A NEW poll of Welsh voters suggests most people believe King Charles’s official state visit to the United States is unlikely to change US policy towards the UK.

The YouGov polling, carried out in Wales, found that 56% of respondents thought the visit would not make much difference.

A further 24% believed it would improve US policy towards the UK, with 6% saying it would improve it a lot and 18% saying it would improve it a little.

Only 5% thought the visit would make matters worse, while 16% said they did not know.

The findings suggest that while there is some public belief that the monarchy can still play a diplomatic role, most people in Wales appear unconvinced that a state visit alone will significantly shift American policy.

MPs drinking before late-night votes

The same polling also found strong opposition in Wales to MPs drinking alcohol on evenings when they are later expected to vote in Parliament.

Asked whether it was acceptable for MPs to drink alcohol on evenings where late-night votes are due to take place, 60% said it was completely unacceptable.

A further 18% said it was somewhat unacceptable, meaning almost eight in ten respondents opposed the practice.

Only 14% said it was acceptable, with 2% saying it was completely acceptable and 12% saying it was somewhat acceptable.

The findings come amid continuing public concern over standards in Westminster and the conduct of elected representatives.

Grey squirrel fertility plan divides opinion

The poll also showed Welsh voters are divided over proposals to make grey squirrels infertile as a way of reducing their population.

A total of 39% said they would support such a programme, with 14% strongly supporting it and 25% somewhat supporting it.

However, 36% said they were opposed, including 22% who somewhat opposed it and 14% who strongly opposed it.

A quarter of respondents said they did not know.

The idea of controlling grey squirrel numbers has been discussed for years because of the impact the species has on native red squirrels and woodland habitats.

But the Welsh polling suggests the public remains split over whether fertility control is the right way to deal with the issue.

A judge said Robert Bonnier and his companies had repeatedly failed to comply with court orders

A HIGH Court claim brought by a Dutch businessman against a company founded by Reform UK treasurer Nick Candy has been dismissed.

Robert Bonnier had sued Candy Ventures Sarl, known as CVS, after claiming that a worldwide freezing order obtained against him in 2022 had caused losses to him and his companies by reducing the value of Aaqua BV.

CVS denied the claim and asked the High Court to strike it out, arguing that it had no realistic chance of success and that Mr Bonnier had failed to comply with court orders.

In a ruling on Monday (Apr 27), Mr Justice Butcher dismissed the case, citing “very significant and continued breaches” of the court’s orders.

The judge said striking out the claim was not disproportionate and added that justice did not require Mr Bonnier to be given another chance.

He also said CVS was being prejudiced by the case remaining unresolved, with no clear indication of when it might come to trial.

A spokesperson for Mr Candy welcomed the decision and said the claim against CVS had no proper basis.

The ruling is the latest development in a long-running dispute between CVS and Mr Bonnier.

CVS previously sued Mr Bonnier after alleging that he had misled the company into investing around 7.5 million euros, equivalent to about £6.5 million, in Aaqua BV.

The company claimed Mr Bonnier had described Aaqua as potentially the “next Facebook”, leading CVS to swap shares in podcasting firm Audioboom for shares in Aaqua.

In November last year, a High Court judge ruled that Mr Bonnier had made false representations to secure the investment and ordered him to pay more than £4.6 million in damages, plus interest.

Mr Bonnier was later declared bankrupt at a specialist insolvency court in December.

At a hearing earlier this month, lawyers for CVS argued that Mr Bonnier and his companies had already been given enough opportunities and that the claim was doomed to fail.

Lawyers for Mr Bonnier had asked the court to allow one final chance for the case to proceed, saying the claim could be worth several million pounds and that failures to comply with court orders were linked to a lack of funds.

The judge rejected that argument and struck out the claim.

NEW polling suggests voters in Wales want stronger action on climate change, nature recovery, clean energy and pollution ahead of next month’s Senedd election.

Climate Cymru, a coalition of organisations, communities and campaigners, said the findings showed public concern remained high as Wales prepares to go to the polls on Thursday, May 7.

The polling, highlighted by Climate Cymru partners including Friends of the Earth Cymru, WWF Cymru and RSPB Cymru, found that six in ten people in Wales said they were worried about climate change.

Concern was even higher among younger people, with 78 per cent of 16 to 29-year-olds saying they were worried.

The research also pointed to growing concern about the impact of climate change on daily life, including extreme weather, food insecurity, poverty and the wider economic consequences for communities across Wales.

Climate Cymru said the findings showed strong support for practical measures including warmer homes, home energy efficiency schemes, community-led renewable energy, and the expansion of solar and wind power.

The Friends of the Earth Cymru polling found that 81 per cent supported funding for home energy efficiency, 75 per cent backed community-led renewable energy, 83 per cent supported solar power, 72 per cent supported offshore wind, and 65 per cent supported onshore wind.

Nature recovery was also highlighted as a major public priority.

RSPB Cymru polling found that 74 per cent of people in Wales supported legal targets for nature recovery, while 76 per cent wanted governments to do more to tackle nature loss. A further 77 per cent said they wanted to see more wildlife thriving in local green spaces.

WWF polling found strong support for action on water pollution, with 87 per cent backing measures to tackle river pollution, 81 per cent supporting a target to halve freshwater pollution by 2030, and 79 per cent supporting the restoration of seagrass, saltmarsh and oyster reefs.

Climate Cymru said Wales had seen a 20 per cent decline in wildlife since 1994, with one in six species threatened with extinction nationally.

A Climate Cymru spokesperson said: “The message from the public is clear: people want political leaders to match the scale of the climate and nature crises with bold, practical policies that improve everyday life.”

The coalition is calling on all parties contesting the Senedd election to commit to clean energy, warmer homes, stronger legal protections for nature, urgent action on river pollution, and support for nature-friendly farming.