A MEMORIAL plaque has been presented in honour of Cllr Pamela George, recognising her dedicated service to Pembroke Dock.

The presentation took place at a recent full meeting of Pembroke Dock Town Council, where the town’s mayor, Cllr Michele Wiggins, presented the plaque to Cllr Jon George and Cllr Tracy George.

The plaque bears the words: “A life of service, a legacy of dedication,” and commemorates Cllr George’s contribution to the town and its community.

Pembroke Dock Town Council thanked Michaels Civic Robes & Regalia, which donated the plaque.

Photo caption:

Tribute: Cllr Jon George and Cllr Tracy George receive the memorial plaque from Pembroke Dock Mayor Cllr Michele Wiggins (Pic: Pembroke Dock Town Council).

ASB AMONG KEY PRIORITIES

A HAVERFORDWEST councillor has raised concerns about a sudden increase in anti-social behaviour in the town centre during a meeting with local police.

Cllr Thomas Tudor, county councillor for the Castle Ward, met with Sgt Andrew Williams from the local Neighbourhood Policing and Prevention Team on Thursday (Apr 23).

Cllr Tudor said the meeting had been “very beneficial and informative” and gave him the opportunity to pass on concerns from residents and businesses about policing issues in Haverfordwest.

Sgt Williams’ role includes overseeing neighbourhood policing priorities, including anti-social behaviour, road safety, business engagement, shoplifting prevention, and tackling the illegal use of e-scooters and electric bikes.

Cllr Tudor said he had raised both his own concerns and those of constituents about issues affecting the town, including what he described as a sudden escalation of anti-social behaviour in the centre of Haverfordwest.

The current policing priorities for the Haverfordwest section, which also includes the Fishguard and St Davids areas, are tackling anti-social behaviour in the community, increasing high-visibility patrols and business interaction to reduce shoplifting, and dealing with the illegal use of e-scooters and electric bikes.

Cllr Tudor thanked Dyfed-Powys Police, the Haverfordwest, Fishguard and St Davids policing teams, and Pembrokeshire County Council following the meeting.

Gwlad and the Heritage Party are among the lesser-known names on the Ceredigion Penfro ballot

SMALLER political parties are hoping to break through in Ceredigion Penfro as voters prepare for Wales’ first Senedd election under the new voting system.

While much of the campaign has focused on Labour, Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives, Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, the ballot paper also includes two lesser-known parties with very different messages: Gwlad – Wales Can Be Better and the Heritage Party – Keep Our Countryside Green.

Both are standing in the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency, which covers Ceredigion and much of Pembrokeshire. The election takes place on Thursday, May 7, with polling stations open from 7:00am to 10:00pm.

Under the new system, the Senedd will increase from 60 to 96 Members. Wales has been divided into 16 larger constituencies, with each electing six Members of the Senedd through a closed-list proportional voting system.

That means voters will cast one vote for a party list or independent candidate, rather than the previous system of choosing both a constituency MS and a regional list.

In Ceredigion Penfro, the official notice of poll lists Gwyn Wigley Evans as the Gwlad candidate and Elizabeth Davies as the Heritage Party candidate.

Gwlad

Gwlad describes itself as a Welsh nationalist party, but says its immediate focus is on rebuilding the Welsh economy, strengthening rural communities and improving public services.

The party argues that Wales needs practical policies on farming, business, tourism, transport and health, rather than what it sees as the usual arguments between the larger parties.

In Ceredigion Penfro, Gwlad is represented by Gwyn Wigley Evans, a Ceredigion county councillor and party leader. He has said the party is not made up of “career political old hands” and argues that its candidates bring real-world experience from outside the political establishment.

Gwlad’s pitch is strongly rural. The party has spoken against onshore wind turbines, pylons and what it describes as the industrialisation of the Welsh countryside. It says it supports renewable energy, but favours offshore wind, wave, tidal and solar energy on buildings rather than on agricultural land.

On farming, Gwlad says it wants stronger support for Welsh food production, more processing of food in Wales and greater promotion of “Brand Cymru”. It also calls for a dedicated Welsh ministry covering agriculture, fisheries and food.

The party wants the default 20mph speed limit scrapped, with local councils given more control over speed limits in their own areas.

On health, Gwlad says it supports universal healthcare free at the point of use, but wants more local clinics, stronger primary care and better access to minor injury services, particularly in rural communities.

On education, the party backs smaller local primary schools, more discipline in classrooms, stronger vocational training and a greater emphasis on Welsh history, culture and language.

The Heritage Party

The Heritage Party is standing in all 16 Welsh Senedd constituencies. Its Ceredigion Penfro candidate is Elizabeth Davies.

The party is socially conservative, strongly unionist and highly critical of devolution. Its wider platform includes abolishing the Senedd, opposing net zero policies, protecting the countryside, cutting taxes and restoring what it describes as traditional British values.

The party says it wants to affirm British culture with Christian principles and protect historic buildings, rural communities and agricultural land.

On farming and the countryside, the Heritage Party says farmers should be supported to produce food. It opposes wind turbines, solar arrays on green land and battery energy storage systems, arguing that such developments damage rural landscapes and food security.

On education, the party opposes the current Relationships and Sexuality Education curriculum and supports faith schools, apprenticeships and home education.

One of its Welsh candidates, Kimberley Isherwood, is known for her involvement in the legal challenge against the Welsh Government’s introduction of mandatory Relationships and Sexuality Education without a parental right of withdrawal.

That judicial review was dismissed by the High Court in December 2022, with the court finding in favour of Welsh Ministers.

The Heritage Party also backs restoring 30mph as the default urban speed limit, scrapping the TV licence, leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, abolishing inheritance tax and reducing immigration.

A wider choice

Neither Gwlad nor the Heritage Party has the profile or campaign machinery of the larger political parties, but the new voting system may give smaller parties greater visibility than in previous Senedd elections.

Gwlad is pitching itself as a Welsh nationalist alternative focused on the economy, farming, public services and rural communities.

The Heritage Party is appealing to voters who want a socially conservative, pro-Union and anti-net zero alternative.

With six seats available in Ceredigion Penfro, smaller parties will be hoping that voters who feel ignored by the political mainstream are prepared to look further down the ballot paper.