News

AM to ‘think about’ leadership bid following calls for female candidate

Published

7 years ago

April 26, 2018

ELUNED MORGAN AM has told the BBC she will ‘think about’ running for the Welsh Labour leadership role, following the announcement that Carwyn Jones is set to stand down from his role later this year.

The AM was responding to a question about whether she would consider putting herself forward for a female candidate to be in the race.

The Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning’s office is based in Haverfordwest.

Mark Drakeford is so far the only person to confirm they will stand in the leadership race.

Ms Morgan said: “I think it’s very important now to have an opportunity to think about it and we’ll see what happens.

“Maybe I’ll make some sort of comment tomorrow (Apr 26).”

She continued: “The Tory austerity cuts have forced more people into poverty, but the real challenge for us in Wales today is the increasing number of people who suffer from in-work poverty with many struggling to pay their bills which has a severe impact on people’s mental health.

“Any leadership contender needs to have an answer to this and other fundamental questions that impact on people’s daily lives if they want to run the country.

“Many are finding that their household budgets are squeezed as bills continue to rise. For people, especially on lower incomes, the changing benefits system and the increasing cost of living is making life much more stressful. In preparation for the roll out of Universal Credit, I’ve brought a whole range of organisations together to make it easy for people to get the information they need, all under one roof.”

Llanelli MP Nia Griffith is among those who has called for a female to enter the leadership contest.

She said: “It would be absolutely shocking if we didn’t have a woman on the shortlist.

“We’ve done a huge amount in the Labour party to try to make sure that women participate absolutely fully.”

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

16 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

Crime

Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm

Published

43 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.

Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.

The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.

“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.

“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.

“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”

News

Protest in Lampeter to save Wales’ oldest university

Published

1 hour ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Wales’ oldest university staged a march and demonstration last Friday (Dec 20) in a bid to highlight the plight of the Lampeter campus.

The protest, organised by the Lampeter Society, brought together former and current students, along with local residents, to oppose plans by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) to relocate humanities courses to Carmarthen next September.

The rally began at Lampeter Rugby Club at 10:30am, with demonstrators marching to the university campus. Despite the timing—on a weekday and so close to Christmas—organisers reported a strong turnout.

Ieuan Davies, one of the organisers and a Lampeter alumnus from the 1980s, said: “We wanted to show support for the students whose education is being directly affected by these plans, and to remind decision-makers of the devastating impact this will have on the local economy and culture.”

Established in 1822, Lampeter is Wales’ oldest higher education institution. In 2009, it merged with Trinity College Carmarthen and later joined with Swansea Metropolitan University to form UWTSD.

The proposed relocation of the humanities faculty has sparked concerns about the long-term sustainability of higher education in Lampeter. Campaigners argue that losing the faculty would mark the end of over 200 years of academic heritage in the town.

The Lampeter Society has also launched a petition calling on the university and the Welsh Government to create a ‘viable, sustainable plan’ for the campus’s future. The petition requires 10,000 signatures to trigger a debate in the Senedd and can be accessed at https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/246410.