Politics

First Minister tells scrutiny committees to cool it with recommendations

Published

5 months ago

September 19, 2025

TENSIONS over parliamentary scrutiny have emerged after First Minister Eluned Morgan told Senedd committees to make fewer recommendations to the Welsh Government.

Baroness Morgan wrote to Elin Jones – the Senedd’s speaker or Llywydd – over the summer, expressing concerns about the volume of committee recommendations.

She said: “We need to be realistic about our ability to deliver committee recommendations and of the need to consider… the context of the limited resources which are available. If the current volume continues, the government is likely to need to reject more recommendations.”

In the letter, the First Minister stressed she was not seeking to fetter the critical work of Senedd scrutiny committees in holding the Welsh Government to account.

But Senedd Members have rebuked Baroness Morgan, arguing it is not for ministers to tell scrutiny committees how to do their work.

During a meeting of the public accounts committee, Labour’s Mike Hedges partly agreed with the First Minister. “I think committees produce far too many recommendations,” he said.

“But it’s not for the First Minister to say how many recommendations she wants.”

Mr Hedges was “hugely disappointed” with the number of recommendations for ministers that actually get accepted and implemented following committee inquiries.

He criticised ministers’ “mealy mouthed” tendency to accept many recommendations “in principle” rather than in full: “If you’re not going to do it, you’re actually rejecting it…. it’s just a reason to not have a row over it but ‘we’re not going to do anything about it’.”

Mr Hedges called for a meeting with the First Minister to discuss the Welsh Government’s concerns instead of simply saying: “We don’t like all those recommendations.”

Mark Isherwood, who chairs the committee, pointed to a 2018 promise by the Welsh Government’s then-permanent secretary to end the “accept in principle” practice.

Tom Giffard, a fellow Conservative, also called for the Welsh Government to be clearer in its responses to recommendations to aid committees in tracking implementation.

During the committee’s meeting on September 17, Alun Davies argued it’s perfectly fair and reasonable for the First Minister and the Welsh Government to take a view.

But he said: “If the government made fewer mistakes, we’d make fewer recommendations. So, I think there’s a point to be made there and I think we can push back on that.”

Adam Price, the former Plaid Cymru leader, agreed with the Labour backbencher about the value of forensic, more micro-level recommendations made by committees.

He raised concerns about the fundamental principle of the separation of powers, warning of lines being blurred between the roles of the Senedd and Welsh Government. The Senedd’s role is to scrutinise and create laws while the Welsh Government implements them.

He told the meeting on September 17: “We’re there to scrutinise the government, not the government to scrutinise us. And I think that’s an important principle, ultimately. Committees need to make their own decisions about how they fulfil their remit and purpose.”

Mr Price said the Welsh Government should not see recommendations as criticism nor an additional burden but as a useful additional antenna to identify potential policy solutions.

But he stressed: “If there’s a change in the role of committees… then [the] government needs to honour its implied promise that if there are fewer and more focused recommendations, then more of them are going to be implemented.”

Senedd Members proposed arranging a meeting between committee chairs and the Welsh Government to discuss the issue in greater detail.

Business

Bid to convert office space into chocolate factory, salon and laundrette

Published

5 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL for the retrospective conversion of office space previously connected to a Pembrokeshire car hire business to a chocolate factory, a beauty salon and a laundrette has been submitted to county planners

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Mr M Williams, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, sought retrospective permission for the subdivision of an office on land off Scotchwell Cottage, Cartlett, Haverfordwest into three units forming a chocolate manufacturing, a beauty salon, and a launderette, along with associated works.

A supporting statement said planning history at the site saw a 2018 application for the refurbishment of an existing office building and a change of use from oil depot offices to a hire car office and car/van storage yard, approved back in 2019.

For the chocolate manufacturing by ‘Pembrokeshire Chocolate company,’ as part of the latest scheme it said: “The operation comprises of manufacturing of handmade bespoke flavoured chocolate bars. Historically there was an element of counter sales but this has now ceased. The business sales comprise of online orders and the delivery of produce to local stockist. There are no counter sales from the premises.”

It said the beauty salon “offers treatments, nail services and hairdressing,” operating “on an appointment only basis, with the hairdresser element also offering a mobile service”. It said the third unit of the building functions as a commercial laundrette and ironing services known as ‘West Coast Laundry,’ which “predominantly provides services to holiday cottages, hotels and care homes”.

The statement added: “Beyond the unchanged access the site has parking provision for at least 12 vehicles and a turning area. The building now forms three units which employ two persons per unit. The 12 parking spaces, therefore, provide sufficient provision for staff.

“In terms of visiting members of the public the beauty salon operates on an appointment only basis and based on its small scale can only accommodate two customers at any one time. Therefore, ample parking provision exists to visitors.

“With regard to the chocolate manufacturing and commercial laundrette service these enterprises do not attract visitors but do attract the dropping off laundry and delivery of associated inputs. Drop off and collections associated with the laundry services tend to fall in line with holiday accommodation changeover days, for example Tuesday drop off and collections on the Thursday.

“With regard to the chocolate manufacturing ingredients are delivered by couriers and movements associated with this is also estimated at 10 vehicular movements per week.”

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.

Politics

Ceredigion council tax expected to rise by 4.7 per cent

Published

12 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A BETTER financial settlement for Ceredigion from the Welsh Government along with a fresh grant is expected to see council tax bills in the county rising by less than five per cent this year, far below previous fears of a rise as high as nearly nine.

Last year, for the 2025-’26 budget, Ceredigion saw a council tax rise of 9.3 per cent.

While council tax makes up a proportion of the council’s annual revenue, a crucial area of funding is the Aggregate External Finance (AEF) rate from Welsh Government.

Ceredigion was to receive a 2.3 per cent increase on its settlement, some £3,388,000 for a total of £150,670,000, placing it at joint 13th of the 22 local authorities in Wales.

Following a later Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru agreement additional funding for local government was secured, giving Ceredigion additional funding.

Back in November, before the increased settlement was announced, Ceredigion Leader Cllr Bryan Davies said that early estimates indicated that an 8.9 per cent increase in council tax would be necessary, but an improved position of 6.9 per cent had been indicated as a result of a further modelling of service cost pressures and operational savings.

Following the improved settlement, members at the January meeting of Cabinet heard from Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement Services Cllr Gareth Davies a recommendation for a 4.75 per cent council tax increase as part of a draft budget requirement of £221.493m was being mooted.

That position has improved again, following financial support towards the Mid and West Wales Fire Service Levy, members of the February 3 meeting of the council’s corporate resources overview and scrutiny committee heard, the funding now dropping the expected council tax increase to 4.7 per cent, equivalent to an extra £7.39 per month for the average Band D property for the next financial year.

Members of the committee agreed to note the 4.7 per cent figure, with the final council tax recommendation being considered by Cabinet on February 10; the final decision on the budget being made by full council on March 2.

international news

Mandelson quits Lords amid police probe over Epstein links

Published

20 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Peter Mandelson has announced he will retire from the House of Lords with immediate effect, as mounting political and legal pressure grows over claims he shared sensitive government information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Parliamentary officials confirmed that Peter Mandelson formally notified the Clerk of the Parliaments of his decision, ending his membership of the upper chamber from Tuesday (Feb 4).

The move follows reports that the Metropolitan Police Service is reviewing allegations of possible misconduct in public office connected to emails said to have been forwarded to Epstein while Mandelson was business secretary during the 2008–09 financial crisis.

Downing Street has confirmed that material has been passed to police after an initial Cabinet Office review.

Government fury

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 19: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivers a statement in the media briefing room of 9 Downing Street in central London, after US president Donald Trump’s threats to ramp up tariffs until a deal is reached for the US to buy Greenland, at Downing Street on January 19, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Jordan Pettitt – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Keir Starmer told cabinet colleagues Mandelson had “let his country down”, according to No 10, and officials are now drafting legislation that could strip him of his peerage entirely.

Removing a life peer is rare and would require an Act of Parliament.

If passed, Mandelson would lose the title “Lord” altogether — an extraordinary step that has only been considered in the most serious cases.

Senior ministers have described the alleged passing-on of market-sensitive government discussions as “disgraceful” and a “betrayal of trust”.

What police are examining

Misconduct in public office is a centuries-old common law offence that applies where someone in a position of public trust wilfully abuses that role. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Investigators will assess whether confidential information — particularly relating to government financial policy during the crash — was shared without justification and whether safeguards were breached.

At this stage, no charges have been brought.

Mandelson has previously apologised for maintaining contact with Epstein after the financier’s conviction, saying he regrets “ever having known him”, but he has disputed some of the latest claims and has not commented directly on the police review.

Political shockwaves

Opposition parties are pushing for further disclosure of documents relating to Mandelson’s vetting and his past roles.

Conservatives are expected to force a Commons vote demanding more information, while Liberal Democrats have called for a public inquiry.

Several MPs have also suggested Mandelson should be removed from the Privy Council.

The developments mark a dramatic fall for one of Labour’s most influential political figures of the past three decades, who only months ago was serving as the UK’s ambassador to Washington.

Now, with police examining evidence and legislation being prepared to remove his title, his public career appears effectively over.

More updates are expected as the investigation continues.