News
Shadow secretary visits PATCH
SHADOW SECRETARY of State for Wales Owen Smith conducted a two day mini-tour of the key seats in west Wales and he also visited the PATCH food bank in Pembrokeshire.
Councillor Paul Miller, who was there to show Owen some of the work being done, said: “PATCH does an amazing job in communities throughout Pembrokeshire and I wanted to take the opportunity to show Owen the fantastic work they do helping some of the most vulnerable in Pembrokeshire.
“Unfortunately though, it’s no surprise that Tracy and the team are busier than ever. More and more people in Pembrokeshire and across Wales are under pressure financially with working people more than £1,700 a year worse off thanks to David Cameron.
“Prices have risen faster than wages for 40 of 41 months while David Cameron has been in Downing Street and this week’s figures show that real wages will have fallen by 5.8% by the end of the Parliament.”
“Both Owen and I are working hard to get the message across to the Government in Westminster that a recovery is no recovery, if the only ones to benefit are the wealthiest few. A future Labour Government has promised to take action on Energy Prices, promised to support a living wage and would work tirelessly to engineer a real recovery, one which benefits the rest of us too. I couldn’t be more supportive of Tracy, PATCH and the work of her whole team but it’s about time fewer people in our community had to rely on PATCH to feed and clothe their families”.
News
Major traffic jams following accident on M4 near Swansea
A ROAD traffic accident has closed the M4 in both directions as of Tuesday morning (Mar 19).
Police, paramedics and the fire service were called to the scene of the crash on the eastbound carriageway between Pont Abraham and Hendy at 23:20 GMT on Monday.
A fire which had broken out was extinguished before they arrived.
The motorway remains closed in both directions between J48 and J49.
The affected section is between junction 49 Pont Abraham and junction 48 Hendy, Llanelli, in Carmarthenshire.
As of 8.30am there were 45-minute delays with Traffic Wales saying: “Road continues to remain closed.
https://x.com/DyfedPowys/status/1769963608048378117
“Busy in the area delays showing as approximately 45 minutes in the surrounding areas. Please allow additional time for travel and thank you for your patience.”
Traffic monitors are showing there is already slow traffic in the area and congestion.
There are delays on surrounding routes in the area and on the A48.
News
Dredging work set for Tenby Harbour
TENBY HARBOUR and North Beach users are being asked to be aware of heavy moving machinery from Tuesday March 26 th to Friday 29 th as dredging work is carried out.
Sand will removed from the mouth of the Harbour and deposited at the north end of the beach. The work will not affect vessel movements at the Harbour.
Tenby Harbourmaster Chris Salisbury said a licence for the dredging had been issued after several months of application work.
“We ask that the public please keep clear of the operating area and that dogs are kept on a lead during this time,” Chris added.
Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said: “I’m grateful to our officers for securing the licence for this work to go ahead. This dredging is essential
for the operation of Tenby Harbour.
“The timing of the work has been governed by the tide and the dates represented the last opportunity for the work to be carried out before the boats are placed back in the
water.”
News
Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash
THE recent announcement by Tata Steel to close the coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales has ignited a firestorm of political and industrial action, highlighting the deepening crisis within the British steel industry and the challenges facing the transition to green steel.
Jo Stevens MP, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, expressed her concerns over the impact of the closure on the Welsh steel industry and the workers affected. Stevens emphasized the need for assurances about the workers’ immediate future and pledged that a UK Labour government would invest in the steel industry to support the transition to green steel, harnessing the skills, talent, and ambition of Welsh steelworkers.
The closure, slated for Wednesday due to concerns over the ovens’ “operational stability,” has been criticized by regional Senedd Members for South Wales West, Tom Giffard MS, and Dr. Altaf Hussain MS. They accused the Labour Welsh Government of neglecting its support for the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, highlighting a lack of financial assistance since 2019 and calling for a change in response to the current developments.
Unite, the UK’s leading union, has been vocal in its opposition to Tata’s decision, describing it as a shock and a “result of years of betrayal.” The union criticized Tata for not disclosing the imminent risk of closure during recent consultations and announced a ballot for industrial action among 1,500 Tata workers. Unite insists there should be no job losses at Port Talbot or Llanwern and that a blast furnace should remain operational.
Peter Hughes, Unite’s regional secretary for Wales, called for Tata to halt its closure plans in anticipation of Labour’s promised £3 billion investment to rejuvenate the UK steel industry. He accused Tata of managing the decline of UK steel while accepting government subsidies, describing the company’s actions as “deliberate industrial vandalism.”
The closure has not only raised concerns about the future of steel production in the UK but also spotlighted the political and economic strategies required to ensure the industry’s survival and transition towards more sustainable practices. The unfolding situation underscores the need for a collaborative approach between the government, industry stakeholders, and the workforce to navigate the complex challenges ahead.
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