Politics

Plaid Cymru demands end to ‘shameful’ pensions injustice

Published

11 months ago

May 27, 2025

SENEDD members called out the “shameful”, long-standing pensions injustice faced by thousands of women born in the 1950s, coal miners, and steelworkers.

Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan backed the 1950s Women of Wales group’s campaign for justice for women affected by changes to the pension age.

Millions of women saw their retirement plans plunged into chaos after they were given little to no notice of the change, causing financial hardship for many.

Ms Fychan also raised the plight of former miners under the British Coal pension who are calling for the same justice afforded to members of the miners’ pension scheme in autumn.

And the politician highlighted that former workers of Allied Steel and Wire (ASW) have seen their pensions “erode” for decades due to a failure to uprate them with inflation.

“These three groups have one thing in common,” she said. “The members of the campaigns are all individuals who have worked hard throughout their lives and who deserve the basic right of stability in their retirement.

“They did nothing wrong and it is a disgrace that in their retirement they have to campaign for something that they should be entitled to.”

Leading a debate on May 21, Ms Fychan stressed: “Let no-one forget that political decisions are responsible for these injustices and that political decisions can also provide redress.”

Plaid Cymru’s shadow finance secretary accused first minister Eluned Morgan and Welsh secretary Jo Stevens of saying one thing in opposition and doing another when in power.

Her Conservative counterpart Sam Rowlands, whose mother has been affected by pension changes, similarly accused Labour of “quite remarkable” hypocrisy.

Conservative MS Sam Rowlands speaking in the Senedd — Conservative MS Sam Rowlands

Mr Rowlands said: “Eluned Morgan confidently stated that a Labour government at Westminster would ‘put this right’. But, as we see now, it’s complete rubbish. Labour happily said one thing in opposition before doing a screeching 180 and reneging on their promises.”

He warned that Plaid Cymru’s pursuit of Welsh independence, which “relies on fantasy economics”, would “blow a hole” in pension protections.

Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams said the failure to rectify pensions injustice for 1950s women was “another example of gender-based discrimination and shameful unfairness”.

Plaid Cymru's shadow social justice minister, Sioned Williams — Plaid Cymru’s shadow social justice minister, Sioned Williams

Highlighting the human impact, she said some women had to continue working, sell their homes, sleep in their cars or “sofa surf” until their local council could rehouse them.

She told the Senedd that, on average, women have to work 19 years longer than men to accumulate the same level of pension wealth, according to a report on the gender gap.

Rhys ab Owen, who sits as an independent representing South Wales Central, focused on ACW steelworkers’ fight for justice over the past quarter of a century.

His father Owen John Thomas, a former Plaid Cymru politician who represented the same region in the then-Assembly, was involved in the steelworkers’ campaign from the outset.

Mr ab Owen quoted campaigner John Benson, who was watching from the public gallery, as saying: “All I want is what I paid for, my pension.”

He warned campaigners have been ignored and insulted – “told off by politicians for the tone of their emails, told off by people who have no idea of the hardship they have lived”.

Mr ab Owen said: “It’s absolutely unbelievable. The injustice is obvious. Everybody I talk to about this clearly sees the injustice but it remains.”

Adam Price focused on pensions set up when British Coal was privatised in 1994.

“Here are the cold, hard facts,” said the former Plaid Cymru leader. “Since then, the Treasury has taken £3.1bn from the British Coal staff superannuation scheme. They plan to take another £1.9bn by 2033. And how much have they put in? Not a single penny.”

Jack Sargeant, for the Welsh Government, cautioned that Labour cannot fix the legacy left by the former Conservative UK Government within 10 months of a general election.

Pointing to progress on miners’ pensions, he said: “We have consistently raised concerns about pensions injustices with successive UK Governments and we will continue to do so.”

Mr Sargeant, whose responsibilities include fair work in Wales, stressed that pensions are not devolved, so Welsh ministers do not have the powers to provide redress.

Plaid Cymru’s motion was voted down, 24-11 with 12 abstaining, before Labour’s amendment was narrowly agreed, 24-23.

News

Police asked to investigate alleged ‘sabotage’ of Senedd candidate’s campaign

Published

9 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

INDEPENDENT Senedd candidate Paul Haywood-Dowson has contacted Dyfed-Powys Police alleging that his election campaign was deliberately disrupted less than 24 hours before polling day.

In an email sent on Wednesday afternoon (May 6) to the force’s Electoral Fraud and Malpractice Single Point of Contact (SPOC), Mr Haywood-Dowson claimed a marketing contractor had taken possession of 4,000 election leaflets and then stopped responding to communications.

Mr Haywood-Dowson, who is standing in the Ceredigion Penfro constituency, alleged the actions amounted to “criminal sabotage of election material” under Section 115 of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

He wrote: “I am formally reporting a criminal interference in the election occurring right now.”

The candidate claimed a Liverpool-based contractor had collected the leaflets and accepted £252 in payment before allegedly failing to deliver or return them.

Mr Haywood-Dowson stated: “By taking physical possession of my flyers and refusing to deliver or return them 24 hours before the poll, he has used a ‘fraudulent device or contrivance’ to prevent the free exercise of the franchise by my potential voters.”

He further alleged: “This is not a delivery delay. It is Theft by Deception.”

The email requested a crime reference number and asked police to contact the contractor “immediately” to secure the return of the campaign material.

The Herald has contacted Dyfed-Powys Police and the contractor, who we are not naming at this stage, for comment.

News

Farage mocked over ‘London elections’ advert in Welsh newspaper

Published

21 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

REFORM UK leader Nigel Farage has been criticised after a campaign advert urging people to vote in the “London elections” appeared in a Welsh newspaper read by voters in Powys.

Critics say advert shows Reform’s campaign is focused on London, not Wales

The two-page party political advert was published in the Powys County Times on Friday (May 1), just days before voters in Wales go to the polls in the Senedd election on Thursday (May 7).

The advert included a letter from Mr Farage in which he attacked London Mayor Sadiq Khan and claimed the capital had become “lawless” and “unrecognisable” under Labour.

But the message appeared to have been aimed at London voters, not those in Powys.

In the letter, Mr Farage wrote: “If you want to get rid of Keir Starmer and change the direction of this country, there is one way to do it: Vote Reform in the London elections on May 7th.”

He added: “London needs Reform. It is one of the world’s great capitals. Yet these days Sadiq Khan’s London often feels lawless and unrecognisable to Londoners who can no longer afford to live in their own city.”

The advert has since been seized on by rival parties, who say it raises questions about Reform UK’s focus on Wales during the Senedd campaign.

A Welsh Labour source said: “For Wales, see London. Reform UK’s focus isn’t on Wales, it’s on getting Farage into Number 10.

“They don’t even care enough to place the right advert in the right country. It’s all about promoting Farage as their front man and fooling voters into thinking they’ve got more than slogans.”

Voters in Wales will elect Members of the Senedd on Thursday, while a number of local council and mayoral elections are also taking place in England.

In London, all 32 boroughs are holding elections, with more than 1,800 councillors due to be elected.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats also criticised the advert.

Glyn Preston, the party’s lead candidate for Gwynedd Maldwyn, said: “Reform can’t even get the right election on their own leaflets. It says everything about how little they understand or care about Wales or Powys, and raises serious questions about their ability to run the country.

“While they’re busy talking about Sadiq Khan and London, the Liberal Democrats are focused on the issues that actually matter to people here in Powys — long NHS waiting times, rural communities, and securing a fair deal on investment from Cardiff Bay.

“Powys deserves representatives who are rooted in the communities they serve, who know and understand local challenges, not yes-men taking their lead from Nigel Farage in London in his latest quest for power.”

Reform UK has been running newspaper adverts across Wales in the run-up to the Senedd election.

The party has been polling strongly, with surveys suggesting it could make major gains under the new voting system.

Reform UK has not yet commented publicly on why a London-focused advert appeared in a Powys newspaper.

News

Plaid tells Carmarthenshire voters: ‘Only we can stop Reform’

Published

3 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PLAID CYMRU has urged voters in Sir Gaerfyrddin to back the party on Thursday, claiming it is the only party able to beat Reform UK in the new constituency.

The appeal comes after the latest ITV Cymru Wales, YouGov and Wales Governance Centre MRP poll suggested Plaid Cymru is on course to become the largest party in the Senedd, with Reform close behind. The poll put Plaid on 33% across Wales and Reform on 29%. (YouGov)

Sir Gaerfyrddin is one of the new Senedd constituencies being used for the first time in this election. It has been created from the Carmarthen and Llanelli Westminster seats and will elect six Members of the Senedd under the new closed-list system.

Plaid Cymru’s list in Sir Gaerfyrddin is led by Cefin Campbell, followed by Nerys Evans, Adam Price and Mari Arthur. (Who Can I Vote For?)

The party says the contest locally is now between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, and has called on voters who want to stop Nigel Farage’s party from gaining ground in Carmarthenshire to “lend” Plaid their vote.

Nerys Evans said Plaid was offering “new leadership” and a “positive vision” for Wales, including childcare support, a National Development Agency to grow the economy, and a new numeracy and literacy scheme for children.

She said: “As the voters of Sir Gaerfyrddin head to the polls on Thursday, the choice could not be more stark.

“Only two parties can win here: Plaid Cymru, who offer new leadership, a positive vision, and which will be accountable only to the people of Wales; or Reform, which would divide our communities, threaten the future of our NHS, cut support for our culture and language and is controlled by Nigel Farage, billionaires, and ex-Tories in London.

“Support for Labour has disappeared in Carmarthenshire, with people unwilling to vote for a party that has let Wales down for over 27 years and in Westminster since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister.

“There is no evidence that the Greens or the Liberal Democrats will secure enough votes to come close to winning a seat.

“We ask anyone who wants to prevent a victory for Reform in Carmarthenshire to lend their vote to Plaid Cymru on Thursday.”

The Senedd election takes place on Thursday (May 7).