News
Pembrokeshire’s MP faces key vote on winter fuel payments
Pembrokeshire’s newly elected Labour MP is expected vote on Tuesday, 10 September, as the government pushes through controversial cuts to Winter Fuel Payments.
The proposal has sparked widespread concern, particularly among the elderly, with approximately 18,000 pensioners in Pembrokeshire expected to be affected, and over 10 million across the UK facing potential financial hardship this winter.
But will Henry Tufnell toe the line? Its likely he will.
The Labour government, led by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, plans to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment, limiting it to pensioners on benefits like pension credit. This shift, designed to address a £22 billion budget shortfall inherited from the previous government, is expected to save £1.4 billion, but critics argue it could leave many elderly citizens choosing between “heating or eating” during the colder months.
Samuel Kurtz, Welsh Conservative Senedd Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, expressed his opposition to the cuts. “These measures weren’t in Labour’s manifesto, yet they are moving ahead with policies that will hurt vulnerable pensioners. Pembrokeshire’s pensioners deserve better,” he said, urging the county’s Labour MP to vote against the cuts.
While Labour holds a strong majority in Parliament, the vote has triggered internal dissent. Up to 50 Labour MPs are reportedly considering rebelling against the measure, citing concerns about its impact on the elderly. However, despite this opposition, the Labour government is still expected to pass the cuts, given its overwhelming parliamentary numbers.
The vote is expected to proceed, but the backlash from both inside and outside the party reflects the depth of concern about the policy, especially as energy bills rise again ahead of winter. The government has promised mitigating measures, such as extending the Warm Home Discount and boosting Pension Credit uptake, but critics remain sceptical as to whether these will adequately replace the direct support of the Winter Fuel Payment.
EMERGENCY services were called after a car crashed into a house on Nun Street in St Davids on Thursday (Apr 24).
Dyfed-Powys Police and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene at around 4:35pm following reports of a single-vehicle collision.
On arrival, they found that a car had collided with a residential property. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The road remained open while the vehicle was recovered.
A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Dyfed-Powys Police attended a report of a single-vehicle road traffic collision where a car collided with a property on Nun Street, St Davids, at around 4:35pm yesterday. No injuries were reported, and the road remained open while the vehicle was recovered.”
POLICE are appealing for information to help locate a 54-year-old man who has been reported missing from the Milford Haven area.
Neil is described as being around 6ft 2in tall with a shaved head. He has tattoos on his arms and one of his fingers, and sometimes wears glasses.
He was last seen on Friday afternoon (Apr 26) wearing a black Superdry hoodie, ripped jeans, and orange and black Nike Air trainers. Neil is believed to be on foot.
Anyone with information that could help is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police: 
| Online portal
| 101@dyfed-powys.police.uk
| Call 101, quoting reference 262 of April 26.
Wales joins UK’s largest firefighting aid convoy
MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) has taken part in the UK’s largest ever convoy delivering vital firefighting equipment to Ukraine, joining 17 other Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) from across the country.
The convoy, coordinated by FIRE AID and supported by the UK Government, left the UK in early April. It travelled through France, Germany and Poland, delivering over 30 fire service vehicles and more than 15,000 items of equipment to support Ukrainian firefighters on the front line of the ongoing war.
Since the Russian invasion in 2022, UK fire services have donated 119 vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of equipment to Ukraine. Each participating service ensured local needs were met before donating surplus kit.
Watch Manager Rob Kershaw represented MAWWFRS on the convoy. He said:
“It’s been a privilege to be part of this convoy and to represent both FIRE AID and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
We received invaluable support and assistance from fire and police services across every country we passed through. Their help in coordinating, escorting, and hosting the convoy was outstanding.”
Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas KFSM added:
“MAWWFRS is proud to support our colleagues in Ukraine by donating and delivering essential equipment.
The events in Ukraine have deeply affected the fire and rescue community, and this convoy is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to helping those still working under extreme conditions.”
The donated equipment will support firefighters in Ukraine who continue to operate in war zones to save lives and protect property—often at great personal risk. Since the conflict began, 100 Ukrainian firefighters have been killed and 431 injured. A total of 411 fire stations and 1,700 firefighting vehicles have been destroyed.
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