A PALESTINE support group-organised general elections hustings saw only four of Ceredigion’s seven candidates offering to attend, and just two able to do so on the day.

Ceredigion Palestine Solidarity Campaign, with Heddwch Ar Waith, had organised the June 25 hustings to take place at Cardigan Guildhall, saying: “This General Election has been called at a moment when Palestinians are confronting the darkest moment in their struggle for liberation. Climate concerns, war in Europe, and the more than 100 armed conflicts across the world further endanger global stability and our economy.

“These are core electoral concerns for many Ceredigion Preseli constituents.

“This hustings is an opportunity for you to put your questions on these core issues to our General Election candidates.”

With a July 4 date set for the general election, candidates for the new Ceredigion Preseli seat are: Ben Lake for Plaid Cymru, Liberal Democrat Mark Williams, Welsh Labour’s Jackie Jones, Conservative Aled Thomas, Tomos Barlow for the Green Party, Karl Robert Pollard for Reform UK, and Taghrid Al-Mawed for the Workers Party of Britain.

The hustings, saw just four of the seven confirmed candidates agreeing to attend: Taghrid Al-Mawed, Ben Lake, Tomos Barlow, and Mark Williams.

On the eve of the meeting, this was reduced down to Mr Barlow and Mr Lake, with the other two candidates unable to attend, for work and health reasons, leading to it being cancelled at the eleventh hour.

Dinah Mulholland, chair of Ceredigion Palestine Solidarity Campaign, a former Labour general election candidate, said the decision was taken not to hold a hustings after the number of candidates was reduced to two.

“The whole issue of Palestine has been completely wiped off the news during the election; nearly all the candidates are avoiding the issue,” said Dinah, adding: “Local democracy has been undermined over this.”

She added: “I really would’ve liked to have done something, even if it was recorded answers with the candidates.

“There’s such a strong history here [in Ceredigion] of radical movements, they’ve got a really strong radical base; all of these people are the same people who have an innate support for the Palestinians. These voters are not hearing any debate about this issue, and not hearing the candidates’ views.

“When I was candidate in 2017 and 2019 I would attend every hustings, that’s what you do here, you go to all the hustings, it’s a really valuable way for people to get to know you and see you under pressure.

“If you can’t cope with the hustings you can’t cope with Westminster.”

THE LABOUR PARTY has suspended one of its Senedd members after a photograph emerged showing their vehicle with fake number plates.

Rhianon Passmore, the MS for Islwyn, has been “administratively suspended” from the Labour group for fourteen days while an internal investigation takes place.

A Labour Party statement says, “The Labour Party takes the conduct of our elected representatives extremely seriously, and all complaints are investigated in accordance with the Party’s complaints procedures.”

A photograph taken in the Senedd car park shows Ms Passmore’s vehicle with a number plate hanging off the front with a second, and different, number plate exposed underneath.

The loose number plate fell off when Ms Passmore drove out of the Senedd car park. When she returned, her vehicle displayed different number plates on its front and rear.
One of the number plates is unregistered. The second is for an untaxed vehicle.

While the Labour Party conducts its investigation, the allegations against Ms Passmore constitute a criminal offence that the Police may also want to investigate.

Rhianon Passmore was first elected to the Welsh Parliament in 2016.

In 2018, she was suspended from the Senedd for fourteen days for failing to provide a breath sample after being stopped for suspected drinking and driving. She pleaded guilty to the offence of failing to supply a breath test.

There are different number plate offences, the approach to which depends on the Police and prosecutors’ approach and the circumstances of any alleged offence.

Drivers using non-compliant number plates or failing to display number plates are subject to a fine of up to £1,000. However, drivers can also be charged with a more serious offence of fraud and forgery under s44 of the relevant law for using fake plates.

An entirely innocent explanation for the number plate row is also possible, whereby Ms Passmore placed a personalised plate over the car’s original registration mark. While that would not address the failure to tax the vehicle or possibly register the changed registration mark, it places the allegations firmly into cock up rather than conspiracy.

AN ENDORSEMENT given by a trustee of a local charity to Mid & South Pembrokeshire’s Labour candidate has fallen foul of Charity Commission rules.

One of Henry Tufnell’s recent election campaign leaflets features an endorsement from Sue Denman, a trustee of the Pembrokeshire charity Solva Care.

The leaflet includes a photograph of Ms Denman with the caption, “Sue, Director, Together for Change, Solva.”

The endorsement raised eyebrows among some who received the leaflet, leading two people to contact this newspaper, concerned that electoral rules had been broken.

Their concern arises because The Charity Commission for England and Wales, which governs charities like Solva Care, has clear guidelines stating that charities must remain independent from party politics and trustees must not encourage support for any political party.

Though Together For Change (TfC) is not a registered charity, it operates under the auspices of Solva Care, where Denman has been an associate trustee since 2017.

TfC, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, must adhere to strict rules about political activity.

Ruth Bates, head of communications for the National Lottery Fund in Wales, clarified in an email, “We do not fund certain types of political activity, particularly party-political activity, and we are confident that Solva Care is not using our grant to fund any such activity or campaigning.

“We have reminded all grantholders of the rules around the Period of Sensitivity provided by the Charity Commission.”

Labour Party guidelines for campaign materials stress the importance of meticulous proofreading and centralised approval.

A party spokesperson noted, “One person must have the final say in signing off such material.”

A Charity Commission spokesperson confirmed that no action would be taken against Solva Care but stated that the trustees would receive regulatory advice and guidance regarding political activity.

Despite efforts by our journalist to contact Henry Tufnell and Sue Denman for comments, neither has responded.