Politics

Candidates complain about ‘unfair’ leadership race

Published

10 years ago

September 4, 2015

THE ONGOING entertainment saga that is the Labour leadership contest took a new turn last week, when three of the candidates complained to the party that the election was unfair.

Liz Kendall, Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham’s campaign managers were co-signatories on an email sent to the party, complaining that they would not receive a list of who was eligible to vote until ten days into the election.

Their claim was that Jeremy Corbyn, who has the support of major Unions, will know which union members have voted before this, and will be able to target them accordingly.

These claims have been denounced by members of ‘Team Corbyn,’ who say that everyone will receive the data at the same time.

This was the latest in a series of attacks from the two ‘centrish’ candidates, and Liz Kendall. In the early days of the campaign, there was an almost gentlemanly feel to proceedings. The candidates publicly disagreed, mostly with Mr Corbyn, while failing to say or do anything to differentiate themselves from the Labour party which lost the last General Election by a margin that even took YouGov by surprise, other than to subtly blame Ed Milliband’s bacon sandwich malfunction.

Mr Burnham said at an early stage that the unexpected show of support for Mr Corbyn was a sign that the Labour party had misread the mood of its members and would-be supporters. He was also the only candidate who, when asked whether he would serve in a Corbyn-led cabinet, said that he would, if it was the will of the party.

However, of late, he has started to question the frontrunner’s policies, claiming that the figures don’t add up. This has not stopped Yvette Cooper issuing a statement to the effect that he should leave the leadership race for not providing an ‘effective alternative’ to Mr Corbyn – a move described as ‘panicked, desperate, and straight out of the Ed Balls handbook,’ by one of Mr Burnham’s staff.

Yvette Cooper has also taken many a swipe at Mr Corbyn’s policies over the last week, describing them as ‘subversive.’ She also claimed that her policies were more radical than those of Mr Corbyn:

“So tell me what you think is more radical. Bringing back clause IV, spending billions of pounds we haven’t got switching control of some power stations from a group of white middle-aged men in an energy company to a group of white middle-aged men in Whitehall, as Jeremy wants? Or extending SureStart, giving mothers the power and confidence to transform their own lives and transform their children’s lives for years to come?” she asked at a speech in Manchester last week.

Liz Kendall, meanwhile, has been in a class of her own. For some ‘unknown’ reason, in spite of consistently finishing fourth in polls, which initially may or may not have been a ploy, the unrepentant Blairite is gaining at least as many if not more column inches than Ms Cooper and Mr Burnham. Her sentiments appear consistent, and can be summed up thus – ‘something something if Corbyn wins, warns Liz Kendall.’ Ms Kendall has also described the prospect of a Corbyn victory as ‘a resignation letter for Labour.’ She has advised her supporters to omit Mr Corbyn’s name from their other choices on the ballot, and cast a block vote for a second choice candidate in an attempt to stop Mr Corbyn should he fail to get 50 percent of the vote on the first count. Such democratic transparency is exactly what the Labour party needs to avoid alienating the new members and associates who have joined since the last General Election.

The most common issue raised by ex-Labour grandees is that Labour should be a party of government, not a party of opposition. This is, on the face of it, confusing when one considers that a party of opposition is exactly what it is going to be for the next five years. Ed Milliband was accused of taking the party too far to the left and, in the words of Chuka Umunna, not being business friendly enough.

This raises two points. Firstly, whether or not anyone actually read the manifesto for the 2015 election bid. The only reasons that Mr Milliband, and especially his Osborne-lite shadow Chancellor Ed Balls could be described as left-wing were:

In comparison to David Cameron and George Osborne
As a result of Unions backing him in the last leadership campaign
Because red rhymes with Ed

The ‘pro-business’ idea is also, on the face of it, rather concerning. It evidently means more than the obvious definition, ie, in favour of businesses. It appears that the return to the Mandelson era of people being encouraged to get ‘filthy rich’ as long as they pay tax is being encouraged.

However, what many commentators seem to be wilfully failing to acknowledge is that the political landscape has changed. Basing policies on the infamous picking up of votes in Nuneaton worked very well when Labour could still hold all their heartlands unchallenged. No one appears to have asked why Labour got wiped out in Scotland, and whether or not those seats were lost due to not being pro-business enough, or possibly as a result of a popular Nationalist movement with a definite Socialist flavour.

As we have pointed out before, voter apathy and UKIP could well be far more important to the future of the Labour party than aforementioned businesses and Nuneaton. Mr Corbyn has been acknowledged as injecting some life into the Labour leadership contest, largely because based on the performance of the other main candidates the party faithful would be torn between an Everton-supporting ‘man of the people’, a ‘feminist’ and a Blairite who missed the glory years. These would have campaigned on a platform of how much better they were than their two opponents. It is hard to imagine a less edifying spectacle. Thankfully, they have been able to unite in the face of a common foe – the Labour left who persist in ‘voting with their hearts.’

Whether or not Mr Corbyn becomes the next leader, this contest has exposed a deep divide between what a number of Labour voters want, and what they are being told by the party leaders that they need. This is something that will have to be addressed. It is commonly accepted that Mr Corbyn will be doomed by a Murdoch-led right-wing media; this ignores the fate of arch-Blairite Gordon Brown. It is safe to assume that whoever gets the nod will fail to get mainstream media backing, unless Mr Murdoch needs a new godfather and David Cameron’s mobile phone is turned off.

If whoever leads Labour can somehow connect with the 45 percent of the population who either voted for no one or UKIP, the gap between everyone digging out their D-Ream CDs in 2020 or Boris Johnson PM could be much closer than is currently suggested.

News

Welsh Government clarifies payment after questions over African film festival funding

Published

5 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Ministers say £41,600.90 supported wider screen industry project — not the Watch Africa event itself

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has moved to clarify reports that more than £40,000 of public money was spent directly funding an African film festival in Cardiff, saying the payment was instead for a wider skills and diversity project across the Welsh screen industry.

Earlier figures showed that £41,600.90 was paid in February 2025 to Watch Africa CIC, the organisation associated with the annual Watch Africa Film Festival. The festival, launched in 2013, celebrates African cinema through film screenings, workshops, filmmaker discussions and cultural showcases.

However, the Welsh Government has told The Herald that none of the funding was allocated specifically to the festival itself.

In a statement issued to this newspaper, ministers said the money was instead provided to support Culture Connect Wales, a broader industry partnership initiative aimed at improving skills and promoting diversity within Wales’ film and television sector.

A spokesperson said: “We have not provided any funding for the Watch Africa Film Festival. The £41,600.90 was provided to Watch Africa to fund Culture Connect Wales, a wider industry partnership project aimed at boosting skills and promoting diversity across the Welsh screen sector.

“The screen sector plays a major role in the Welsh economy and is a key employer. The latest industry research data for Wales’ screen sector reports that film and TV production achieved £568m turnover in 2024 and is home to 695 companies that create significant freelance and trainee opportunities for our workforce.

“Creative Wales has invested in 72 productions through Production Funding alone, generating almost half a billion pounds in economic return to the nation, and these numbers continue to grow.”

The spending had previously been questioned by Gareth Davies, the Welsh Conservatives’ Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism, Sport and North Wales, who raised concerns about cultural funding priorities at a time of ongoing pressure on public finances and NHS waiting times.

Mr Davies said that while he supported cultural events operating in Wales, he believed limited public funds should be focused primarily on Welsh institutions and services under strain.

He also pointed to the closure of National Theatre Wales in 2024 after it lost core funding, arguing that established Welsh organisations had struggled while other projects received government support.

The Welsh Government maintains that the Culture Connect Wales programme is intended to strengthen the domestic screen industry, create jobs and improve opportunities for workers and trainees across Wales, rather than fund individual festivals.

The article has been updated to reflect this clarification.

Community

Work on new 26-home Pembrokeshire development gets underway

Published

8 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

CONSTRUCTION work has started on a Haverfordwest scheme to provide sheltered housing apartments for the over-55s.

The Tŷ Haverfordia affordable housing and reablement development of 26 sheltered housing apartments for the over-55s alongside a dedicated 12-bed reablement centre to support residents returning home from hospital at the former Haverfordia House site, delivered by Wynne Construction, forms part of Pembrokeshire County Council’s “continued commitment to increasing high‑quality, accessible housing and deliver effective modern health and social care support across Pembrokeshire”.

Initial works began on January 26 and include securing the site, setting up a small compound and contractor parking area, installing controlled access for site personnel, and positioning temporary office and welfare units.

To maintain safe access to nearby facilities, including the GP surgery and Haverfordwest Leisure Centre, pedestrian routes through the area will remain open.

In addition, a minimum number of public parking spaces, including disabled bays, have been kept with Pay & Display machines relocated to reduce inconvenience.

In keeping the minimum number of parking spaces as well as needing to accommodate essential contractor welfare facilities, a small section of Rifleman Field has had to be used during the duration of the development of the site.

This space will be securely fenced off, and the footprint minimised. Any areas of Rifleman Field affected by the works will be fully reinstated on completion and restored to a condition that is equal to or better than at present.

To ensure residents and stakeholders are kept informed and have the opportunity to engage with the development, Pembrokeshire Housing Services will be hosting a Community Engagement Drop-in Event on Thursday, February 19, 5-7pm, at The Green Room, Haverfordwest Leisure Centre.

Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Michelle Bateman, said: “I am pleased that we have finally reached the stage of commencing on site and look forward to seeing the development progressing.

“We have been able to progress with the development after receiving much-needed Welsh Government grant assistance for both the reablement and housing parts of the development.”

Last year, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, members approved awarding a fixed contract of £13,560,454.21 to C Wynne & Son for the Haverfordia House works.

In 2019, Cabinet backed the acquisition of the freehold of Haverfordia House, with the overall intention to deliver a new housing and wellbeing facility following its demolition.

A report for members at last year’s June meeting said: “As well as providing long-term residents with a sense of place and community, it will provide short-term reablement users with the facilities and in-house support which they need to relearn the skills required to keep them safe and independent when they return home.”

It said there was a need for one-bed properties, and a review of sheltered over 55 accommodation was undertaken in 2018-19 which identified that existing sheltered housing stock is “no longer fit for purpose”.

Politics

Porthgain holiday let scheme approved by national park

Published

18 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to regularise the use of an annexe as a holiday let at the Pembrokeshire seaside village of Porthgain has been given the go-ahead.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Ryan Davies sought permission for a change of use of a previously occupied annexe at Gallery Cottage, Harbour Lights Gallery, Porthgain for use as a short-term holiday let.

An officer report recommending approval said: “This application seeks consent for a change of use from the existing C3 use of the annexe known as Gallery Cottage to allow both family and guest short stays. The annexe had originally been given consent for use purely incidental to the enjoyment of the main dwelling. However, the annexe is currently in use as a short-term holiday let.

“An application under Section 73 has previously been submitted to allow the subdivision of the property as a whole in order that the use of the annexe as a short-term holiday let could be regularised.

“However, given that this would have involved a fundamental change to the development previously granted, it was considered that a full application would be required.

“It is not considered that the change of use of the annexe to a short-term holiday let would result in harm being caused to the residential amenity of nearby properties, nor the special qualities of the National Park.

“Neither is it deemed that the residential amenities of the dwelling known as ‘Harbour Lights’ or the closest dwelling to the rear would be adversely affected since the unit is separated from the main dwelling by a frame shop, gallery space and an office/store room and on a different level to the nearest other dwelling.”

It added: “This application also seeks to regularise some external changes to the building and boundary treatments since the granting of [a 2021 application for the erection of extension and alterations to provide additional habitable accommodation to existing dwelling following demolition of gallery workshop / shed].

“It is deemed that since the overall form of the annexe remains largely the same, there would be no harm caused to the general character of the area, nor to the special qualities of the Park.”

The application was conditionally approved by park planners.