Community

‘No targets, no teeth and no accountability’: ministers’ disability rights plan criticised

Published

1 year ago

June 6, 2025

CAMPAIGNERS warned it will be “impossible” to hold the Welsh Government to account on progress against its disabled people’s rights plan due to a lack of concrete targets.

Mark Isherwood, who chairs the Senedd’s cross-party group on disability, raised concerns that many of the long-term objectives in the draft ten-year plan lack firm commitments.

He said Natasha Hirst, who was part of ministers’ disability rights taskforce, pointed to a lack of funding to implement the plan as well as a scarcity of clear, robust targets.

Mr Isherwood also quoted Joe Powell, chief executive of All Wales People First, who said: “For this plan to succeed we need the appropriate investment into the infrastructure and services to make this aspiration a reality.

“We need clear targets about how we are going to achieve this. Without these, it is very difficult to see how the plan will make a difference to disabled people in Wales.”

The Conservative told the Senedd: “Damian Bridgeman, who chaired the disability rights taskforce’s housing and community working group, said the draft document was a smokescreen rather than a plan.

“He pointed to the absence of new money and a mechanism to track delivery of the action plan further, adding that, ‘disabled people have been reviewed to death, what we need is action – and there’s none of that here’.”

He said Mr Bridgeman described the plan as a “collection of vague intentions dressed up as progress”, with “no targets, no teeth and no real-world accountability”.

Mr Isherwood, who has campaigned on disability rights for decades, warned the plan lacks a commitment to enshrine the UN convention on the rights of disabled people into Welsh law.

The north Walian also warned the UK Government’s plans to cut benefits risk further disabling people in Wales by compounding poverty and exclusion.

During a statement on June 3, Jane Hutt described the plan as a landmark moment in the Welsh Government’s commitment to ensuring an inclusive and accessible society for all.

Wales’ social justice secretary said: “This plan is a ten-year blueprint for progress, designed to ensure its outcomes are realised through actions taken across government.”

Ms Hutt cautioned that UK Government welfare reforms risk overlooking the circumstances and needs of disabled people, and more so in Wales than some other parts of the UK.

Jane Hutt, secretary for social justice, trefnydd and chief whip

She said the plan seeks to position Wales as a world leader in the social model of disability, which says people are disabled by barriers in society – not by their impairment or condition.

Ms Hutt urged organisations and disabled people to have their say by responding to a consultation on the draft plan, which runs until August 7.

Sioned Williams warned the plan has been a “long time coming”, with the taskforce set up after a 2021 report, entitled Locked out, into the impact of the pandemic on disabled people.

Ms Williams told the Senedd: “We must never forget that disabled people comprised 60% of deaths from Covid-19 in Wales, and many of those deaths were preventable and rooted in socioeconomic inequality.”

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

The Plaid Cymru politician stressed the importance of legally enforceable rights – “rights that can literally be the difference between life and death”.

Ms Williams warned planned welfare cuts cast a long, dark shadow over the plan, saying: “The removal of this vital support doesn’t simply reduce income, it rips away the safety net that many disabled people rely on to live with dignity.”

She called for assurances that disabled and neurodivergent people will no longer be detained in secure hospitals in Wales, as highlighted by the Stolen Lives campaign.

Jenny Rathbone supported efforts to embed the social model of disability because “it is society that needs to change, not the individual who happens to have an impairment”.

But she recognised that a huge amount of work still needs to be done.

Julie Morgan, a fellow Labour backbencher, said the plan clearly shows the Welsh Government’s commitment to making Wales an open, inclusive and accessible place.

But Conservative Laura Anne Jones warned the plan “falls short in many critical areas”, with disabled people still facing systemic barriers to work, transport and access to services.

Laura Anne Jones MS speaking during the meeting — South Wales East MS Laura Anne Jones

She said: “With rising living costs and sweeping cuts to support services alongside welfare, this plan feels more like a statement of intent than a blueprint for real action.”

Community

Bongo Clive brings rhythm and smiles to VC Gallery celebration

Published

13 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

LEARNING DISABILITY WEEK MARKED WITH MUSIC, LAUGHTER AND INCLUSION IN PEMBROKE DOCK

THE VC GALLERY in Pembroke Dock was filled with music, laughter and energy as visitors came together to celebrate Learning Disability Week.

The event saw popular entertainer Bongo Clive lead a lively session of singing, drumming and participation, with those attending joining in throughout the day.

The gallery said the session had created a joyful atmosphere, with music helping to bring people together and celebrate inclusion, creativity and wellbeing.

A spokesperson for The VC Gallery said: “The smiles said it all. A huge thank you to Bongo Clive for bringing your incredible energy, enthusiasm and positivity to The VC today. You certainly had everyone moving to the beat.”

Learning Disability Week celebrates inclusion and the abilities, creativity and individuality of people with learning disabilities.

The Pembroke Dock event highlighted the role of community spaces such as The VC Gallery in supporting wellbeing, friendship and confidence through shared creative activities.

Community

Sir Karl Jenkins named Eisteddfod President for 2026

Published

15 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SIR KARL JENKINS has been named President of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for 2026.

The internationally acclaimed Welsh composer, one of the world’s most performed living composers, will take on the role as the festival prepares to welcome performers, competitors and visitors from across the globe.

Sir Karl is best known for works including The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Adiemus and Requiem.

His appointment comes in a landmark year after The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was voted the most popular work in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.

Opening night return

Sir Karl’s presidential year will begin with the opening night concert, Uniting Nations: One World, on Tuesday, July 7.

The concert had been due to take place in 2025 but was postponed, causing disappointment for volunteers, performers and audience members who had travelled from across the UK and overseas.

The Eisteddfod has now brought the event back with support from the Arts Council of Wales.

Sir Karl said: “I’m delighted to be returning to the Llangollen Festival this year and especially honoured to do so in the role of President.

“Llangollen is always a very special place to be, with its unique sense of community and international spirit.

“I’m greatly looking forward to conducting my most recent choral work, One World, particularly following the postponement of last year’s performance.

“It’s a piece that I feel reflects the very essence of the festival, bringing together outstanding musicians from across the globe to form one powerful collective voice.”

Global chorus

The evening will feature a full performance of One World, conducted by Sir Karl and performed by an international massed chorus made up of WorldChoir and NEW Voices, accompanied by the Llangollen International Orchestra.

The work blends Jenkins’ distinctive musical style with themes of humanity, compassion and environmental stewardship.

The concert will also include a complete staging of Peace Child: The Musical, which places young people at the heart of its message of peace and global citizenship.

Opening the evening will be the world premiere of Greeting the Dawn, a newly commissioned bilingual work by emerging Welsh composer Sam Buttler.

The piece was written for the 2026 Eisteddfod through the Harmony Without Borders initiative, continuing Llangollen’s tradition of supporting new talent and giving Welsh composers an international platform.

‘Great cultural ambassador’

John Gambles, Chair of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sir Karl Jenkins has agreed to serve as President of the Eisteddfod for 2026.

“Few musicians have done more to promote the values of peace, friendship and international understanding that lie at the heart of our festival.

“Sir Karl is one of Wales’s greatest cultural ambassadors and his music has inspired audiences across every continent.

“The fact that The Armed Man has just been voted the nation’s favourite classical work is a testament not only to his extraordinary talent, but also to the universal appeal of the messages of peace, hope and humanity that run through so much of his music.”

Mr Gambles added: “The postponement of One World last year was heartbreaking for everyone involved.

“We knew how much the concert meant to audiences, performers and volunteers alike, and we were determined to find a way to bring it back.

“Thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Wales, we can now finally give this extraordinary concert the audience it deserves.

“With Sir Karl as our President, the return of One World, the world premiere of a major new Welsh composition and the powerful message of Peace Child, this promises to be one of the most memorable and significant opening nights in the Eisteddfod’s history.”

Festival programme

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod returns for its 79th year on Tuesday, July 7.

This year’s programme includes performances from Michael Ball, Emeli Sandé with the Absolute Orchestra, Uniting Nations: One World featuring Sir Karl Jenkins, and the Choir of the World competition.

Thousands of competitors from around the world will also take part in the daytime programme, with the Parade of Nations returning on Friday, July 10.

Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £33.

Further information is available at llangollen.net.

Community

Lord Rhys emerges from the mist in St Davids

Published

17 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Giant puppet begins historic journey marking 850 years since the first Eisteddfod

MIST swirled around St Davids Cathedral on Friday evening as a giant Lord Rhys puppet emerged from the fog to begin a journey celebrating 850 years since the first recorded Eisteddfod.

Accompanied by traditional musicians and followed by crowds of spectators, the towering figure cut an imposing sight against the backdrop of the ancient cathedral.

The procession marked the start of Taith yr Arglwydd Rhys (The Journey of Lord Rhys), a cultural pilgrimage retracing the legacy of the Welsh prince whose gathering of poets and musicians at Cardigan Castle in 1176 is widely regarded as the first recorded Eisteddfod.

As fog drifted across the city and church towers faded into the background, the scene felt more like a chapter from Welsh folklore than a modern-day celebration.

The giant puppet, accompanied by fellow performers and musicians, travelled from St Davids Cathedral to Oriel y Parc before beginning a wider journey through west Wales.

The travelling celebration will visit communities across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion before culminating in Cardigan, where Lord Rhys originally staged his famous cultural gathering eight and a half centuries ago.

Video and photographs shared by DrifterStDavids captured the remarkable atmosphere, with many describing the spectacle as one of the most memorable cultural events seen in St Davids for years.

Photo caption: Lord Rhys emerges from the mist outside St Davids Cathedral as celebrations begin to mark the 850th anniversary of the first recorded Eisteddfod

(Pic: SmallWorld – Video: Drifter St Davids)