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Call to tackle childcare shortages

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Rural concern: Childcare in Wales.

Rural concern: Childcare in
Wales.

PLAID CYMRU Shadow Education, Skills and Welsh Language Minister Simon Thomas has called for action from the Welsh Government to tackle the shortage of childcare in rural areas across Wales.

Mid and West AM for the Party of Wales Simon Thomas said: “Plaid Cymru launched a report, commissioned by Jocelyn Davies and produced by Chwarae Teg, which looked at some of the barriers for women returning to work or being part of the workforce. One of the report’s findings was the shortage of provision particularly in rural areas, and the cost of childcare, which, as the Minister knows, is higher in Wales and Britain than it is in the rest of the OECD countries— at least twice the cost on average. I’m interested in hearing about things such as mobile crèches and other steps with the voluntary sector to enhance the childcare available to women in rural areas.”

Responding to the Plaid AM’s comments was the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, who stated: “Improving access to high-quality, affordable childcare across the whole of Wales remains an absolute priority for the Welsh Government. Through our investment in programmes such as Flying Start, we are establishing childcare in rural areas. I’m very encouraged by innovative responses to local needs by local authorities, such as mobile crèches.”

The Minister went on to add: “I am aware of the report, and clearly childcare is a barrier for women entering or re-entering the workplace. As a Government, we don’t directly fund the provision of childcare other than specific grants such as the out-of-school childcare grant; we give the funding to local authorities and it’s up to local authorities to do the childcare sufficiency assessments for their local area.

“But, I recently met with many of the stakeholders that provide childcare, and certainly rural childcare provision is one area, and also flexibility for people who work shifts, particularly again in rural areas. So, this is on-going work, but it is up to local authorities to ensure their Childcare Sufficiency Assessments are up to date and that they then address the local needs.”

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News

Stoddart puts council funding gap figures under scrutiny

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A DISCREPANCY in Pembrokeshire County Council’s budget documentation has raised concerns about transparency in reporting the projected funding gap for 2025-26.

Local political commentator and county councillor, Mike Stoddart, has questioned changes between two versions of a document (called Appendix D), presented to Cabinet in December and February, which outline how the Council plans to bridge the significant funding shortfall.

Pembrokeshire County Council: Statutory duty to agree on a balanced budget

In December, documents stated that over the past 11 years, the Council had addressed a cumulative funding gap of £174.8 million through a mix of budget savings, Council Tax increases, and reserve use. A breakdown showed that £110.2 million (63%) had been achieved through base budget reductions, with Council Tax increases contributing £43.3 million (24.8%), Council Tax premiums adding £11.7 million (6.7%), and reserve funding accounting for £9.6 million (5.5%).

However, the February version of the document omitted references to cumulative funding and detailed figures, instead focusing solely on the projected funding gap for 2025-26, which had also decreased from £34.1 million to £27.4 million.

Stoddart argues that without the cumulative context, the figures become “mathematically meaningless” and has expressed concern that the Council has not provided an explanation for the change.

Speaking to The Herald, he said: “It is noticeable that the December document presented cumulative figures, but in February, this crucial context has disappeared without explanation. If these funding gaps and the methods used to bridge them are not cumulative, they don’t make mathematical sense.”

The Council has a statutory duty to agree on a balanced budget for 2025-26 by 11 March 2025, which will involve difficult decisions regarding budget savings, potential Council Tax increases, and the use of reserves.

The Herald has approached Pembrokeshire County Council for clarification on why the format of the funding report changed between December and February and whether the omission of cumulative data was intentional or a revision based on new financial assessments.

More to follow as this story develops.

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Welsh Conservatives lead call for urgent NHS reform

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THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES are demanding urgent action to address the worsening crisis in Wales’ NHS, calling on the Labour-run Welsh Government to enact emergency reforms. In response to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) report, ‘On the Frontline of the UK’s Corridor Care Crisis’, the Conservatives have tabled a motion in the Senedd, demanding immediate measures to tackle corridor care, overcrowding, and deteriorating hospital conditions.

Welsh Conservatives demand urgent action

The motion, set to be debated next week, states:

  1. Notes the Ending Corridor Care in Wales report published by the Royal College of Nursing Wales.
  2. Regrets that people in Welsh hospitals are being treated in unsafe, undignified, and unacceptable environments.
  3. Calls on the Welsh Government to enact the report’s eight recommendations in full.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Health and Social Care, James Evans MS, has condemned Labour’s management of the NHS, stating:

“Under the Welsh Labour Government, people in Welsh hospitals continue to be treated in unsafe, undignified, and unacceptable environments.

“On Labour’s watch, we’ve seen hospital beds axed, hospitals downgraded, and new ones promised but not delivered, and Emergency Department performance that is worse than elsewhere in Great Britain.

“In the Senedd next week, we’re calling on the Welsh Labour Government to enact the Royal College of Nursing’s eight recommendations to ensure urgent action and transparency on corridor care in Wales.”

RCN report highlights systemic failures

As we reported last week, the Royal College of Nursing Wales report has exposed widespread failures in Welsh hospitals, describing a system where patients are forced to wait in corridors, sometimes for hours, in unsafe and undignified conditions. The RCN states that government inaction has directly contributed to avoidable patient deaths, citing severe hospital overcrowding and critical staffing shortages.

Helen Whyley, Executive Director of RCN Wales, urged immediate government intervention:

“Nurses are facing immense challenges in maintaining high standards of patient care amidst the growing prevalence of corridor and chair care in hospitals.

“Our recommendations provide a clear and achievable roadmap to ensure patients receive care in the right place, at the right time, and by the right professional. The nursing workforce is ready to lead the way – but we need the Welsh Government to act now.”

Llais report adds to mounting pressure

The latest findings from Llais, the statutory body representing the public’s voice in Welsh health and social care, further support the RCN’s damning assessment of NHS Wales. Their survey of over 700 people revealed severe delays, ambulance backlogs, and an overstretched system unable to cope with demand.

A patient at Morriston Hospital’s emergency department described the situation as dire: “I drove because the ambulance ETA was 7-8 hours, but I had severe chest pain and couldn’t wait that long.”

The study also found that many patients are forced to arrange their own transport to hospital, sometimes at great personal cost, due to long ambulance wait times.

Critical incidents declared

The Llais report warns that the pressures on Welsh emergency services are not temporary but systemic. Since the study was conducted, ‘business critical incidents’ have been declared by both the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Other health boards, including Swansea Bay and Cwm Taf Morgannwg, have issued urgent warnings about overwhelming demand.

Calls for immediate change

The combined reports from Llais and the RCN call for urgent action on multiple fronts, including:

  • Faster ambulance response times
  • Better coordination between emergency services and primary care
  • Increased staffing and resource allocation
  • Improved dignity and care for patients waiting in corridors
  • Greater transparency and accountability from NHS Wales and the Welsh Government

A system at breaking point

With emergency care in Wales under “extreme and unsustainable pressure,” as described by Llais Chair Professor Medwin Hughes, many patients and staff feel abandoned in a system that is failing them.

“The dignity of patients is not even being considered anymore. The system is chaotically inefficient and in desperate need of a review,” one patient at Glan Clwyd Hospital remarked.

With the Welsh Conservatives pushing for immediate action in the Senedd and the RCN calling for an overhaul of emergency care, the pressure is mounting on the Labour-run Welsh Government to provide answers—and, more importantly, solutions.

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Simon Hart’s memoir reveals inside story of Westminster chaos

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SIMON HART, the former MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, is set to lift the lid on the political turmoil of recent years with his new book, Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip, due for release on February 27, 2025.

The memoir promises a rare, behind-the-scenes account of life inside the Conservative government during one of its most chaotic periods. Hart, who served as Chief Whip under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, provides an unfiltered look at the party’s internal struggles, resignations, and public controversies that rocked Westminster between 2019 and 2024.

From power to crisis

Having first been elected in 2010, Hart represented South Pembrokeshire and parts of Carmarthenshire for over a decade before boundary changes saw him lose his seat in 2024. His political career saw him rise to the role of Secretary of State for Wales under Boris Johnson before taking on the crucial but often misunderstood position of Chief Whip in Sunak’s government.

In Ungovernable, Hart describes how he witnessed the Conservative Party unravel from a position of strength to electoral vulnerability. He provides firsthand insight into the party’s inner workings, dealing with rebellious MPs, scandal-ridden colleagues, and the battle to maintain discipline within the government.

Westminster’s scandals and secrets

Among the most revealing aspects of the book are Hart’s accounts of the defection of Conservative MPs to Labour, the fallout from Liz Truss’s 49-day premiership, and the struggles to manage a party fractured by Brexit, infighting, and scandal. He details the dramatic moments that saw fifteen Tory MPs leave their seats under his tenure, including high-profile figures such as Nadine Dorries, whose controversial resignation caused months of political tension, and Matt Hancock, suspended after his infamous appearance on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.

Hart also delves into Lee Anderson’s suspension over inflammatory remarks about the London Mayor, and the internal battles over government policies, leadership, and media spin.

Praise for an insider’s account

The book has already attracted attention from senior political figures. Rory Stewart, former MP and political commentator, described it as “a remarkable insight into a critical moment”, while Michael Dobbs, author of House of Cards, praised Hart’s blunt honesty, calling it a “balls-up-to-break-down account of how the Tories managed to fall flat on their faces”.

For Pembrokeshire readers, Ungovernable provides a unique perspective from a local politician who operated at the very heart of Westminster’s power struggles. Whether a supporter or critic of his time in office, Simon Hart’s memoir promises to be a fascinating and controversial account of one of the most dramatic chapters in modern British politics.

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