News
Wales scrap to beat Scotland: Wales 20 – Scotland 17

THIS was better.
Much, much better.
Scotland’s 20-year wait for a win in Cardiff continues.
Against a Scotland side full of confidence after defeating England the previous week, Wales showed determination and grit to hold off Scotland for a priceless home win.
The Welsh players upped the intensity from their dismal drubbing in Dublin. They defended demonically, especially in a nail-biting final eight minutes.
The Welsh front five performed solidly, pressuring a Scottish pack with two Lions props on the bench at the start of the game and vigorously contesting the breakdown.
The Welsh lineout functioned well against the much-vaunted Scottish jumpers. The rejigged Welsh back row (with much more physical oomph following Ross Moriarty’s return to the starting XV) were abrasive and rugged at the second phase and willing ball carriers in midfield.
Ryan Elias fully deserved his man of the match award for an all-action display. He was a pest in the loose, scrapped for the ball on the ground, and Wales’s improved first phase play owed a lot to him.
So much of what was missing in Dublin was present that it was hard to believe that so few changes had been made to Wales’s core personnel.
The defensive pattern appeared stable after a shaky first couple of minutes. The Welsh line speed and commitment in the tackle were markedly increased from the previous game. Even when scrambling to repel Scottish attacks, Wales looked calm and organised.
That said, Wales did not create much and too seldom got the ball beyond the 13 channel to free Alex Cuthbert and Louis Rees-Zammit.
Welsh pressure forced repeated Scottish errors. The Scottish midfield, strong and threatening in the first half, was closed down by repeated pressure on Scotland’s mercurial outside-half, Finn Russell.
Russell, whose kicking game and distribution are important to Scotland’s recent success, was inconsistent. Lucky to stay on after a knock-on in the first half, he saw yellow for a deliberate knock-on as Wales piled the pressure on the Scottish line with fifteen minutes to go.
His departure capped a day when the Scottish fly-half’s abilities were matched by his failings. A match-winner when things go his way, Welsh pressure increasingly told on him as the game progressed.
With Wales 6-0 ahead thanks to Dan Biggar’s trusty boot, Scotland showed their chops with their first meaningful assault on the Welsh line.
The visitors relentlessly recycled the ball in the Welsh 22. A marvellous 20-yard miss pass from Russell created an opportunity for winger Darcy Graham. With Rees-Zammit having to cover two players out wide, Graham’s footwork and balance told as he forced his way over.
As the first quarter wore on, Scotland began to step it up and managed to force a five-point advantage as Wales conceded a penalty at a rolling maul.
Scottish indiscipline at the breakdown conceded an opportunity for Biggar to slot over another kick. Moments later, Russell kicked Scotland into a 14-9 lead.
Back Wales came; a probing kick by Liam Williams put Wales in a good attacking position. That rarest of Welsh beasts – a successful catch and driving maul from the lineout – resulted in a fine Tomas Francis try.
With it 14-a-piece at the half, the Scottish still looked more threatening with ball in hand.
After a cagey start, a strong surge by centre Sione Tuiplotu led to a Welsh infringement at the breakdown, allowing Russell to regain the lead.
Dan Biggar, the roundhead to Russell’s cavalier, was impressive in his 100th international match. The Welsh fly-half asserted increasing influence on the game by marshalling the Welsh midfield and making hard yards when it mattered.
His fourth kick at goal restored parity, and Wales came close to scoring through the willing Cuthbert when a fifth penalty attempt rebounded back into play.
With ten minutes to go, the Welsh pack recycled the ball smartly to Biggar waiting in the pocket, and he coolly slotted over a drop goal to give Wales a slender lead.
As Scotland ran through phase after phase trying to seize the win, Welsh players stymied them with skill and composure in a situation where the slightest disciplinary slip would have cost them dearly.
Speaking on BBC Wales’s coverage, former England skipper Martin Johnson summed up the Welsh performance: “Twenty minutes in, you feared for Wales. But they just battled and battled. They turned the game into a street fight.
“Scotland didn’t back off, but they got involved in something they probably didn’t want to get involved with.”
As spot-on assessments go, you can’t get more on target than that.
Now Wales have the chance to rest and reset before taking on England and Twickenham in a fortnight.
To compete against England, Wales must, as a bare minimum, maintain the intensity shown against Scotland and reduce the penalty count.
Keep England close, and, as Scotland showed in the opening round of fixtures, anything can happen.
Community
£5.25m Welsh Government funding to benefit unpaid carers

UNPAID carers in Wales will continue to receive additional support to take well-earned breaks from their caring role, Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden has said.
The Minister has also confirmed funding is being made available to continue support for carers on low incomes to buy essential items.
The Short Breaks Scheme and Carers Support Fund will receive £3.5m and £1.75m respectively for 2025/26 from the Welsh Government.
These schemes are in addition to the duties that local authorities are under to provide appropriate support for carers.
The Short Breaks Scheme is on track to deliver, or exceed, the target of 30,000 additional short break opportunities by March 2025. Its extension will continue to help unpaid carers in Wales take breaks from their responsibilities to support their wellbeing.
The funding can be used, for example, for short holidays, activity days and cinema trips. It can also support carers in pursuing a hobby or sport.
Recent findings suggest only 14% of the adult carers who have benefitted from the scheme had also accessed a break from elsewhere in the last 12 months, demonstrating the crucial role it is playing. 80% of those benefitting from the scheme are providing more than 50 hours of care a week.
The Carers Support Fund provides emergency financial support for unpaid carers of all ages on low incomes to pay for essential items. This could be food, a household item or a utility bill. In addition, the fund also provides information to help people manage finances and ensure they are claiming all benefits and entitlements.
Almost half of unpaid carers accessing the schemes in the past three years were not previously known to services and so the schemes show the significant added value as a gateway to other forms of support.
Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden said: “Unpaid carers play a crucial role in providing care for their family members and friends.
“I am delighted we are providing funding for the coming year to help more unpaid carers take short breaks as there is good evidence they can have a big impact on wellbeing.
“We also know many unpaid carers experience financial pressures because of their caring role and the Carers Support Fund will continue to provide crucial additional assistance for carers on low incomes.”
Carers Trust Director for Wales, Kate Cubbage, said: “We’ve heard from thousands of unpaid carers that the Short Breaks Scheme has given them their first access to a break from caring and that grants through the Carers Support Fund have been essential to keep food on the table and heat in their homes.
“These programmes are needed now more than ever, as costs rise and our partners in health and social care face increasing pressures. Our colleagues in statutory services tell us that modest investments in these transformative programmes make a difference to sustaining carers in their vital caring role and prevent the need for further intervention from acute services.
“As the National Coordinating Body for the Short Breaks Scheme and the organisation leading delivery of the Carers Support Fund, Carers Trust welcomes Welsh Government’s commitment to safeguarding these vital programmes with an assurance of funding for another year.
“This funding will enable local carer organisations and delivery partners to reach thousands more unpaid carers with a much-needed break from caring and with protection from the sharpest end of poverty into 2026.”
News
Simon Hart’s memoir reveals inside story of Westminster chaos

SIMON HART, the former MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, is set to lift the lid on the political turmoil of recent years with his new book, Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip, due for release on February 27, 2025.
The memoir promises a rare, behind-the-scenes account of life inside the Conservative government during one of its most chaotic periods. Hart, who served as Chief Whip under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, provides an unfiltered look at the party’s internal struggles, resignations, and public controversies that rocked Westminster between 2019 and 2024.

From power to crisis
Having first been elected in 2010, Hart represented South Pembrokeshire and parts of Carmarthenshire for over a decade before boundary changes saw him lose his seat in 2024. His political career saw him rise to the role of Secretary of State for Wales under Boris Johnson before taking on the crucial but often misunderstood position of Chief Whip in Sunak’s government.
In Ungovernable, Hart describes how he witnessed the Conservative Party unravel from a position of strength to electoral vulnerability. He provides firsthand insight into the party’s inner workings, dealing with rebellious MPs, scandal-ridden colleagues, and the battle to maintain discipline within the government.
Westminster’s scandals and secrets
Among the most revealing aspects of the book are Hart’s accounts of the defection of Conservative MPs to Labour, the fallout from Liz Truss’s 49-day premiership, and the struggles to manage a party fractured by Brexit, infighting, and scandal. He details the dramatic moments that saw fifteen Tory MPs leave their seats under his tenure, including high-profile figures such as Nadine Dorries, whose controversial resignation caused months of political tension, and Matt Hancock, suspended after his infamous appearance on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.
Hart also delves into Lee Anderson’s suspension over inflammatory remarks about the London Mayor, and the internal battles over government policies, leadership, and media spin.

Praise for an insider’s account
The book has already attracted attention from senior political figures. Rory Stewart, former MP and political commentator, described it as “a remarkable insight into a critical moment”, while Michael Dobbs, author of House of Cards, praised Hart’s blunt honesty, calling it a “balls-up-to-break-down account of how the Tories managed to fall flat on their faces”.
For Pembrokeshire readers, Ungovernable provides a unique perspective from a local politician who operated at the very heart of Westminster’s power struggles. Whether a supporter or critic of his time in office, Simon Hart’s memoir promises to be a fascinating and controversial account of one of the most dramatic chapters in modern British politics.
Community
Port issue warning over damage to Milford Beach access route

THE PORT of Milford Haven has issued a warning regarding a wall collapse on the hot water slip access to Milford Beach.
Residents and visitors are urged to stay clear of the affected area and avoid using this access route while investigations and repairs are carried out.
Please share this message to help ensure public safety.
Thank you.
-
Business4 days ago
Digital marketing challenges for rural Welsh businesses
-
News4 days ago
Police report filed over Neyland Town Council email controversy
-
Health4 days ago
Emergency care failing in Wales, warns damming report
-
Crime5 days ago
Woman caught with knife in Pembroke Dock blames drugs
-
Politics4 days ago
Pembrokeshire council tax rise of 9.85 per cent backed
-
News5 days ago
Secrecy over Milford Haven Library rent as council faces funding ultimatum
-
News4 days ago
Concerns mount over rising violence in Welsh schools
-
Community2 days ago
Port’s support for library already ‘many hundreds of thousands of pounds’