News

Gething warns of ‘fragility’ of Welsh devolution

Published

2 years ago

May 8, 2024

THE FIRST Minister warned that devolution remains fragile as Senedd members reflected on the 25th anniversary of the first election to the then-National Assembly.

Vaughan Gething described the findings of an independent commission on Wales’ constitutional future as a “wake-up call of the fragility of devolution as we know it”.

Mr Gething said the report highlights the opportunity costs of doing nothing to actively improve democracy and civil engagement in Wales.

He told the chamber, also known as the Siambr: “We have real challenges before us, and we cannot ever be complacent about our ability to achieve more for Wales.

“A better future for Wales needs us to take action and continue the devolution journey.”

The First Minister highlighted “successes” of devolution so far, including carrier bag charges, free prescriptions, Wales’ opt-out system for organ donation and a new curriculum.

Andrew RT Davies criticised those on the right of Welsh politics – including some in his own party – who argue the Senedd should be abolished.

“I don’t agree with that,” said the Tory group leader. “And I will argue every time with anyone who says that Wales should put its parliament to one side and go back to a 1950s, 1960s model of government. That’s not the modern Wales we want to see.”

Mr Davies disagreed that devolution sets a trajectory towards inevitable independence as he called for a relentless focus on utilising current powers to improve people’s lives.

Raising concerns about low turnout, he said the legitimacy of the Welsh Parliament will grow if a greater proportion of people vote in Senedd elections.

He said: “There is a lot of work to do and the big job of work is to get the people of Wales engaged as to what we can do as a parliament and what you can do as a government.”

Rhun ap Iorwerth called for more innovation in the delivery of public services in Wales, with devolution providing a buffer against the headwinds of Westminster and beyond.

The Plaid Cymru leader highlighted that Wales Governance Centre data shows a majority of people want more devolution, with support for independence almost tripling since 1999.

He urged the Welsh Government to carve a distinct path for constitutional change in Wales.

Mr Iorwerth lamented missed opportunities to make strides towards tackling challenges around the economy, health, education and child poverty.

He said: “Let us ensure the next 25 years focus on proving the true value of devolution, by tackling those challenges … and strengthening our democracy.”

Jane Dodds paid tribute to former Lib-Dem members Mick Bates and Aled Roberts, two “very loyal and committed public servants”, who died in recent years.

The Lib Dems’ leader in Wales pointed out that her predecessor, Kirsty Williams, guided backbench legislation on nurse staffing levels through the Senedd onto the statute book.

Ms Dodds, who represents Mid and West Wales, told the chamber her mother was part of a stakeholder group that helped in the development of the then-Assembly.

“She wasn’t a politician at all; she was a community agitator,” she said. “And that’s where, I think, we should be going back to: listening to those community agitators, making sure that we involve everybody across Wales….

“We have an awesome opportunity to continue to change Wales, to make it more radical, progressive, surprising and inspiring, but we do need to get back to listening.”

Vikki Howells, a Labour backbencher who represents Cynon Valley, said it should be a matter of pride that the Senedd has not only endured but matured.

The former history teacher at Caerphilly’s St Cenydd Comprehensive said: “It’s not always been an easy journey, but we all owe a debt of gratitude to those who came before us and worked hard to establish a confident, outward-looking parliament.”

Luke Fletcher, who was three at the time of the 1999 election, pointed out that a generation has grown up with the Senedd.

The Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales West stressed that delivering improvements to people’s lives must be the focus of the next 25 years.

John Griffiths, who is one of the four sitting members first elected in 1999, called for new constitutional arrangements to recognise the reality of a devolved UK.

Adam Price, the former Plaid Cymru leader, raised concerns about low turnout, with less than half of the electorate voting in the six Senedd elections since 1999.

He said “I think the failure to achieve more than 50% turnout in any of the elections since the creation of the institution is a problem that we have to solve, isn’t it?

“Because the longer that continues, the more it will erode the legitimacy but also the effectiveness of this institution.”

Mr Price, a former MP, who represents Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, urged Wales to introduce mandatory voting for the 2030 election.

Mr Gething said he personally supports compulsory voting but the Welsh Government does not yet have a fixed position, suggesting it is not among his administration’s priorities.

Heledd Fychan, the Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales Central, highlighted that Wales was the first UK nation to introduce free access to museums.

She said: “It was a huge success; within a year, we saw an increase of 88% in those accessing our national collections, going from 764,599 to 1.4 million, which is incredible.”

Samuel Kurtz, the Conservative MS for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, who was seven in 1999, urged the public to have their say at the ballot box.

Closing the statement on May 7, Elin Jones, who is the speaker or Llywydd, stressed that it is the people’s Senedd, not a politicians’ parliament.

She said: “We were elected to look forward, and to plan for the future, and that’s what we’re doing here, for the next 25 years, and, indeed, the next century.”

Crime

Swansea man dies weeks after release from troubled HMP Parc: Investigation launched

Published

5 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man has died just weeks after being released from HMP Parc, the Bridgend prison now at the centre of a national crisis over inmate deaths and post-release failures.

Darren Thomas, aged 52, died on 13 November 2025 — less than a month after leaving custody. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has confirmed an independent investigation into his death, which is currently listed as “in progress”.

Born on 9 April 1973, Mr Thomas had been under post-release supervision following a period at HMP/YOI Parc, the G4S-run prison that recorded seventeen deaths in custody in 2024 — the highest in the UK.

His last known legal appearance was at Swansea Crown Court in October 2024, where he stood trial accused of making a threatening phone call and two counts of criminal damage. During the hearing, reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald at the time, the court heard he made threats during a heated call on 5 October 2023.

Mr Thomas denied the allegations but was found guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to a custodial term, which led to his imprisonment at HMP Parc.

Parc: A prison in breakdown

HMP Parc has faced sustained criticism throughout 2024 and 2025. A damning unannounced inspection in January found:

Severe self-harm incidents up 190%
Violence against staff up 109%
Synthetic drugs “easily accessible” across wings
Overcrowding at 108% capacity

In the first three months of 2024 alone, ten men died at Parc — part of a wider cluster of twenty PPO-investigated deaths since 2022. Six occurred within three weeks, all linked to synthetic drug use.

Leaked staff messages in 2025 exposed a culture of indifference, including one officer writing: “Let’s push him to go tomorrow so we can drop him.”

Six G4S employees have been arrested since 2023 in connection with alleged assaults and misconduct.

The danger after release

Deaths shortly after release from custody are a growing national concern. Ministry of Justice data shows 620 people died while under community supervision in 2024–2025, with 62 deaths occurring within 14 days of release.

Short sentences — common at Parc — leave little time for effective rehabilitation or release planning. Homelessness, loss of drug tolerance and untreated mental-health conditions create a high-risk environment for those newly released.

The PPO investigates all such deaths to determine whether prisons or probation failed in their duties. Reports often take 6–12 months and can lead to recommendations.

A system at breaking point

The crisis at Parc reflects wider failures across UK prisons and probation. A July 2025 House of Lords report described the service as “not fit for purpose”. More than 500 people die in custody annually, with campaigners warning that private prisons such as Parc prioritise cost-cutting over care.

The PPO investigation into the death of Darren Thomas continues.

Crime

Woman stabbed partner in Haverfordwest before handing herself in

Published

6 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Court Reporter

A WOMAN who stabbed her partner during a drug-fuelled episode walked straight into Haverfordwest Police Station and told officers what she had done, Swansea Crown Court has heard.

Amy Woolston, 22, of Dartmouth Street in Milford Haven, arrived at the station at around 8:00pm on June 13 and said: “I stabbed my ex-partner earlier… he’s alright and he let me walk off,” prosecutor Tom Scapens told the court.

The pair had taken acid together earlier in the day, and Woolston claimed she believed she could feel “stab marks in her back” before the incident.

Police find victim with four wounds

Officers went to the victim’s home to check on him. He was not there at first, but returned shortly afterwards. He appeared sober and told police: “Just a couple of things,” before pointing to injuries on his back.

He had three stab or puncture wounds to his back and another to his bicep.

The victim said that when he arrived home from the shop, Woolston was acting “a bit shifty”. After asking if she was alright, she grabbed something from the windowsill — described as either a knife or a shard of glass — and stabbed him.

He told officers he had “had worse from her before”, did not support a prosecution, and refused to go to hospital.

Defendant has long history of violence

Woolston pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. The court heard she had amassed 20 previous convictions from 10 court appearances, including assaults, battery, and offences against emergency workers.

Defending, Dyfed Thomas said Woolston had longstanding mental health problems and had been off medication prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia at the time.
“She’s had a difficult upbringing,” he added, saying she was remorseful and now compliant with treatment.

Woolston was jailed for 12 months, but the court heard she has already served the equivalent time on remand and will be released imminently on a 12-month licence.

News

BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

Published

7 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Staff Writer

THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old.