News

Automatic voter registration set to be introduced in Wales

Published

1 year ago

July 10, 2024

AUTOMATIC voter registration (AVR) is set to be introduced in the United Kingdom for the first time after the Welsh Senedd passed a ground-breaking bill today.

The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill was this week (July 9) voted through with an over two thirds majority and will see AVR introduced for 2026, pending successful trials.

AVR means voters are automatically added to the register by local authority officers and don’t have to initiate the process themselves. Voters are then contacted to ensure the details are correct and to ensure they are happy to be added to the register and whether they want to register anonymously.

The Electoral Reform Society has hailed the passing of the bill as a big step forward for Welsh democracy that will help to enfranchise the up to 400,000 missing voters who are not on registered to vote or registered incorrectly in Wales.

AVR is already used around the world such as in Sweden, Denmark, Estonia and some US states.
The Electoral Reform Society is now urging the UK government to bring AVR in across the United Kingdom to help enfranchise millions of missing voters. The Labour Party has committed to ‘improve voter registration’ in its manifesto.

During the general election there were 2.9 million applications to register to vote [5] across the UK. However, last year, the Electoral Commission found that up to 8 million people were not registered to vote or registered incorrectly.

There are substantial demographic inequalities in terms of the different people more likely to be registered to vote. Electoral Commission figures show that young people are far less likely to be registered to vote than older people, with 60% of 18 and 19-year-olds registered in Great Britain and 67% of 20-24-year-olds, compared to 96% of over 65s.

Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of Electoral Reform Society, said: “Participation is a vital sign of the health of our democracy, so it is crucial that as many people as possible are able to cast their vote.

“The passing of this bill is a groundbreaking moment for democracy in Wales, as well as the wider United Kingdom. Automatic voter registration is a win-win for voters as it takes one more thing off their to-do list while also strengthening our democracy by helping to enfranchise the hundreds of thousands of missing voters in Wales.

“Labour have committed to improving voter registration and we would urge the new UK government to now bring in AVR to end the scandal of the millions of voters missing from the electoral rolls.

“The introduction of measures such as voter ID in recent years mean people now face more barriers to casting their vote than at previous elections. It is crucial that we reverse this trend by expanding access to voting and making it easier for people to exercise their basic democratic right.”

Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said: “The passing of the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill today sees Wales lead the way when it comes to modernising UK democracy. The introduction of AVR will level the playing field and should vastly reduce the number of people missing from the register.

“This Bill also sees an emphasis on improving the information available to voters at election time and puts measures in place to increase the diversity of our political institutions.

“Modernising Welsh democracy has been an ongoing piece of work with the franchise extended to 16 and 17-year-olds for Welsh elections back in 2020. Recently the Senedd also voted to strengthen the Welsh Parliament by increasing the number of members and moving to a proportional list voting system.

“The new government in Westminster should look across Offa’s Dyke and learn from the democratic innovation taking place in Wales. Welsh voters will soon have many more barriers removed to their participation and we hope voters across the border will soon join them in this.”

Community

Milford Haven paddling pool open daily at 10:00am — safety reminder issued

Published

1 hour ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Town council urges parents to supervise children at all times

MILFORD HAVEN TOWN COUNCIL has reminded visitors to the children’s paddling pool on The Rath that the facility opens daily at 10:00am, and that children must be supervised by a responsible adult.

In a bilingual safety poster shared online, the council set out simple but essential rules to help ensure the pool remains a safe and fun space throughout the summer holidays. While the pool is popular with families, the council warns that it is not officially supervised, and users do so at their own risk.

The key rules include:

Children must be accompanied by an adult.
No running or diving in or around the pool.
No food, drink, or glass bottles in the water area.
No dogs are allowed within the paddling pool zone.
Littering is strictly prohibited.

A council spokesperson said: “Hi everyone, a polite request: we ask that all children be supervised by a responsible adult while using the pool. Thank you.”

There is no formal age limit for the pool, but younger children will be given priority, especially during busy times.

Local families have praised the pool since it reopened, with one visitor, Linda Phillips, commenting: “We’ve just spent two hours there. Great effort everyone! The youngsters are really enjoying it.”

Milford Haven Town Council thanked her for the feedback, calling it “lovely to hear.”

Opening times or access arrangements may change due to weather or maintenance — updates will be posted on the council’s official Facebook page.

Caption:

Splash safely: Milford Haven Town Council’s new bilingual poster reminds families to supervise children and follow the rules while enjoying the paddling pool on The Rath this summer (Pic: Herald).

News

Stricken boat rescued off Ramsey Island after gearbox failure

Published

6 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Off-duty RNLI crew member steps in to assist with tow to safety

ST DAVIDS RNLI all-weather lifeboat launched at 6:20pm on Wednesday (July 9) to assist a 28-foot motorboat that had suffered drive shaft failure near Ramsey Island.

The vessel, which had departed from Porthclais harbour with two people on board, was left without propulsion due to gearbox issues and was drifting dangerously close to cliffs.

The call for assistance was received at 6:09pm, and the lifeboat was launched just over 10 minutes later. Calm sea conditions allowed the volunteer crew to reach the scene swiftly. A local recreational boat from Voyages of Discovery had been standing by the stricken vessel until the lifeboat arrived.

Given the boat’s proximity to the cliffs and inability to manoeuvre, the coxswain made the decision to tow it back to Porthclais. However, the harbour is inaccessible to the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat.

Fortunately, off-duty crew member Robin was nearby on his own vessel and was able to take over the tow and bring the motorboat safely into the harbour.

The lifeboat and crew returned to station by 7:40pm.

Crime

Motorist sentenced over crash that left biker with life-changing injuries

Published

7 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man who caused life-changing injuries to a motorcyclist in a serious crash at Merlin’s Bridge has been sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.

JAMES IAN PUTTOCK appeared before the court on Wednesday (July 2), where he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving, contrary to section 2C of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The collision occurred on December 20, 2022, at Merlin’s Bridge, near Haverfordwest, and involved a red Suzuki Splash driven by Puttock and a motorcyclist.

The rider suffered what police described at the time as “life-changing injuries” and was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The road was closed for several hours while crash investigators examined the scene.

Puttock had originally been due to stand trial, as previously reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald in January 2024. However, he entered a guilty plea ahead of trial.

At sentencing, the court imposed the following:

20 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months
10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days
12-month driving disqualification

The Herald understands the crash had a profound impact on the injured rider and their family, who are still dealing with the long-term consequences of the incident.