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Conservatives responsible for the lack of new local hospital, says Labour
LAST week, during questions in the Welsh Parliament, Eluned Morgan claimed the Conservatives were to blame for a new West Wales hospital not being opened.
Answering a question from Sam Kurtz MS about the delays to the new hospital, Baroness Morgan of Ely first failed to provide any indication on timescales despite promising to do so and continued: “Let me remind you that it was the Conservatives who stopped the proposal to build a new hospital in West Wales several years ago. And if it had been followed through at that time and if you hadn’t led a campaign—you, the Tories, led a campaign against the West Wales hospital—it would’ve been up and running by now. The Conservatives have to take their share of responsibility for the fact that there is not already a West Wales hospital. There has never been an axe hanging over Withybush or Glangwili. And let me be absolutely clear that—[Interruption.] Let me be clear that part of the responsibility for the fact that there is no West Wales hospital already lies directly with the Conservative Party.”
DISTRUST, MISTRUST, AND THE LONG CAMPAIGN
That’s some assertion.
As Baroness Morgan will know, not only did thousands of locals demonstrate against the downgrading of services at West Wales’s current hospitals, but members of the Labour Party also participated in those campaigns.
A new hospital must also meet the Government’s statutory requirements for such a site, including Transport policy, Climate Change policy, and the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, all of which have changed over the years.
Setting aside the large number of consultations the Health Board undertook as part of the Welsh Government’s consultation requirements, it ignores the vexed question of where the money for a new hospital will come from. It was never accounted for in previous years’ budgets and is still not accounted for as future planned expenditure.
Eluned Morgan’s answer makes the construction of a new West Wales Hospital a live political issue in local campaigns.
It sets up local health services to re-enter the spotlight as a political football.
The Health Board has never complained of political interference, and no evidence has ever been presented that Conservative politicians or others have lobbied to delay a new hospital’s construction.
The Health Board’s conduct in salami-slicing key services away from Withybush has not helped build trust between local voters and Labour politicians responsible for overseeing the Welsh NHS and the local health Board’s actions.
VETERAN CAMPAIGNER CALLS MORGAN’S REMARKS “RUBBISH”
It’s fair to say that the Conservatives exploited local feelings for their electoral benefit. However, people from other parties, including union members, healthcare staff, and people without party affiliation, participated in the protests.
Dr Chris Overton participated in the campaign to save services at Withybush and led a legal challenge to the Health Board’s downgrading paediatric, maternity and other services there.
He stood for election in the former Preseli Pembrokeshire seat in the 2015 and 2017 elections against Stephen Crabb. In 2016, he stood against Angela Burns in the South Pembrokeshire & West Carmarthenshire Senedd election.
Addressing Eluned Morgan’s remarks, Chris Overton told us, “Unfortunately, it’s typical. There is no reason to let the truth get in the way of electioneering!
“Eluned Morgan’s remarks are rubbish.
“Rubbish. Labour has been in power in Wales for 25 years.
“Pembrokeshire became “blue” again because Welsh Labour was keen to improve their chances of taking back seats from Plaid in Carmarthenshire by sacrificing Withybush.
“Had SWAT not existed, we would all have been travelling to Morriston for every emergency. Withybush, Prince Phillip and Glangwili would have become community hospitals.
“What would have happened during the pandemic with the much-reduced ventilator capacity? More people would have died!”
DAVIES STILL FIGHTS FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR WITHYBUSH HOSPITAL
Thousands of people from Pembrokeshire participated in demonstrations against service cuts and to Save Withybush Hospital.
Those demonstrations took place when Mark Drakeford was Health Minister, Vaughan Gething was Health Minister, and she was a member of Drakeford’s cabinet.
Paul Davies, who has campaigned ceaselessly to retain services at Withybush, told us, “It’s a bit rich of the Cabinet Secretary to talk about health services in West Wales when her party has starved the NHS and constantly eroded health services in Pembrokeshire.
“I’ve always been very clear on this issue – I don’t support a new hospital elsewhere in West Wales.
“I want to see Withybush Hospital get the funding and resources it needs to continue to provide much-needed and much-valued services to the people of Pembrokeshire.
“People living in Pembrokeshire should not have to travel further for vital services, and the Cabinet Secretary should reflect on her comments and apologise to my constituents on behalf of the Welsh Government for the continued downgrading and removal of health services in Pembrokeshire in recent years.”
CANDIDATES REJECT MORGAN’S PRESCRIPTION
As a General Election campaign is ongoing, we invited responses from the principal candidates.
Cris Tomos, Plaid Cymru candidate for Mid & South Pembrokeshire, said: “Plaid Cymru is and long has been clear that communities should be meaningfully consulted on their healthcare services, and that services should be available as close as possible to those communities.
“We understand the current resourcing challenges facing our NHS due to 14 years of Tory-imposed austerity, and we have made a new and fair funding settlement for Wales a key demand of our general election campaign.
“However, we are also clear that for the past 25 years, responsibility for the design and delivery of health services in Wales is Labour’s.
“It is for them to account for current delays to the plans for the new West Wales Hospital.”
Alistair Cameron, Liberal Democrat candidate for Mid & South Pembrokeshire, told us: “We need clarity from the Welsh Government. We do not know whether they will provide the funds to build the new hospital, which will be either in St Clears or “Whitland.
“The hospital will take at least seven years to build, and the continual delay by the Welsh Government in determining whether they have the finances is damaging our health service and what it is providing for “patients.
“We must also see a plan for managing services during the seven years it will take to build the hospital.
In addition, we need a plan for managing travel to the hospital, as this is a big concern for many who are faced with travelling much longer distances.”
Stephen Crabb, Welsh Conservative candidate, said: “For the last 15 years, the Welsh Labour Government has dangled the prospect of a new hospital somewhere nearer Carmarthen as a carrot to try to persuade Pembrokeshire people to give up on Withybush. They have never said where this new hospital would be, how it would be funded, or when it is supposed “to happen.
“Meanwhile, they have repeatedly cut services and moved them to Carmarthen against the wishes of local people.
I am pleased that the Welsh Health Minister is admitting that Pembrokeshire Conservatives played a key role in defending Withybush alongside the local campaign by SWAT and others.
“At every step, Welsh Labour politicians and candidates have failed to stand up for our local health “services.
“All of the reasons why Pembrokeshire needed a hospital like Withybush in the first place still remain. As many of the medics at Withybush have made clear over the years, the answer is more investment at Withybush, not downgrading.
“I will continue to speak up for Pembrokeshire and the future of Withybush Hospital.”
Labour candidate for Mid & South Pembrokeshire, Henry Tufnell, was not living in Pembrokeshire during the SWAT campaign and the ongoing fight to retain services at Withybush and other West Wales hospitals. He did not provide a comment.
CABINET SECRETARY SPEAKS TO THE PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD
Eluned Morgan expanded her original answer in a comment to The Pembrokeshire Herald.
“The biggest threat to the NHS in West Wales is “the Tories,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
“At every election, they scare us about Withybush’s future while blocking plans to modernise care for people in Pembrokeshire.
“Since the election in 2007, the Tories said Labour would close it, we didn’t.
“In every election since the Tories built their election campaigns around saving a hospital that we never had any intention of closing.
“We won’t, and the people of Pembrokeshire will not be duped by this ploy again!
“The Tories have once again used inflammatory language to describe our current hospital network. There is no axe hanging over Withybush or Glangwili.
“We need a health service fit for now and the next generation, providing the best treatment possible and giving people the bes” outcomes.
“This is something all politicians should be campaigning to deliver – not kicking our NHS from pillar to post.”
FISHGUARD will once again play host to the Wales Triathlon this summer, with hundreds of competitors set to descend on the town for the popular sporting event on Sunday, June 15.
Organised by Activity Wales Events, the triathlon includes a two-lap sea swim in Fishguard Bay, followed by a two-lap cycle from Fishguard to St Davids and a four-lap run along the Marine Walk and out onto the breakwater.
In order to facilitate the bike leg on closed roads, several road closures will be in place throughout the day.
Major road closures
The A487 between Goodwick and Mathry will be closed between 9:45am and 3:00pm.
Between Mathry and Croesgoch, the A487 will be closed from 10:00am to 3:00pm, and from Croesgoch to St Davids the closure will run from 10:00am until 2:45pm.
Crossing points will be in operation at Mathry crossroads, Croesgoch crossroads, and the Llangoffan to Granston junction. Diversions will be signposted, with local traffic routed via minor B roads and through Haverfordwest for longer journeys.
Town centre impact
In Fishguard, West Street will be closed between 12:00pm and 6:00pm for the running stage. Residents will still be able to exit side roads, with diversions clearly marked.
Goodwick residents will be able to exit the town via the Tesco roundabout, which will remain open all day.
Care access and course passes
Care workers will be allowed access to visit clients within the closed sections, but must obtain a course pass via their organisation in advance.
On the day, carers using the route must:
- Follow the direction of the race
- Display their pass clearly
- Keep hazard lights on at all times
- Exit the route as soon as safely possible
Further information
The event attracted over 1,000 athletes last year, and organisers anticipate another strong turnout.
More information can be found at: www.walestriathlon.com/athletes/event-info
Road closure details are available at: community.walestriathlon.com
For course pass enquiries, contact: info@activitywalesevents.com
WONDERWOOL WALES 2025, the premier wool and natural fibre festival in Wales, is on course to be a record-breaker with advance ticket sales ahead of previous years.
The popular, award-winning show will be held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells on April 26 and 27 with 220 exhibitors and is expecting more than 6,000 visitors.
A star attraction will be special installation to mark this year’s 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, which is being created by a group of knitters in France and across the world.
The knitters are so enthusiastic that the installation, which will be in Hall 3, is going to be much bigger than originally envisaged.
“It has grown from eight to 10 metres and could well be even larger by the time of the show!” said Chrissie Menzies, Wonderwool Wales director. “People from around the world are knitting panels for the installation which is quite amazing.
They previously knitted an 80 metre, 3D wool art depiction of the D-Day landings, which toured the UK, before going off to America, and wanted to do another one for VE Day to showcase at Wonderwool Wales before it tours the UK, with panels being added at each destination.”
The VE Day project has been organised by Tansy Forster and her fellow knitters who also headed The Longest Yarn installation for D-Day. More than 1,000 knitters from across the world contributed to that project.
Wonderwool Wales will have a truly international flavour, as Kimberly Perkins from Cat Mountain Fibre Arts, Colorado, will be showcasing her hand dyed, multi-textured, yarn bundles and knitting and crochet patterns on stand M1 in Hall 1. She’s the first exhibitor to fly in from America.
Chrissie revealed that there will be more than 15 new exhibitors at the show, including Paint-Box Threads from near Leominster and Cold Harbour Mill from Devon.
Zoe Acketts, of Paint-Box Threads, specialises in beautiful, hand-dyed threads along with fabric for the textile crafting market.
“I’m sure we will all be coming away with some of Zoe’s threads,” said Chrissie. “Her curated boxes of colours are just too good to use, you just want to display them in your studio and look at them!”
Cold Harbour Mill will be joining other working mill exhibitors who use heritage machinery to produce yarn collections and woven textiles.
The company’s yarns are 100% British wool, with single breed Blue Faced Leicester and Shetland collections in a range of natural and woodland inspired colours and four registered Tartans designed and woven at the mill.
Away from the show, Newtown Textile Museum is opening early to attract people visiting Wonderwool. Run entirely by volunteers and housed in two weavers’ cottages, the museum will be open from April 24-28 from 12 noon to 4pm.
The British Coloured Sheep Breeders’ Association will be adding natural colours to the show by bringing sheep for the first time. Sheep Walk fashion shows, demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some of the exhibitors are regular features.
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process.
Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
REQUIEM MASSES TO BE HELD ACROSS WALES
POPE FRANCIS, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church and a transformative figure in global religious life, died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. The Vatican announced that he passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time at his residence in the Casa Santa Marta, Vatican City.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis was elected pope in 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
He was the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas. His papacy was marked by a focus on humility, social justice, and outreach to marginalised communities. He was known for his efforts to reform the Vatican bureaucracy, address the clerical sexual abuse crisis, and promote interfaith dialogue.
In recent months, Pope Francis faced health challenges, including a hospitalisation in February 2025 for bronchitis and pneumonia. Despite his illness, he made a final public appearance on Easter Sunday, delivering a blessing from a wheelchair in St. Peter’s Square.
In Wales, Catholic communities are mourning his passing.
Churches across the country are holding Requiem Masses in his honour.
St David’s Cathedral in Cardiff has scheduled special services, inviting the faithful to pray for the repose of the Pope’s soul. Similarly, parishes in Wrexham and Menevia dioceses are organising memorial liturgies.
Archbishop Mark O’Toole of Cardiff stated, “Pope Francis was a shepherd to us all, embodying humility and compassion. His commitment to social justice and care for the marginalised resonated deeply within our communities.”
First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis this morning.
“As First Minister of Wales, and as a Christian, I offer my deepest condolences to the Catholic community in Wales and around the world.
“Pope Francis led with unwavering humility, courage and profound compassion. Throughout his papacy, he was a tireless advocate for the poor, the marginalised and the displaced. He reminded us all that the fight against poverty, climate change and injustice is not just a political or social task, but a moral calling. His message was clear: every person, regardless of background, race, or sexuality, deserves dignity, respect and love.
“His famous call to ‘not judge, but walk with’ exemplified a faith rooted in love, empathy and understanding for all people, focusing on compassion rather than condemnation.
“In his final months, he spoke with moral clarity, condemning what he referred to as the ‘genocide’ in Gaza, urging the world to recognise the humanity of all people and to choose peace over destruction.
“In a world that often feels divided, Pope Francis built bridges of unity and his legacy will endure in the lives he touched and the values he championed – values that continue to inspire us here in Wales.
“On behalf of the Welsh Government, I offer our deepest sympathies to all those mourning his loss. May he rest in peace, and may his example continue to guide and inspire us all.”
Global leaders have expressed condolences, highlighting Pope Francis’s commitment to compassion, peace, and interfaith dialogue. French President Emmanuel Macron described him as “a man of humility, on the side of the most vulnerable and most fragile,” while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered him as “a symbol of compassion and spiritual courage.”
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, stated: “The death of Pope Francis brings great sadness to so many around the world, both within the Catholic Church and in societies in general. A voice proclaiming the innate dignity of every human being, especially those who are poor or marginalised, is now silent.”
King Charles III, as the head of the Church of England, issued a personal statement: “His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others.”
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, reflected on Pope Francis’s ecumenical efforts: “Francis’s whole life and ministry was centred on Jesus who comes among us not to be served, but to serve. We saw that compellingly in Francis’s service of the poor, his love of neighbour especially the displaced, migrant, the asylum seeker, his deep compassion for the well-being of the earth and his desire to lead and build the church in new ways.”
The Vatican has initiated a nine-day mourning period, and funeral arrangements are underway. A conclave to elect his successor is anticipated to begin between May 6 and May 11, 2025.
Pope Francis’s legacy includes significant reforms within the Church, advocacy for environmental issues, and efforts to modernise the institution while maintaining its core teachings.
Pope Francis Dies at 88: Tributes pour in for a Pontiff of compassion and reform
REQUIEM MASSES TO BE HELD ACROSS WALES POPE FRANCIS, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church and...
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