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News

Badger knows best: Badger goes beyond The Pale

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PEMBROKESHIRE is a very pale county.

The fields are green. The beaches a sandy yellow. The sea is blue. The mountains are grey. The uplands bare and brown.

But Pembrokeshire’s people are pale.

Around 3% of the population belong to black and ethnic minority groups or are of mixed parentage. Out of a population of 125,000, that’s 3,750 individuals.

To put that in perspective, one-third of Pembrokeshire’s population wasn’t even born in Wales. That’s a pinch over 41,500 people.

Those figures might offer some explanation – but hardly an excuse – for some of the attitudes published on social media over the last few weeks about the Black Lives Matter campaign.

The people who have shouted the loudest and made the biggest arses of themselves online are those whose experience of other cultures and people of colour is received wisdom transmitted via right-wing tabloids. Either that, or their views are formed out of the outfall of filth spread online by neon-Nazi groups (for example, ‘Britain First’), racist thugs like ‘Tommy Robinson’, and propaganda and lies provided by sites and pages like ‘British Patriot News’.

How many people out there, how many of you – readers – have seen something online with a Union flag in the corner carrying a sentiment like ‘Our Troops are all Heroes’ carrying the message that ‘only my true friends will dare share this’. Most of those posts eventually link back to pages, groups or websites operated by the sort of vile racist scum who rampaged through London last weekend.

They are not run by patriots. Badger is pretty sure that most of the people running them are exactly the sort of arm-waving shits Badger’s granddad spent time shooting during the Second World War – or of a piece with those interned like Mosley or hanged like William Joyce.

The nature of experiencing racial politics at second or third hand, at least if you don’t live through the experience of sharing space with people of different ethnicities daily, is that it is impossible the casual racism of everyday language.

In Pembrokeshire, where 97% of people are white, the chances of getting exposure to other cultures are minuscule.

It is not that long ago that a noisy minority of those in Pembrokeshire who voted to leave the European Union did so to stop mosques being built in places like Hakin.

It’s not that long before that you couldn’t go into a pub without hearing abusive racial epithets flung around like confetti.

It follows, in Badger’s view, any surprise that more than a handful of people in Pembrokeshire cling to familiarity and fear difference and express that through repeating racist language and ideas – either knowingly or unknowingly – is just a pile of horse apples.

People – most of them – are not stupid. They are not thick, uneducated yokels.

SOME of the people repeating offensive racist and bigoted language are racist bigots who happen to be stupid. They are the sort of people who use Alf Garnett as a poster boy for their views without realising Alf Garnett satirised views like theirs.

SOME people are racists because they honestly and sincerely believe that they are members to a superior race or have a chip on their shoulder about the fact they’re not.

MOST of the remainder simply don’t see the issue.

That’s because the experience of living in Pale Pembrokeshire insulates them from the daily reality of living in a diverse society.

Many, in all of the groups identified above, are reasonable, intelligent human beings. Many of them are genuinely baffled about why their language offends.

It is the minority which pisses in the pool of public discussion and mean to pollute it.

Badger has phrased all of the above very carefully. He has studiously avoided tarring everyone out there with one brush. But there is not a grey area here.

It’s not a difference between black and white. It’s the difference between right and wrong.

Bigotry in any form makes Badger angry. He has sat and listened for too long to far too many people spout too much racist and bigoted bollocks not to express his view.

He will do so in his usual roundabout way.

On the eve of the NHS’ creation, battered and bruised by Conservative carping at the jewel in Labour’s legislative crown and attempts to derail it, Aneurin Bevan used the following words to describe his experience and the experience of millions under Conservative rule.

‘No amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party that inflicted those bitter experiences on me. So, as far as I am concerned, they are lower than vermin’.

Badger knows plenty of Conservatives, both shy and vocal. They’re not lower than vermin. Badger may not agree with them on politics, but Badger doesn’t agree with other parties’ policies, too. Most politicians – at every level – are decent people trying their best to deliver the impossible to voters who are in a more or less continuous state of outrage about something.

However, those racists and bigots who know they’re racists and bigots, who wrap themselves in the flag to hide who they are, who despise democracy and the rule of law, who espouse racism and bigotry, and who encourage others to do the same… they aspire to be ‘lower than vermin’, readers. They have a long way to crawl out of their sewers to get to vermin’s underbelly.

Badger has looked at some of the comments on The Herald’s Facebook page on stories about the comments made by Cllr Paul Dowson. He has stared with horror and at some of the exchanges on social media about the row over other councillors’ conduct and at the responses those posts have attracted.

Reading those comments and some councillors’ social media has left Badger with this thought: it is better to be thought a fool and remain silent than to speak and dispel any doubt.

Community

Ground breaking event marks start of key Haverfordwest Public Transport project

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KIER and Pembrokeshire County Council held a traditional ground breaking event at Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange (HPTI) last month – celebrating the official start of work on site.

Council members including the Leader Councillor Jon Harvey, Deputy Leader Councillor Paul Miller, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Councillor Rhys Sinnett and for Haverfordwest Castle ward Councillor Thomas Tudor, joined Kier for the event with the ceremonial breaking of the ground marking a key milestone in the project’s progress.

The scheme includes the construction of a modern bus station and multi-storey car park to Haverfordwest’s town centre, providing a new interchange for buses and coaches, with upgraded passenger facilities.

Designed by architects BDP and built by Kier, the completed scheme will include more than 300 parking spaces, seven bus bays, public toilets and accessible changing facilities for people with disabilities.

The project also has a number of sustainable features including electric vehicle charging facilities and an array of solar panels on the roof which will supply  the vast majority of the building’s energy usage and help Pembrokeshire County Council meet their commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030.   

Ian Rees, regional director at Kier Construction Western & Wales, said: “We have been on site for a number of months now undertaking essential enabling works, this ground breaking ceremony is an important milestone as we progress into the construction phase of this vitally important transport hub. 

“This transport interchange for Pembrokeshire County Council will really begin to take shape over the coming weeks and months and will ultimately deliver a much-needed, modern transport hub for the local community, improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and visitors alike.”

Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “It’s great to see work starting on this new transport interchange, which is an important part of the wider Haverfordwest Masterplan. It’s designed to make it easy and convenient to visit Haverfordwest town centre which is a key part of our efforts to regenerate the town.

“I think we can all agree the previous multi-story car park had reached the end of its useful life.

 “Once we’ve completed this project, the town centre will be easily accessible both by bus and of course by car with the car park element of the project benefiting from wider spaces, EV Charging, single tap exit and payment and of course a much nicer, lighter and safer environment for users.”

Architects, landscape architects and civil and structural engineers from multidisciplinary design practice BDP designed the transport interchange.

Matthew Mayes, architect director at BDP, said: “This significant regeneration scheme will be transformational for local people, offering improved access to bus, taxi and cycling facilities with excellent connectivity to the riverside, shopping centre and railway centre.

“Our designs include striking aluminium fins that wrap around the building with stone cladding at ground level to reflect the town’s historic features and a new public square with plenty of greenery and seating for people to relax.”

Built on the site of a demolished multi-storey car park and bus station, HPTI will form part of the South West Wales Metro project, which aims to better integrate sustainable modes of transport and complements the wider regeneration work in Haverfordwest.

The design of HPTI is being funded from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund.

 Kier has significant experience in south-west Wales spanning over 60 years and has included the delivery of schools, hospitals and even the home of Welsh television, S4C, in Carmarthen.

This project was procured by Kier through the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework (SWWRCF).

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News

Welsh Government unveils new legislation to transform bus services

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PROPOSALS to overhaul the way local bus services are planned and delivered across Wales have been published today, with the aim of improving services for passengers and encouraging more people to use public transport.

A new Bill has been laid before the Senedd which, if passed, will grant powers to establish a fully integrated bus network that puts passenger needs first.

Key proposals include creating one network, one timetable, and one ticket system across Wales. Services will be designed based on local knowledge but coordinated nationally by Transport for Wales, working in close partnership with local authorities and Corporate Joint Committees. The new system would primarily operate through franchised contracts delivered by private, public, and third sector operators.

Welcoming the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said the legislation had the potential to transform bus travel for communities across the country.

“This is a historic day for public transport in Wales as proposals for bus reform begin their journey through the Senedd,” said Mr Skates. “This is about putting people first—offering one network, one timetable and one ticket across Wales.

“Change is needed. While some areas are well-served, it’s not the case everywhere. I want a bus network that is reliable, affordable, easy to use, and better integrated with other modes of transport such as trains and active travel.

“The benefits are clear: improved access to services, greater equity for those most reliant on public transport, and a meaningful alternative to car travel.”

Buses carry around 190,000 passengers a day in Wales and account for three-quarters of all public transport journeys. The Bill aims to address common barriers to bus use—such as poor reliability, lack of ticket interoperability between operators, and weak links with other transport modes.

The public will benefit from clearer, easier-to-navigate timetables and more seamless transitions between buses and trains. Ticket revenue will be reinvested across the country, improving services in both rural and urban areas.

Mr Skates highlighted current examples of successful integration, including the TrawsCymru T1 service, which already offers joint bus and rail tickets, and the 1bws ticket in North Wales, valid on almost every local bus in the region.

“These examples show what can be achieved with joined-up thinking,” he said. “I don’t underestimate the scale of change this Bill represents, which is why the rollout will happen region by region. But when complete, it will be truly transformational.”

The rollout is expected to begin in South West Wales in 2027, followed by North Wales in 2028, South East Wales in 2029, and Mid Wales in 2030. However, Mid Wales will benefit from earlier improvements through the Bridge to Franchising programme, already underway.

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Education

Welsh pupils harness Minecraft to explore offshore wind and climate careers

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PUPILS at Golden Grove School in Pembrokeshire are diving into the world of renewable energy and marine conservation through the immersive Minecraft Education world Offshore Wind Power Challenge—a collaboration between The Crown Estate and Microsoft UK.

Available in both Welsh and English, the virtual world enables students to design and build their own offshore wind farms to power a coastal village. Along the way, they gain insights into climate change, environmental protection, and careers in sustainability, engineering and conservation.

The initiative has now been expanded with new classroom resources tailored for younger learners and aligned to the Welsh curriculum. Lesson plans for teachers are also being provided to support the integration of the material into everyday teaching.

As part of their focus on developing green skills in schools across Wales, The Crown Estate partnered with education specialists Dosbarth to create the new learning content. The organisation is currently delivering taster sessions across the country, including to Year 5 and 6 pupils at Golden Grove.

Wales is emerging as a leader in renewable energy, with new floating offshore wind farms set to be developed in the Celtic Sea under The Crown Estate’s latest seabed leasing round. These projects have the potential to generate up to 4.5GW of electricity—enough to power more than four million homes. Independent research estimates the economic value of these developments could reach £1.4bn, supporting up to 5,300 jobs.*

Rebecca Williams, Director of Devolved Nations at The Crown Estate, said: “This is an exciting collaboration that brings new educational content to schools through the best-selling game of all time. This Minecraft Education world provides students and teachers with a fun way to explore the opportunities and challenges of our energy transition while protecting the natural environment, through the languages that matter most to them.

“The Crown Estate is committed to creating partnerships that have a positive impact. We hope this initiative will inspire young people to develop their skills and discover the green careers of the future.”

Karen Jones, Managing Director of Dosbarth, added: “By creating new materials for younger audiences that align with the Welsh curriculum—and providing accessible lesson plans for busy teachers—we believe these resources will inspire even more pupils across Wales to become the next generation of environmental leaders and problem-solvers.”

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