sword threats made against sister

Published

3 minutes ago

January 14, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Paranoid schizophrenic released on bail with strict conditions ahead of sentencing in February

A MAN described in court as a paranoid schizophrenic has pleaded guilty to sending threats to kill his sister, including claims he would hack her head off with a Samurai sword.

Charles Bianchy, 37, of Pembroke Street, Pembroke Dock, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Crown Prosecutor Charlotte Thomas said Bianchy was arrested on September 16 after posting a series of Facebook stories while walking through Pembroke Dock.

“He’d posted a series of Facebook stories as he walked through Pembroke Dock, claiming that his mother had refused to give him money, but had given some money to his sister,” she said.

“He then went on to say that he would hack his sister’s head off with a Samurai sword, throw a grenade bomb at her, smack her head on the pavement and use her head as a target.

“Naturally this left her feeling very scared to leave her home.”

The court heard that when interviewed by police, Bianchy said he had no intention of carrying out the threats.

He pleaded guilty to sending messages threatening death or serious harm to his sister, Daisy Bianchi.

Bianchy was represented by solicitor Michael Kelleher, who told magistrates his client suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.

Magistrates adjourned sentencing for an all-options probation report. Bianchy was released on conditional bail, with conditions that he must not contact Daisy Bianchi, must not attend her address at Cuckoo Wood, Pembroke Dock, and must not refer to her on any electronic device.

He is due to be sentenced on February 3.

Crime

Young driver banned after drink-drive stop in Haverfordwest

Published

4 minutes ago

January 14, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Police said 20-year-old admitted drinking shortly before being pulled over near midnight

A 20-YEAR-OLD drink-driver has been banned from the roads for 15 months after being caught behind the wheel in Haverfordwest town centre.

Samuel Davies was stopped by officers just before midnight on Saturday, December 21 as he drove a black Mini along Freemans Way with a passenger.

Prosecutor Charlotte Thomas told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court that officers could smell alcohol inside the vehicle. A roadside breath test proved positive and further tests at the police station showed Davies had 52 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

“When spoken to by the officers, he said he’d had a bottle of VK some 20 minutes prior to being stopped,” she said.

Davies, of Begelly, Pembrokeshire, pleaded guilty to drink driving.

His solicitor, Liam Francis, said Davies had been out with friends in Haverfordwest and had not planned to drive home.

“He had no intention of driving home and had spent over an hour trying to contact a taxi service,” he said. “When this failed, he made the incredibly foolish decision to drive home.”

Magistrates disqualified Davies from driving for 15 months. He was fined £250 and ordered to pay a £100 surcharge and £85 costs.

Crime

Convicted sex offender back in court after order breach

Published

6 minutes ago

January 14, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Police found unauthorised Telegram use and a deleted account on electronic device, magistrates told

A CONVICTED sex offender has been brought back before the courts after breaching a sexual harm prevention order for the second time.

John Walters, 61, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after failing to notify police that new software had been installed on an electronic device.

The court heard that when officers visited Walters, of Townmoor, Narberth, they discovered the account had been deleted.

A sexual harm prevention order was imposed on Walters in 2022 after he was convicted of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

The order prevented him from holding any social media account unless it had been approved by Dyfed-Powys Police. It also banned him from deleting or hiding any internet history.

In December 2025, police were alerted to Walters using the Telegram messaging app between December 5 and 7, despite it not being authorised.

“This was a deliberate breach,” said Crown Prosecutor Charlotte Thomas.

Walters pleaded guilty to the breach. Magistrates adjourned sentencing to allow an all-options probation report to be prepared.

He was released on unconditional bail.