AS NEW year begins, there is often talk of change — a new routine, a new job, or even a new home. Politically, however, 2026 does represent a year of genuine change for Wales. Before looking ahead, it is important to reflect honestly on the year just gone and on what 2025 has meant for our communities.

For many families and businesses across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and beyond, 2025 has not been an easy year. The final bank in south Pembrokeshire closed its doors, prompting my campaign for a local banking hub to ensure face-to-face services remain available for residents in Pembroke Dock, Pembroke, surrounding villages and further afield. Access to basic services like banking matters deeply in rural areas, and it is an issue I will continue to press.

We have also seen unemployment rise, alongside increases in taxes and business rates. Too many local businesses have been forced to close. While some new enterprises have opened, too often the balance has gone the wrong way. This has had a real and visible impact on our high streets, and on families who rely on local jobs and services.

Rural communities have faced particular pressures. Farm protests over proposed changes to inheritance tax reflected deep concern about the future of family farms. While it was welcome to see long-overdue changes announced just before Christmas, the uncertainty experienced by farming families throughout the year should not be underestimated.

At the same time, constituents have continued to raise concerns about access to healthcare, from GP and dental appointments through to hospital services — issues that remain a constant worry for many.

Yet 2025 has not been without its positives. There has been sustained and important championing of the Haven Waterway and the industries that depend upon it, underlining its strategic and economic importance not just locally, but nationally.

My campaign for improved road safety along the A477 has continued, following success at the Nash Fingerpost junction. Work has now been carried out at the Red Roses junction, and speed surveys have been committed to at Milton. Long-overdue investment in Tenby Railway Station has also been welcomed, with work now underway.

We have also seen communities come together to support local causes, protect vital services and stand up for what matters to them. These efforts often go unrecognised, but they make a real difference.

The resilience of our communities never ceases to amaze me. Across our corner of Wales, hard-working people put their shoulder to the wheel every day. There are community-minded individuals going the extra mile for causes close to their hearts, and a quiet determination to leave a better future for the next generation than the one we inherited. That spirit is something worth protecting and nurturing.

It is for these reasons that serving as a Member of the Senedd has been such an honour. Every piece of casework, every email, phone call or conversation on the street carries with it a responsibility to listen and to act. Being Pembrokeshire born and bred, I never forget who I am working for, or the trust that has been placed in me.

Having spent much of my youth playing sport — rugby, football and cricket — I learned early that success is rarely about individual glory. It comes from showing up consistently, being dependable, working as part of a team and treating both teammates and opponents with respect. Those same values guide me as a Member of the Senedd. Representing people properly means being present, being accessible and being willing to do the hard work, often away from the spotlight, because that is how trust is earned.

Looking ahead, there are reasons for cautious optimism. While challenges remain, the year ahead offers an opportunity to learn from experience and to focus on practical solutions that reflect the realities of life in our communities. I remain determined to continue working hard on behalf of constituents, engaging constructively, showing up and making the case for better outcomes for west Wales.

And to return to where I began — with change — in May 2026, voters will take part in the Senedd election. I will be standing as a Welsh Conservative candidate for the new Ceredigion Penfro seat, which encompasses the whole of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. I am delighted to be standing alongside my good friend Paul Davies MS. With six seats to be elected in our area, both Paul and I are working hard to earn the confidence of voters once again and to continue representing you.

Change also means an expanded Senedd, with 96 members rather than the 60 we currently have, and a new voting system. While I do not agree with these changes, they are happening, and we must put our best foot forward.

Over the coming months, we look forward to spending even more time on the doorstep, speaking directly with residents about the issues that matter most to them. You elect us, and it is your trust that allows us to represent you — a trust that is never taken for granted.

I hope the Christmas period has allowed time to relax, reflect and enjoy being with family and friends. As we turn a new page on a new calendar, I wish everyone across our communities a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

A MAJOR UK Government announcement promising improved mobile phone coverage across rural Wales has failed to include Tenby, despite longstanding concerns about signal reliability in the busy seaside town.

Last week, ministers confirmed that more than 100 mobile phone masts across the UK have been upgraded under the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, delivering 4G coverage from all major mobile network operators for the first time. Of those, forty-four sites are located in Wales.

However, a published list of upgraded mast locations shows no sites in Pembrokeshire, and no reference to Tenby, where residents and businesses have repeatedly raised concerns about mobile congestion, particularly during the summer tourist season.

The upgrades are designed to address so-called “total not-spots” — areas with little or no mobile signal at all — and focus largely on upland and remote rural locations in mid and north Wales, including parts of Ceredigion, Powys and Gwynedd.

Summer congestion concerns

The Herald has previously reported on ongoing mobile coverage problems in Tenby, where a sharp rise in visitor numbers during peak holiday periods places heavy strain on existing infrastructure.

Residents and business owners have described dropped calls, slow data connections and difficulties processing card payments, with concerns also raised about the reliability of basic phone calls during the busiest weeks of the year.

While Tenby is not classed as a “total not-spot”, the issue is widely understood to be one of capacity, rather than complete absence of signal — a distinction which can leave busy coastal towns outside the scope of some national upgrade schemes.

4G — not 5G

Despite the scale of the announcement, the upgrades relate to 4G mobile coverage, not 5G.

The Shared Rural Network is a joint programme between the UK Government and mobile operators EE, O2, VodafoneThree and Virgin Media O2, aimed at ensuring rural communities have access to reliable basic mobile services, including voice calls and emergency connectivity.

Ministers have said the improvements will benefit households, businesses and emergency services, with the programme running until January 2027 and further upgrades planned.

However, no announcement has yet been made setting out when — or if — Tenby’s known capacity problems will be addressed, leaving questions about how the town will cope during another busy summer season.

The Welsh sites included in the latest phase of the Shared Rural Network upgrades are concentrated largely in mid and north Wales, with new or upgraded masts listed in Ceredigion, Powys, Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbighshire, as well as rural border areas close to Carmarthenshire. Many of the locations are upland farms, valleys and sparsely populated communities that previously had little or no mobile coverage from multiple networks, including parts of the Cambrian Mountains, Snowdonia and remote inland areas away from major towns and tourist centres.

Calls for clarity

With Tenby welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, the absence of a clear plan for improving mobile resilience is likely to raise further concern among residents and traders alike.

The Herald has asked whether Tenby is expected to be included in future phases of the Shared Rural Network programme, and when any improvement to the town’s mobile capacity might be delivered.

ALMOST three-quarters of car thefts recorded in South Wales last year went unsolved, according to new figures, prompting renewed calls for tougher action against organised vehicle crime.

Data published by the House of Commons Library shows that 74% of car theft offences recorded by South Wales Police resulted in no suspect being identified or charged. The figures have reignited concerns about police capacity, cross-border criminal networks, and the growing sophistication of vehicle theft gangs.

The problem is not confined to one force area. Across Wales, outcomes for car theft investigations vary widely. In Gwent, 69% of cases were unsolved, while North Wales Police recorded a 51% unsolved rate. Dyfed-Powys Police, which covers much of rural west Wales, had the lowest proportion at 38%, though the force area also records fewer thefts overall.

Vehicle crime has increasingly shifted from opportunistic theft to highly organised operations. Police and insurers have previously warned that many vehicles are stripped for parts or transported out of the country within hours, making recovery and prosecution difficult.

In South Wales, densely populated residential areas, commuter corridors, and transport hubs are frequently targeted, while rural communities can face longer response times and fewer specialist resources. Criminal networks are also believed to be exploiting major routes such as the M4 to move stolen vehicles rapidly out of the region.

The figures have been seized upon by the Welsh Liberal Democrats, who are calling for a national “car theft crackdown” and the creation of a specialist vehicle crime unit within the National Crime Agency.

The party says such a unit should bring together Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data, insurance and vehicle registration records, and intelligence from police forces and border agencies, with a specific focus on organised gangs operating across force boundaries.

They argue that improving detection rates would not only reduce crime but also help lower insurance premiums and rebuild public confidence in policing.

Sam Bennett, Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate for Gŵyr Abertawe (Swansea & Gower) and a Swansea City councillor, said the figures were “deeply worrying”.

“Car theft is a real problem across Wales, and it is alarming how many cases are going unsolved,” he said. “Victims deserve justice rather than silence.

“Years of cuts under the previous Conservative government hollowed out local policing, and the current Labour government is failing to respond to what has become a serious and organised criminal threat.”

However, police forces across Wales have previously stressed that detection rates alone do not tell the full story. Senior officers have pointed to improvements in crime recording, the growing use of forensic and digital evidence, and targeted operations against organised crime groups, particularly those linked to drugs and vehicle theft.

A spokesperson for South Wales Police has previously said the force prioritises serious and organised crime, working with regional and national partners to disrupt gangs and recover stolen vehicles, while encouraging the public to take preventative measures such as steering locks, secure parking, and tracking devices.

The Welsh Government has also maintained that police funding in Wales has increased in recent years, with additional officers recruited since 2020, though critics argue rising crime complexity has outpaced resources.

With car theft continuing to affect both urban and rural communities, the figures are likely to fuel further debate over policing priorities, national coordination, and whether current approaches are sufficient to tackle increasingly professional criminal networks.