News

Is the Council’s Head of Legal Services seeking a large pay-off?

Published

4 years ago

November 7, 2021

AN EXTRAORDINARY meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council will take place on Monday, November 8. The only agenda item is described as “Settlement Agreement”. The question is: whose?

WHO WANTS TO SETTLE?

East Williamston councillor Jacob Williams revealed the agenda item doesn’t relate to former CEO Ian Westley.
Only senior officers’ payoffs come before the Full Council for discussion.
Bearing in mind the recent formation of a disciplinary panel to deal with senior staff and the expected explosion of activity when the Audit Wales report into Mr Westley’s departure lands, it isn’t unreasonable to state that the proposed settlement agreement must deal with a person who might be subject to the new disciplinary procedure.
That disciplinary procedure encompasses senior statutory officers (posts the Council must have by law).
The statutory officers are the Chief Executive, the Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal Services, the Chief Financial Officer (usually called the “s151 officer”).
We can discount the Chief Executive (Will Bramble, who has only just taken up his post) and the Monitoring Officer (Claire Jones fell on her sword as soon as she saw the extract of the draft Audit Wales report dealing with her role in Mr Westley’s departure).

A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION

That leaves two officers.
Jon Haswell, the Council’s Finance Director, and Claire Incledon, the Head of Legal Services.
Ms Incledon has been on long-term sick leave since the extract of the draft Audit Wales report landed on her doormat.
Mr Haswell has, however, been ever-present in Council decision making.
It does not take much of a Poirot to work out which of the two officers is more likely to seek a settlement agreement at this time.
Making the educated guess that Ms Incledon is prepared to seek terms and has signalled which terms she wants leaves the Council with interlocking problems impossible to resolve without a cost to the Council taxpayer.
Whichever route the Council chooses, regardless of the senior officer’s identity, presents difficulties.

A LAWYER’S VIEW

We asked a vastly experienced in-house lawyer with particular expertise in public sector employment for their view.
They took it as read that no councillor would discuss the matter in public and described those who would do so in sulphurous terms.
They told us it was a question of how the Council looked at risk and minimising its financial exposure.
In the worst-case scenario, the Council decides not to settle with the officer on any terms and proceeds to a disciplinary procedure involving an independent external investigator (almost certainly a senior lawyer).
The officer subject to the process remains on the Council payroll while the disciplinary procedure takes place. In addition, the Council will have to bear the costs of the procedure both in terms of professional fees incurred to advise the disciplinary panel and the investigating officer.
That sum alone could easily exceed £50,000, and our lawyer said he would not be surprised at a far higher bill.
Suppose the investigating officer finds misconduct short of that justifying dismissal. In that case, the Council is back to square one with an employee that wants away. In short, the Council still faces making a payoff.
It gets worse.
Suppose an investigating officer reaches conclusions that suggest dismissal is the only appropriate remedy. In that case, it is still open to the employee to challenge their conclusions and take their chances at an employment tribunal.
In that instance, there would be massive additional costs and additional litigation risk.
We are at least six months away from that point.
And, as of today, we do not even have the Audit Wales report upon which so much will hinge.

*Ms Incledon has been on long-term sick leave since the extract of the draft Audit Wales report landed on her doormat.*

THE AUDIT WALES REPORT

We can only guess at the content of the Audit Wales report regarding individual officers’ conduct during the negotiations surrounding Mr Westley’s departure.
Forget the why; the question before Audit Wales relates only to the process behind the payoff and not its motivations or causes.
We already know several things.
The payment made to Mr Westley was unlawful.
We also know the Leader must have taken legal advice on the content and procedure concerning the former CEO’s departure terms.
We know that advice came from the Council’s officers, particularly the Monitoring Officer and Head of Legal.
We can conclude if the agreement was entered into unlawfully, the advice given about it was in some way defective.
Even Jamie Adams and the Senior Officers’ Fan Club in the IPG must know it beggars belief that either David Simpson or Jonathan Haswell would have signed off on an agreement knowing it was unlawful.
There is also one tactical consideration.
Once the Audit Wales report comes out, whenever that will be, the officer’s hand is likely to be significantly weakened by any criticisms of them contained within it. Once they have the report, its content could considerably harden councillors’ hearts.

POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS

It is likely, if not certain, the absence of the Audit Wales report will persuade a majority of councillors to hold fire on any negotiations.
It will suit some councillors (especially Jamie Adams) to spin out events as long as possible, leaving matters probably unresolved until after May’s election. At which point, someone as cynical as Cllr Adams knows were he returned as Leader, he’d probably sign a settlement agreement as soon as possible.
Equally, more bullish councillors might want to resist any settlement on the principle that a disciplinary procedure should run its course, regardless of the risks and costs attached.
Yet others might want to keep rocking the boat for their political ends and to keep their name before the public ahead of the next May’s Council elections.
What is certain is that nobody wants to pay off another officer.
It’s equally certain not every officer is prepared to hand in their notice when they’re found to have made an expensive mistake.

This article was originally published in The Pembrokeshire Herald print edition on Friday, November 5, 2021

News

Welsh peace campaigner removed from court during Palestine protest case

Published

5 seconds ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Concerns raised over use of terrorism laws against silent sign-holders as Welsh activist among those ejected from London hearings

A WELSH peace campaigner was among several protesters removed from court by security staff this week as plea hearings continued for people charged under terrorism legislation for holding pro-Palestine signs.

Angie Zelter, aged 74, from Knucklas, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Monday as part of mass proceedings linked to the Government’s ban on Palestine Action.

Campaigners say hundreds of people across the UK – including some in Wales – have been charged under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 after quietly holding handwritten signs reading: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”

Zelter, a long-time anti-war activist and founder of Trident Ploughshares, attempted to read a prepared statement criticising the prosecutions before being escorted from the courtroom, according to supporters.

She told the court she did not accept being labelled a terrorist for what she described as peaceful protest and opposition to the war in Gaza.

Outside the building, fellow campaigners said she had sought to argue that international law and freedom of expression should protect non-violent dissent.

Also removed from the hearing was Tim Crosland, co-founder of Defend Our Juries, who said he had tried to raise legal objections to the charges before being asked to leave.

Arrests nationwide

Organisers of the “Lift The Ban” campaign claim nearly 3,000 people have been arrested across Britain since late 2025 for taking part in silent vigils, with several hundred now facing prosecution. The offences carry a maximum sentence of six months in prison.

The group argues the legislation is being used to criminalise peaceful protest. It is calling on the Government to lift the ban on Palestine Action and to change its stance on military cooperation with Israel.

However, ministers have defended the proscription, saying the organisation has been linked to criminal damage and disruption at sites connected to defence manufacturing.

Welsh perspective

While most hearings are taking place in London, campaigners say demonstrators in Wales have also taken part in sign-holding protests.

Civil liberties advocates have warned that applying terrorism laws to non-violent protest risks setting a troubling precedent.

For many in mid Wales, the sight of a pensioner from rural Powys being removed from a courtroom has sharpened debate over where the line lies between legitimate protest and criminality.

Further hearings are scheduled in the coming weeks, with more defendants from across the UK expected to appear.

Finance

Barclays raises mortgage rates by up to 0.15% in fresh blow to borrowers

Published

4 minutes ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

HOMEOWNERS and buyers have been dealt another setback after Barclays became the latest high street lender to increase mortgage rates, pushing up fixed deals by as much as 0.15%.

The move follows similar rises from HSBC and Nationwide Building Society, signalling a broader shift across the market after months of gradually falling prices.

Barclays confirmed that residential purchase and remortgage products will both increase.

Among the changes, its five-year fixed remortgage deal at 60% loan-to-value (LTV) rises from 4.00% to 4.15%. The product requires a minimum £50,000 loan and allows borrowing up to £2 million.

Purchase-only deals are also affected. A five-year fixed rate at 60% LTV with an £899 fee climbs from 3.79% to 3.90%, while a two-year fixed deal increases from 3.77% to 3.85%.

Industry experts say the rises reflect growing funding costs and cooling expectations of imminent interest rate cuts.

Jonathan Alvarez Herrera, mortgage consultant at Ayla Mortgages said: “Barclays’ decision to increase mortgage rates is a clear sign that the recent downward momentum in pricing has stalled. Borrowers had been seeing improvements in recent months, but this repricing shows lenders are reacting to higher costs and changing market expectations.

“Barclays is not acting alone. HSBC and Nationwide have already moved, which suggests this is a market-wide correction rather than an isolated decision.

“With swap rates edging higher, lenders are rebuilding margins. Markets also expect the Bank of England to remain cautious, meaning rate cuts could be slower than previously hoped.”

Mortgage brokers pointed to rising SONIA swap rates and inflation ticking up to 3.4% in December, from 3.2% the month before, as key drivers behind the increases.

The changes may frustrate buyers hoping that 2026 would bring cheaper borrowing costs, particularly first-time purchasers and households coming off fixed deals agreed during the low-rate period.

With several major lenders now moving in the same direction, brokers warn others could follow if funding costs remain elevated.

News

Paris in February made easy with special direct Air France flights from Cardiff

Published

8 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

TRAVELLING to Paris has never been simpler for Welsh holidaymakers, with Air France launching a series of special direct weekend services from Cardiff Airport to the French capital this month.

The limited-period flights offer a convenient, non-stop journey of under two hours to Paris, giving passengers more time to enjoy the city’s culture, cuisine and famous landmarks without the hassle of connections or long road transfers to other UK airports.

Timed perfectly for winter city breaks and Valentine’s getaways, the services run between February 13 and February 16, making them ideal for long weekends.

February is widely considered one of the best times to visit the French capital, with fewer crowds and a relaxed, romantic atmosphere. Visitors can explore world-famous attractions including the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and Notre-Dame Cathedral, browse galleries at the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, or simply enjoy cafés, bistros and Michelin-starred dining across the city.

With Valentine’s Day falling during the operating period, the flights offer couples an easy escape for scenic walks along the Seine, memorable meals and classic Parisian experiences.

Jon Bridge, CEO of Cardiff Airport, said: “We’re delighted to offer direct flights to such a vibrant city for Valentine’s weekend. Cardiff Airport is expanding its reach, giving customers an easy, friendly travel experience and fantastic options. We’ve listened to passenger demand and are excited to make this opportunity possible, with more to come from Cardiff.”

Seats are available now via airfrance.co.uk and through travel agents. As availability is limited, early booking is recommended.

Flight schedule

Cardiff (CWL) to Paris (CDG)

• Feb 13 – AF4149 – 6:20pm → 8:50pm
• Feb 14 – AF4149 – 3:20pm → 5:50pm
• Feb 15 – AF4149 – 9:20am → 11:50am
• Feb 15 – AF4151 – 9:00pm → 11:30pm
• Feb 16 – AF4149 – 9:20am → 11:50am
• Feb 16 – AF4151 – 5:50pm → 8:20pm

Paris (CDG) to Cardiff (CWL)

• Feb 13 – AF4148 – 5:00pm → 5:30pm
• Feb 14 – AF4148 – 2:00pm → 2:30pm
• Feb 15 – AF4148 – 8:00am → 8:30am
• Feb 15 – AF4150 – 7:40pm → 8:10pm
• Feb 16 – AF4148 – 8:00am → 8:30am
• Feb 16 – AF4150 – 4:30pm → 5:00pm