SUNSHINE, sea shanties and street food helped draw hundreds of visitors to Cardigan RNLI Lifeboat Station on Saturday (Jun 20).

The station’s Sea Shanty and Street Food Festival brought together families, supporters and visitors from across the region for a day of maritime music, food and community spirit.

Traditional sea shanty groups performed throughout the event, with songs echoing around the lifeboat station, while street food vendors served a range of refreshments.

The event also gave visitors the chance to learn more about the lifesaving work carried out by the RNLI and its volunteer crews.

Cardigan RNLI thanked the performers, food vendors, volunteers, sponsors and supporters who helped make the day a success.

Bruce Harris, Launch Authority and event organiser, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people come together to support the station, enjoy the entertainment, and celebrate our maritime heritage.

“The atmosphere throughout the day was fantastic, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, performed, volunteered, and contributed to such a memorable event.”

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts.

The charity operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands.

Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 146,700 lives.

The Greater Manchester mayor has spent years outside Westminster, but Starmer’s resignation has placed him on the brink of Number 10

ANDY BURNHAM has spent years being described as Labour’s future. Today, that future appears to have arrived.

Following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation announcement, the Mayor of Greater Manchester is now widely regarded as the overwhelming favourite to become Labour leader and Britain’s next Prime Minister.

For many people outside politics, Burnham is best known as the outspoken mayor who challenged Boris Johnson’s government during the COVID-19 pandemic. But his political career stretches back more than twenty years and includes some of the most senior jobs in government.

Born in Merseyside in 1970, Burnham grew up in a working-class family and has always remained closely associated with his northern roots. A lifelong Everton supporter, he has often spoken about the importance of community, public services and opportunity for ordinary families.

After studying English at Cambridge University, he worked briefly in journalism before entering politics. He was elected Labour MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester in 2001 and quickly became one of the party’s rising figures.

Under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Burnham climbed the ministerial ladder. He served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Culture Secretary and later Health Secretary, giving him experience across some of the most important departments in government.

His first bid for the Labour leadership came in 2010, after Labour’s general election defeat. He lost to Ed Miliband, but the campaign raised his profile significantly. Five years later, he ran again, only to be defeated by Jeremy Corbyn in the contest that transformed Labour politics.

Rather than remain on the Westminster backbenches, Burnham made a bold move in 2017 by standing for the newly created role of Mayor of Greater Manchester. He won comfortably and went on to become one of the most recognisable regional politicians in Britain.

His national profile grew sharply during the pandemic, when he publicly challenged the UK Government over restrictions and financial support for northern cities. His confrontation with Downing Street won him praise from voters who felt their communities were being ignored by Westminster.

Supporters say Burnham’s appeal lies in his ability to connect with traditional Labour voters while remaining acceptable to the party’s centre ground. They see him as authentic, approachable and more in touch with everyday concerns than many Westminster politicians.

Politically, Burnham has championed greater devolution, arguing that power should be moved away from London to regions and nations across the UK. He has also backed transport reform, stronger public services and economic policies aimed at spreading growth beyond the South East of England.

For Wales, a Burnham premiership would be watched closely. He would inherit a Labour Party still reeling from its collapse in the Senedd election, where Plaid Cymru emerged as the dominant force in Welsh politics.

His emphasis on devolution may be welcomed in Wales, but he would face immediate pressure to show that any new relationship with the nations of the UK is more than rhetoric.

Critics argue that Burnham can be short on detail and long on broad messages. Others point out that he has spent nearly a decade outside Westminster and would need to rebuild relationships quickly in Parliament.

Despite those concerns, few figures in Labour possess his combination of experience, public recognition and electoral success. His victory in the Makerfield by-election returned him to the House of Commons and immediately intensified speculation about Starmer’s future.

Now, with Starmer stepping aside, that speculation appears close to becoming reality.

If Burnham secures the Labour leadership without a serious challenger, as many expect, he will become Britain’s next Prime Minister and inherit a government facing economic pressure, political division and a public increasingly impatient for change.

For a politician who has spent years waiting in the wings, the moment may finally have arrived.

Samuel Kurtz says public frustration has grown after two years of Labour controversies and policy decisions

FORMER West Wales MS Samuel Kurtz has said Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation felt “increasingly inevitable” after months of controversy and public frustration.

The Welsh Conservative said he watched the Prime Minister’s Downing Street statement with “genuine frustration”, adding that he wanted the UK to be respected regardless of which party was in government.

Starmer announced on Monday (Jun 22) that he would resign as Prime Minister and Labour leader, just 12 days before the second anniversary of Labour’s 2024 general election victory.

Mr Kurtz said: “As a British citizen, I sighed genuine frustration while watching this morning. Whatever the political colour of the Government, I want our country to be respected at home and on the international stage.

“But, in truth, this moment has felt increasingly inevitable as the weeks turned into months.”

He pointed to a series of controversies and policy decisions, including the Lord Alli gifts row, winter fuel allowance cuts, the Family Farm Tax, rising National Insurance, defence spending and domestic energy production.

Mr Kurtz said people “simply feel worse off”, adding that confidence in the economy remained low.

He said: “A Government should ultimately be judged on whether life is getting better for the people it serves.

“After two years marked by the controversies and a series of damaging policy decisions mentioned above, it’s difficult to argue this Government has passed that test.”

Mr Kurtz also questioned what would happen next, asking whether Labour would see an “Andy Burnham coronation”, whether Wes Streeting could build enough support, or whether an outsider could emerge.

He added that he would be watching the leadership contest “from the sidelines with interest”.

Labour is expected to open nominations for a new leader on July 9, with Starmer remaining in office until his successor is chosen.