Politics

Culture minister clashes with committee over funding

Published

5 months ago

November 19, 2025

PLANS for a 2% budget increase for arts and sport fail to address the fundamental issue of Wales’ relatively low cultural spending, Senedd members have warned.

Delyth Jewell, who chairs the Senedd’s culture committee, questioned whether a “standstill” budget is sufficient given Wales ranks among the lowest in Europe for spending on culture.

Culture minister Jack Sargeant said the Welsh Government’s “roll-over” draft budget, which increases broadly in line with inflation, marks a significant shift from only a few years ago.

Labour’s Alun Davies warned of a “disconnect between rhetoric and reality”, saying: “We’ve had a tussle with yourself and your predecessors about funding for the arts and sport…

“The government’s position is, I presume, that it does accept that Wales funds the arts, culture and sport less well than any other UK nation and less well than any other comparable nation across Europe. Is that the case?”

Giving evidence today (November 19), Mr Sargeant told the committee the league table includes many caveats as he questioned whether it is a like-for-like comparison.

Mr Davies, who is first on Labour’s list for the new Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymney seat at next year’s election, pressed his Labour colleague, asking: “Does the government accept the relative position of Wales? It’s either yes or no.”

The minister replied: “We accept the position we’re in where we are funding our arts and sports sector, they had an increase in the budget last year and they’ve had an increase re-stated this year but, again, this is not the end of the process.”

But Mr Davies suggested: “The fact that you don’t say yes or no does indicate to me that you do recognise the relative situation of Wales… so there’s a recognition there that Wales is poorly funded for its arts, poorly funded for culture, poorly funded for sport.”

Mr Sargeant pointed to significant increases in longer-term capital funding over the past decade, highlighting a £700,000 investment in Mr Davies’ Blaenau Gwent constituency.

The culture minister raised evidence the committee heard from Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales) which “described the position as ‘fabulous’” on capital funding.

Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan, who worked for the museum until her election in 2021, countered: “I think that is selective use of the word ‘fabulous’… there was a ‘but’ there.”

She asked: “Do you think that it’s fabulous now, that the sector’s in a fabulous position, is that the view of the Welsh Government?”

Mr Sargeant dismissed suggestions he was using the word “fabulous” out of context, quoting from the record and recognising that challenges remain.

Mr Davies suggested: “There has been no decision in government to address the relative paucity of funding for Welsh culture, arts and sport, and there’s been no decision taken to address that fundamental issue – am I correct? The answer’s yes or no to be fair.”

The minister replied: “No, the answer is that we don’t just invest in culture and sport through the culture and sport part of the portfolio. I think that’s clear for everyone to see.

“We’ve seen other investments in the budget this year, and previous years, from other portfolios and the re-stated budget allows that to happen again.”

Mr Davies, a former minister, suggested the sector will continue to be relatively “badly” funded. “We can congratulate our football team as much as we like,” he said. “But, unless we’re actually investing in the future, then what does that future look like?

“And I’m concerned that in the Welsh Government there doesn’t seem to be any sense of urgency facing this defining part of our cultural life.”

Mr Sargeant said: “I fight for the arts and sports sector every single day,” pointing to increases for culture between last year’s draft and final budgets.

The debate shifted to broader strategy and plans to make Wales the world’s first “Marmot nation” by tackling health inequalities, with Mr Davies asking: “What does this mean?”

Mr Sargeant told the committee change would not come overnight. He explained becoming a “Marmot nation” furthers the case for more preventive spending but he stressed ministers must simultaneously balance acute pressures in the health service too.

He earlier illustrated this preventative approach with mental health training for every Welsh football club, saying: “It’s a decision I wanted to make because of the reasons, which we’ve seen far too publicly, of the issue of suicide and mental health for young men, in particular.

“And I make no apology for making that decision. I have personal experience with that.

“My best friend of 20 years, our former colleague and indeed my dad have all had that experience, so I take pride in putting money into that initiative.”

News

Last chance to register for Senedd election

Published

8 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Pembrokeshire voters have until 11:59pm on Monday (Apr 20) to make sure they can take part in the historic May 7 poll in the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency.

PEMBROKESHIRE residents who have not yet registered to vote have only hours left to make sure they can take part in the 2026 Senedd election, with the deadline set for 11:59pm on Monday (Apr 20). The election itself takes place on Thursday, May 7, with polling stations open from 7am to 10pm.

Registering online through GOV.UK usually takes about five minutes. Voters are normally asked for their National Insurance number, but people can still register if they do not have one. Anyone who has changed address, name or nationality must register again using their new details.

Pembrokeshire County Council has confirmed that voters in the county will cast their ballots in the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency. This election marks a major change for Wales, with the Senedd increasing from 60 to 96 Members, the creation of 16 new constituencies, and six Members being elected in each one.

The voting system is also changing. Voters will now have one vote for a political party or an independent candidate. Under the closed list system, parties rank their candidates in advance, and seats are allocated after the votes are counted.

Voters in Wales do not need photo ID to vote in person at Senedd elections. People aged 16 and over can vote in the Senedd election if they are properly registered and meet the nationality and residency rules, including British and Irish citizens and qualifying Commonwealth, EU and foreign citizens living in Wales.

There are further deadlines close behind. Applications for a postal vote, or a postal proxy vote, must be in by 5pm on Tuesday (Apr 21), while ordinary proxy vote applications close at 5pm on Tuesday (Apr 28).

Disabled voters are entitled to support at polling stations, with measures such as ramps, low-level booths, pencil grips and seating expected to be available where needed. Voters can also bring their own aids, such as a magnifier or text-to-speech app, and assistance animals are welcome.

For anyone still unsure, Pembrokeshire County Council says the Ceredigion Penfro Constituency Returning Officer can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by telephone on 01545 570881.

Key dates:

Postal and postal proxy deadline: 5pm on Tuesday (Apr 21).

Proxy deadline: 5pm on Tuesday (Apr 28).

Polling day is Thursday, May 7, from 7am to 10pm.

No photo ID is required for this election.

Pembrokeshire voters will be in Ceredigion Penfro.

Wales now has 16 constituencies, each electing six Members, and voters have one vote for a party or independent candidate.

Business

Slebech Park wedding venue ran without planning permission for years

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to keep a wedding venue, erected without permission at a Georgian Pembrokeshire hotel whose site once belonged to the Knights Hospitallers, has been given a five-year period of grace.

In a listed building application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Traverse Development Ltd, through agent Harries Planning Design Management, sought retrospective permission for the temporary retention of a wedding marquee at Slebech Park Restaurant and Rooms, Slebech; works having started back in 2009.

Grade-II*-listed Slebech Park once belonged to the Knights Hospitallers of the order of St John, later becoming the seat of the powerful Barlow family.

The present house was completed in 1776, built by Anthony Keck. This is his largest known house and the biggest Georgian single build in the country.

The grade-II-listed stables, which have the marquee on their eastern terrace, were converted to a hotel, conference centre and restaurant after 2003.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “The proposal seeks to retain the already erected temporary marquee used for weddings to allow the site to continue to host weddings, whilst a permanent solution is developed and approved by planning.

“The marquee will continue to operate as it has for over 10 years, with no changes proposed. The marquee is completely removeable without any permanent fixtures.”

It added: “The marquee is only affixed temporarily and will be removed with no damage to any of the listed buildings or the overall site once a permanent solution has been agreed.

“By retaining the marquee in the same location, it ensures that continuation of the site is as existing, reduces the potential impact of moving the marquee to a potentially more harmful site and ensures any ecology is not further disrupted. Once removed the site will return to its historic state.”

An officer report recommending approval said no adverse comments have been received from consultees towards the current proposal, and no third-party representations raising issues relating to listed building matters have been received, the proposed scheme “in keeping with the character of the listed building, and its setting in terms of design and form”.

It added: “Temporary consent for this marquee has been granted on four previous occasions and a letter submitted in support of the current application states that an application for a permanent solution for a wedding venue at Slebech Park is imminent, in line with the original proposals for the terrace restaurant.

“The effect on character and setting is not considered acceptable long-term but short-term retention in the interests of retaining the complex of buildings in viable use (and repair) whilst a suitable permanent solution is found is considered reasonable. As such, the application can be supported for a temporary period subject to conditions.”

The application was approved, conditions including a five-year period of grace.

News

Reform leader’s Barnet record attacked by union as party hits back

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

UNISON says outsourcing under Dan Thomas cost council millions more than planned

REFORM UK Wales leader Dan Thomas has come under attack from UNISON Cymru, which says his record in local government should serve as a warning to Welsh voters ahead of the Senedd election.

In a report released on Wednesday (Apr 15), the union claimed Barnet Council became one of the most far-reaching outsourcing experiments in British local government during Thomas’s time as a Conservative councillor, deputy leader and later council leader.

UNISON says core services were handed to private contractors on a huge scale, costs increased sharply and public scrutiny was weakened.

The report claims decade-long contracts with Capita ended up costing Barnet Council £229 million more than originally planned, while around 790 jobs were transferred out of the public sector, including roles in cleaning, IT and customer services.

Jess Turner, regional secretary for UNISON Cymru, said: “Barnet’s outsourcing disaster shows the price staff and residents have to pay when politicians hand public services to private contractors and weaken scrutiny.

“Wales needs high quality services that are properly funded, publicly delivered and accountable to the communities they serve. Staff and residents have every right to judge politicians by what they did when they had power.

“This report gives Welsh voters the chance to look at Dan Thomas’ track record and draw their own conclusions.”

John Burgess, Barnet UNISON branch secretary, also criticised Thomas’s record, claiming he had been hostile to criticism during his time at the authority.

He said: “I watched Dan Thomas operate for the best part of two decades in Barnet. He is adversarial, arrogant and hostile to anyone who challenges him.

“When residents tried to ask questions, he shut down public scrutiny at council meetings.

“People in Wales need to understand what he did when he had power. He championed contracts that cost the council £229m more than planned, left basic financial controls in tatters and saw Barnet become the first local authority fined by the Pensions Regulator.”

Reform UK rejected the criticism when approached by The Herald.

A party spokesperson said: “Dan has experience in cutting taxes while protecting frontline services.

“Other party leaders in Wales do not.”

Thomas served as a Conservative councillor in the London Borough of Barnet from 2006, became deputy leader in 2011 and council leader in 2019. He resigned as a councillor in December 2025 and now leads Reform UK Wales.

The exchange is the latest sign that Thomas’s record in local government is becoming a political battleground in Wales as parties seek to define Reform’s approach to public services before polling day.