Politics

EU the focus of Question Time

Published

9 years ago

June 22, 2016

Tom Sinclair

‘The opposition to Labour in
Wales’: Neil Hamilton

LOCAL ASSEMBLY member and UKIP’s leader in the Senedd Neil Hamilton appeared on BBC’s Question Time on Friday (Jun 2).

When asked by an audience member whether leaving the EU would increase her chances of getting on the property ladder or decrease them,

Mr Hamilton claimed that the principle driver for the increase in property values over recent years was ‘massive uncontrolled levels of immigration’.

“We’re adding to our population every single year, according to the Government’s official figures, a third of a million people. So we’re adding a city the size of Cardiff to the population of the UK every single year.

“If you increase the demand for property while supply remains largely constant, then prices are bound to increase.”

Mr Hamilton did acknowledge that there were other reasons for house prices being so high, including ‘restrictions on planning etc’ but said that it was ‘principally a population problem.’

However, Guardian columnist Owen Jones ‘strongly rejected’ the idea that immigration was a result of house price increases or the EU. “We let the Government off the hook when we blame foreigners for our government failing to build the houses we need,” he added.

Liz Truss recognised that there was ‘an issue’ with housing, and agreed that it was a UK Government policy issue.

Labour Out representative Frank Field MP said that he hoped no one would vote based on a George Osborne economic assertion.

In response to another question about housing and immigration, Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts managed a rather pointed dig at Mr Hamilton, AM for Mid and West Wales and Wiltshire resident.

“Speaking as the only person on the panel who lives in a house in Wales, I’d also like to note with some dismay that the only Welsh Assembly Member here kicked off on immigration, and that housing is actually a devolved matter and I would have expected some reference to that.”

She also suggested that immigration was not as much of a problem as migration, claiming that the factor of second homes was an issue, along with aging housing stock and a shortage of social housing.

In response to an audience member who asked whether it was true that no one knew what effect leaving the EU would have, given that no one had done it before, Ms Truss agreed. However, Mr Field, while agreeing that no one knew what the consequences would be, suggested that perhaps voters should take a more instinctive approach.

“I don’t believe that this reciting of facts, which no one knows whether they are true… on referendum day you are not going to make up your mind based on some politician giving you a whole series of facts,” he claimed.

“Our Very being has prepared us for this day, our history our backgrounds, our knowledge and we’ll be making a decision about the destiny of our country. And while of course we have to go through this poetry of politicians thinking they are important and boring you with programmes and facts… I don’t think sets of facts are going to help anyone do that.”

The questioner pointed out that no one was able to give any guarantees about the future, to which Owen Jones responded that workers’ rights were largely protected by the EU, and he further suggested that these rights ‘would burn on a bonfire lit by new Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnston.’

The panel was asked whether were they not in the EU, they would advocate joining, considering it was ‘corrupt and riddled with fraud. Ms Truss suggested that we had the best of both worlds at present, and a new country would struggle to negotiate such favourable terms.

One audience member said that we were not in a good position regarding Europe when ‘we have 28 unelected bureaucrats telling us how to run our country. It was also pointed out that any post-Brexit negotiations would involve the free movement of people.

Mr Hamilton said that unless we regained control of our borders we would not be able to control the flow of immigration.

However, Ms Saville Roberts said that the Labour Party had allowed immigration to become ‘a toxic subject’ and suggested that non-EU refugees from conflict zones made up a large proportion of inward migration.

Mr Field said that pressures had been put on wages and public services ‘since Labour opened the border in 2004.’ He also suggested that immigration had led to a million voters deserting the Labour Party for UKIP.

Mr Jones pointed out that many of the Vote Leave supporters who are referencing the NHS were ‘ideologically opposed’ to the existence of an NHS, quoting Mr Hamilton, who memorably described the NHS as ‘a more effective killing machine than The Taliban’.

The leadership of Jeremy Corbyn was, predictably, called into question, and it was asked whether he could be doing more to lead Labour in the Remain camp, given that 45% of Labour voters don’t know which side their party supports.

Mr Field suggested that a Leave vote would mean a change of Prime Minister, and suggested that the Labour Party had failed to show that it was ‘on the side of those who have the least in society.’

Neil Hamilton suggested that UKIP was currently the opposition to the Labour Party in Wales (ignoring the Welsh Conservatives) and, continuing his ‘unique’ approach to political metaphor, suggested that Plaid Cymru were ‘in bed with the Labour Party’.

In a debate which occasionally verged on the childish, Mr Hamilton also said that David Cameron was “a pretty pointless individual, he’s had about as much influence on events as a cork bobbing on the water, he just goes whichever way the tide goes.

“In a brief moment of candour after he became Tory leader, amazingly now 10 years ago, he let the cat out of the bag saying he was the ‘Heir to Blair’.

“I think the tragedy of David Cameron is that he doesn’t have many strong views on anything. I went into politics because I am motivated by strong beliefs.”

Mr Hamilton also gave a rather guarded argument when his troubled relationship with Nigel Farage was brought up: “I am as fond of him as he is of me,” he stated.

Community

Pembrokeshire town 4G phone mast plans withdrawn

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS for a replacement 20-metre-high 4G phone mast tower in north Pembrokeshire, which the local town council says would have “an unacceptable adverse impact” on the national park’s beauty have been withdrawn.

In an application before Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Cellnex, through agent Telent, sought permission to replace an existing 10m high mast with a new 20m 4G tower with three Vodafone antennae and nine mast head amplifiers, and associated works, on land at Dwr-y-Felin Farm, Fford Bedd Morris, Newport.

The application for a 4G mobile base station for the mobile network operator(s) (MNOs) Vodafone Ltd in conjunction with Cornerstone. The application site is owned / operated by Cellnex UK, a radio site infrastructure provider.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “The proposed antenna height of 20m is essential to provide new 4G coverage and replacement 2G and 3G service provision to the surrounding area. 4G radio signals are more sensitive to physical obstructions than older technologies.

“This is because the higher the frequency band the greater the reduction in signal strength, increasing the likelihood of dropped calls and reduced data rates for internet browsing,” adding: “Generally, the higher the signal frequency the more it will be impacted by clutter. It is for this reason that there is the height of 20m is required.”

It went on to say it “should be noted that a radio base station within this location has already been considered acceptable and has become an established feature within the area and the proposed upgrade albeit different in design to support the latest equipment will not be of substantial or detrimental harm to the national park, conservation area or heritage assets”.

Newport Town Council had objected to the application, saying: “The proposed development (if approved in its current form) will have an unacceptable adverse impact on the qualities and special landscape and seascape character of the National Park and also on the special qualities of natural beauty and tranquillity.”

The application has now been withdrawn.

Charity

Flats for veterans to be built at VC Gallery, Pembroke Dock

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to build flats for armed forces veterans on a former Pembrokeshire school yard/playing field next to veterans’ charity the VC Gallery has been approved by county planners.

In an application before Pembrokeshire County Council, veterans’ charity The VC Gallery sought permission for eight flats in two blocks of two-storey buildings, including wheelchair accessible flats, for Armed Forces veterans on land to the east of the former St Marys Catholic School site, Britannia Road, Pembroke Dock.

The former school, which closed in 2019, is currently used as the VC Gallery, itself an expansion of veterans’ charity the VC Gallery’s home in Haverfordwest, set up by Barry John MBE.

Documentation, through agent Pembroke Design Limited included a supporting statement by Barry John MBE, which it says “explains the issues that veterans face after leaving the services, the need for dedicated housing provision, the support that VC Gallery’s staff and volunteers provide and the gaps in current provision which the proposed development will help address”.

It added: “Although the development will provide and encourage independent living for its tenants, essential physical and mental support will be provided by the staff and volunteers in the VC Gallery as required, in accordance with individual veterans’ needs. Many will need a high level of support and the close proximity of the flats to the facilities and people on hand in the adjacent VC Gallery is therefore critical to the proposal’s purpose.”

Mr John’s statement said: “We want to create a unique offer to Armed Forces veterans in Pembrokeshire by offering up not just quality accommodation in a gated and safe environment but to also have a bespoke peer mentoring service.”

He added: “Working alongside our stakeholders The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and the OVA (Office of Veterans Affairs) we have secured a grant to draw up plans and to look at how the secured land at the VC Gallery Pembroke Dock can be turned into a bespoke housing solution for Armed Forces Veterans.

“We have Service level agreements with the local authority for specifically supporting tenancy in veterans which will also extend to giving vital counselling services. Our work with the health board and provision for peer mentorship also gives us great grounding for effective help on a practical level for the veterans’ village but we will need a more designated package around the housing we provide to include both mental health and also maintenance (something we don’t have at present).”

His statement finished: “We think the need is great, we have the land, we have the skills for care and the ambition to help. It would be a project above all social housing enterprises, and we want to make a go of it.”

Politics

Call to stop councillors being employed by MPs and MSs

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to stop senior Pembrokeshire county councillors being employed by MPs or Senedd members is to come under greater scrutiny at a special council committee.

In a Notice of Motion submitted to the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy said: “While it is acceptable for Cabinet members to hold other employments, no serving county councillor should hold a Cabinet position within Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) while simultaneously being employed by a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Senedd (MS).

“Cabinet members hold executive responsibilities, and such dual roles risk potential conflicts of interest, particularly if Cabinet decisions conflict with the policies of their employer, often a political party. This concern is heightened in a council where most members are Independents.”

Cllr Murphy’s notice of motion was heard at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council where it was agreed the matter be referred to a future constitutional review committee.

In the registration of interests for the eight members of Leader Cllr Jon Harvey’s Cabinet, only Cllr Joshua Beynon, deputy leader of the Labour Group and Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies, lists a politician as an employer, in his case newly-elected Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell.

Responding to the notice of motion, Cllr Beynon has previously said: “This motion, which appears to target my unique position as a Cabinet Member for Finance and part-time parliamentary employee, raises serious questions about its fairness, legality, and intent.

“At its core, this is a politically motivated motion that seeks to undermine the principles of fairness and freedom. It attempts to dictate lawful employment choices of councillors, disregarding the importance of balancing public service with individual rights. Such an approach risks creating a chilling effect, discouraging capable individuals from serving in public office in the future.”