News

UKIP win ‘an extraordinary result’

Published

10 years ago

June 4, 2014

PEMBROKESHIRE VOTERS sent a clear message to the main parties this week that they are not satisfied with business as usual, as UKIP came within 285 votes of the Conservatives, who again topped the poll in our County.

Overall, Wales voted for Labour who gained 28.2% of the vote in the region, however, UKIP was closely behind in second place with 27.6% of the vote, only just over half a percentage point from Labour. The Conservatives were third with 17.4% of the vote and Plaid Cymru came fourth with 15.3%. As a result, Wales have elected Nathan Gill (UKIP), Dr Kay Swinburne (Conservative), Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru) and Derek Vaughan (Labour) to represent us as MEPs on the European Parliament. The picture, nationally in the UK, was even more alarming for the main parties as UKIP actually won the popular vote with 27.5% of all votes polled. Labour came second with 25.4% and the Conservatives were a short distance off in third with 23.9% of the votes. The Liberal Democrats had a catastrophic result, coming fifth behind the Green Party with a mere 6.9% of the vote. The Herald spoke with the four elected Welsh MEP’s who gave us their reaction to this week’s results. A very upbeat Nathan Gill of UKIP said: “I’m over the moon with the result. We really wanted to come first, we were 5,000 votes short of that, but we have more than doubled our vote from the last election. The people of Wales really have spoken. We want out of this European Union and we will raise the profile of what is going on in Brussels as people need to be aware of what’s happening with their money. “We came either first or second in every constituency in Wales. That is amazing. We now have to win seats in Westminster.” He went on to confirm for The Herald that he would be standing to become an MP in the next General Election. Conservative MEP Dr Kay Swinburne, whose party topped the European poll in Wales five years ago and finished third this time, said: “We are very pleased, overall, with the vote we have maintained. We are just 3% down on 2009. It’s looking good for 2015 for the Conservative vote and our Welsh MPs.” Jill Evans of Plaid Cymru told the Herald: “Based on the issues, and the real facts, people do understand how important it is for Wales to be represented in Europe. I wouldn’t change the way I work, but I do think we have to create much more of a real debate about our future in Europe.” Labour MEP, Derek Vaughan, responding to the question as to whether he was disappointed to have only won one seat, said: “Welsh Labour is delighted to have topped the poll. We would have liked two seats but we knew this would be very difficult. This is the best campaign ever for European elections (by Labour). We will be making sure every constituency is acting and campaigning to get the message out. “We will build on this result and it is vital for Wales and the UK that we have a Labour Government next year. There was a protest vote against the main parties. We will campaign to explain the importance of EU membership. Hopefully those that have supported UKIP will come back to Labour.” The results show a significant shift towards UKIP from all the main parties, leaving pollsters in uncertain as to what might happen in next year’s General Election. There is mounting pressure on the Liberal Democrat’s leader and deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, to stand down as leader after his party’s disastrous results. Speaking about the result he acknowledged that they were a huge ‘setback’ but has vowed to go on as leader stating he would, ‘finish the job’. The Liberal Democrats lost all but one of their seats in the election and were pushed into fifth place in the UK by The Green Party. UKIP’s controversial leader Nigel Farage said that his party intends to build on what he described as ‘the most extraordinary result’ in British politics in the past century, and he went on to say that his party now appealed to all social classes and had made significant inroads in Wales and Scotland as well as winning the most votes in England. Mr Farage said: “It is over 100 years since a national election has been won by a party other than the Conservatives and Labour. Our game is to get this right, to find the right candidates, and focus our resources on getting a good number of seats in Westminster next year. “If UKIP do hold the balance of power, then indeed there will be a (EU) referendum.” He also claimed that Labour would come under enormous pressure to offer the voters a referendum on Europe, and he said he did not believe Nick Clegg would still be Liberal Democrat leader at the General Election. He finished by saying: “The three party leaders are like goldfish that have been tipped out of their bowl onto the floor and are gasping for air.” Labour leader, Ed Milliband, claimed that Labour’s second place in these elections showed the party was making progress, though he acknowledged that they had further to go. He went on to say that there was deep discontent in the UK and that the Labour Party must show it could answer the call for change. However, Mr Milliband was unwavering on his party’s position on not offering a referendum on EU membership. On a relatively disappointing night for the Conservatives, who were pushed into third place, leader and Prime Minister, David Cameron said: “I think the results give a clear message that people are deeply disillusioned with the European Union and in the way it is working for Britain, and they want change. The challenge is now for my party to demonstrate that we have the plan to deliver that change; to renegotiate Britain’s place in Europe, to get a better deal to change Europe and then put the choice to the British people in an ‘in out referendum’ before the end of 2017. “That is what we will do and the real test for that plan will come at the next General Election. People use elections like this to send messages to Government. I see this as a demand for us to deliver. They want to see us complete our long term economic plan. Tackling immigration, reforming Welfare and getting Britain’s place right in Europe are all part of our economic plan. I believe we can win the next election outright. We are going to have to convince more people.” To put matters in perspective, however, the low turnout in the Euro-poll means that UKIP’s victory in the popular vote amounts to fewer than 10% of the overall electorate. With the two largest parties bound to concentrate their resources on mobilising their core vote and targeting undecided voters on issues such as the economy, welfare and health for next year’s general election, UKIP’s ability to maintain momentum when having to campaign on more than one issue has to be called into question.

Community

Public reminded to stay away from Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay

Published

13 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE PORT of Milford Haven is reminding members of the public to stay away from Ward’s Yard in Milford Haven and Criterion Quay (sometimes known as the offshore jetty) in Pembroke Dock due to concerns over public safety. 

Despite significant security measures, people continue to access the sites illegally, ignoring and sometimes damaging the onsite signage and fences.

Niall Yeomans, Head of Health, Safety and Security at the Port of Milford Haven said: “Safety is our key priority. Members of the public are continuously putting themselves and members of our team at risk of serious harm by trespassing in these areas.”

“Both Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay are unsafe for public access. They are isolated areas next to deep water and are susceptible to slips, trips and falls.”

Both sites are owned by the Port of Milford Haven and are private property. Anyone found onsite without consent is trespassing, and any criminal damage could result in prosecution.  

Anyone who sees any suspicious activity at Ward’s Yard or Criterion Quay is asked to contact Dyfed Powys Police on 101 urgently.

Crime

‘Sophisticated’ organised crime gang trafficked cocaine and cannabis to Aberystwyth

Published

15 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

FIVE people have been found guilty or admitted to conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis as Dyfed-Powys Police continues its efforts to dismantle organised crime gangs.

Officers seized cocaine with a street value of more than £400,000 from gang members, who continually changed tactics to avoid arrest.

Six defendants have appeared in court in the latest phase of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Operation Burleigh, which sought to disrupt the trafficking and onward supply of class A and B drugs into Aberystwyth, with all but one admitting their charges or being found guilty by a jury.

This brings the total number of people awaiting sentence under the operation to 15.

The court heard that officers from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Team and Ceredigion Priority Policing Team led the investigation into the OCG, which was described as ‘sophisticated, well-organised and evolving’.

Detective Sergeant Steven Jones said: “This conspiracy operated on a County Lines model, where controlled drugs are trafficked into a smaller rural town from a larger city, and the operation is controlled by one or more ‘drugs lines’.

“In this case there were a total of four lines controlling the supply of cocaine and cannabis within Aberystwyth.

“The conspirators frequently evolved their actions to frustrate the authorities and evade capture.”

The OCG embedded members were mainly asylum seekers brought to Aberystwyth by Toana Ahmad and another man who remains outstanding, with the sole purpose of dealing drugs. The drug lines were initially based in Swansea, and later in areas of Birmingham.

Three properties – on Terrace Road, Alexander Road and Parc Graig Glas – were identified early in the investigation as being used to house the OCG members embedded in Aberystwyth. Substantial amounts of cash, controlled drugs and weapons were recovered from these properties, and from the people found inside.

When arrests were made, the gang changed its tactics. Drugs began to be supplied from vehicles, and OCG members stayed in guest houses to avoid detection.

DS Jones added: “Trusted couriers were employed to transport drugs to Aberystwyth and cash back to Birmingham or Swansea. A number of vehicles, including taxis, were used as the gang attempted to avoid detection along the route, while trains were also taken when courier cars were stopped by officers.”

In June 2023, two vehicles travelling from the West Midlands towards Aberystwyth were stopped by police on consecutive days. A black sock was uncovered in the engine of the first car, which was found to contain 82g of high purity cocaine divided into 169 grip seal plastic bags.

Davinder Singh, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs, was the driver of the second vehicle, which was a taxi. A blue plastic bag was seen falling out of his shorts, which contained over 81g of high purity cocaine divided into 167 grip seal bags.

DS Jones said: “On the basis that the amounts of cocaine transported over the 37 couriers over the course of the conspiracy period were similar, over 3kg of cocaine would have been conveyed to Aberystwyth from Birmingham.

“This equates to class A drugs with a potential street value of over £308,950. In addition to this, class A drugs were seized from individuals and addresses with a potential street value of £103,445, along with cash totalling £11,687.

“A number of teams and departments across Dyfed-Powys Police, from analysts, CCTV operators and priority policing teams, to CAB, the Technical Support Unit, Economic Crime Team and Force Intelligence Bureau all assisted in dismantling the OCG from top to bottom.

“Their dedication and relentless efforts have assisted in making Aberystwyth a safer place to live without the threat and harm of drugs being made easily available on the street.”

After a seven-week trial at Swansea Crown Court earlier this year, the following three defendants were found guilty for their parts in the conspiracy:

Toana Ahmad, aged 33, of Lee Gardens in Smethwich, West Midlands
Barzan Sarhan, aged 31, of no fixed address
Ahmed Piro, aged 26, of no fixed address

The jury failed to reach a verdict on two defendants during the earlier trial. They have been subject to a retrial starting on July 1, with the following outcomes:

Hawre Ahmed, aged 35, of Pinderfields Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was found guilty by the jury of conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs.
Diar Yousef Zeabari, aged 35, of Flat 5, 41 Bryn Road, Swansea, was found not guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs.

Karwan Karim, aged 39 of 125 Griffith John Street, Swansea, also stood trial, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs on day three.

In addition to the OCG members found guilty during the most recent trials, the following have previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs under Operation Burleigh:

Davinder Singh, aged 36, of Huntingdon Road, West Bromwich
Daban Khalil, aged 23, of Streetly Road, Birmingham
Kastro Omar, aged 30, of Junction Road, Northampton
Karwan Jabari, aged 26, of Weedon Close, Northampton
Walid Younis Abdal, aged 34, of St Anne’s Road, Doncaster
Saman Aziz, aged 41, of Kirk Road, Merseyside
Adel Mustafa, aged 39, of Hubert Road, Newport
Charlotte Roberts, aged 21, of Sutton Hill, Telford

The following have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs:

Akasha Smith, aged 24, of Third Avenue, Aberystwyth
Luqman Jarjis, aged 21, of Wake Green Road, Birmingham

News

Community asked for views on allocation of new St Davids homes

Published

16 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST phase of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Glasfryn housing development in St Davids is progressing well with the second phase also underway.

The development being built by GRD Homes Ltd, began in November 2023, with a first phase completion date of Winter 2024 looking hopeful, ahead of the scheduled plans.

The first phase consists of seven properties, including a mixture of one and two bedroom bungalows

As completion draws closer the properties will be advertised via Pembrokeshire Choice Homes.

Ahead of this, the Council’s housing team will be holding community engagement on the 13th August 2024 at the Ty’r Pererin Centres, Quickwell Hill, St Davids, SA62 6PD, 5pm-7pm.

This will be a chance for officers to liaise with the local community about the allocation process for these properties.

Glasfryn’s second phase is well underway, with the initial groundwork already completed. This phase includes a further 11 two bedroom bungalows, with a completion date in late 2025.

These bungalows will meet the latest Welsh Government’s Development Quality Requirement, and will be energy efficient, built to EPC A specification and include solar panels to help tenants with running costs.

The Glasfryn development is funded in partnership with Welsh Government.

Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr Michelle Bateman said: “We are really keen to work with the community on a local lettings policy for these new properties, as we have done for our developments in other parts of the County.”

If you have any queries please email the Customer Liaison Team on [email protected], phone them on 01437 764551, or visit Housing’s Facebook page.