UK GOVERNMENT says Wales will be central to a new legislative programme focused on energy independence, rail investment, policing, defence and economic growth.

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said the King’s Speech, delivered on Wednesday (May 13), set out an “ambitious plan” for the country, with measures aimed at tackling the cost of living, creating jobs and strengthening national security.

The programme includes an Energy Independence Bill, which the UK Government says will support clean power projects across Wales, including floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea and new nuclear development at Wylfa.

Ministers say the plans are intended to reduce energy bills, secure domestic energy supplies and create skilled jobs in communities across Wales.

Ms Stevens said: “The King’s Speech sets out how the UK Government is building a stronger, fairer, future for Wales by tackling the cost of living, creating good jobs and driving economic growth.

“Our Energy Independence Bill puts Wales at the heart of our clean energy mission. Alongside floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea and new nuclear in Wylfa, we are working to cut energy bills, create new jobs and secure the UK’s energy independence.”

Rail investment

The King’s Speech also includes a Railways Bill, which the UK Government says will support its £14bn plan to transform rail infrastructure in Wales.

The Wales Office says the proposals will improve journeys, connect communities and support 12,000 jobs.

Rail infrastructure has long been a major political issue in Wales, with repeated criticism over historic underinvestment, poor connectivity between north and south Wales, and the long-running dispute over whether Wales received a fair share of funding from major UK rail projects.

Ms Stevens said: “Our Railways Bill will help deliver our £14bn plan to transform rail infrastructure in Wales, improving journeys, connecting communities and supporting 12,000 jobs.”

Police and defence

The programme also includes the Police Reform Bill, which the UK Government says will put more officers on the streets and strengthen public safety.

Defence spending is also set to rise, with ministers saying the measures will improve national security while supporting Welsh service personnel and veterans through better services and housing.

Ms Stevens added: “We are also strengthening our national security with increased defence spending, putting more police on our streets with the Police Reform Bill, and supporting our Welsh service personnel and veterans with better services and housing.

“This is an ambitious plan that delivers for every part of Wales.”

Political test

The announcement comes at a significant moment for Wales, following major political change in Cardiff Bay and renewed pressure on both the UK and Welsh governments to deliver on public services, housing, transport and economic growth.

The focus on energy and rail is likely to be welcomed by industry and unions, but ministers will now face questions over delivery, timescales and whether the promised investment reaches communities across Wales.

The UK Government will argue that the King’s Speech shows Wales is central to its wider economic plan. Opposition parties are expected to scrutinise whether the legislation goes far enough, particularly on energy bills, public transport, policing and support for households still facing cost-of-living pressures.

A PEMBROKESHIRE woman told a court she wished her former partner had killed her after enduring a campaign of violence and coercive control by a man who claimed to be Banksy.

Patrick Smyth, 49, of Oaks Avenue, Romford, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday to 22 months in custody after admitting coercive and controlling behaviour and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Swansea Crown Court heard that Smyth met the woman while on holiday in Tunisia in 2024 and later travelled from Essex to visit her in Haverfordwest.

Thomas Scapens KC, prosecuting, said Smyth quickly began mentally and physically abusing her. He checked her phone, isolated her from friends and family, and installed a phone tracking app which he controlled under the username “Powerful 666”.

He also claimed he was Banksy, the world-famous street artist, telling the victim he was powerful, wealthy and well connected.

“He copied Banksy’s signature and presented it to her, and she believed everything he told her,” Mr Scapens said.

The court heard that Smyth’s abuse escalated during a trip to Cardiff in July 2025, when the couple attended a concert. Smyth lost his temper and had to be removed by security.

Later, at the Coal Exchange hotel, he locked the victim in a room and placed a chair under the door handle to stop her leaving.

“He beat her continuously,” said Mr Scapens. “He put his hand around her throat to prevent her breathing.”

Hotel staff heard him calling her a “slag” and later saw reddening to her neck. They moved the woman to another room for her safety, but Smyth repeatedly tried to force his way inside, banging on the door and shouting.

Staff contacted the woman’s son, who worked in Cardiff. When he arrived, he became emotional after seeing her condition.

In September 2025, Smyth threw the woman into a wardrobe, fracturing two of her ribs. The following month, despite being on bail with a condition not to contact her, he turned up at her home.

“He pushed past her, tied her to a chair in the kitchen and turned off the lights,” said Mr Scapens.

The court heard Smyth refused to let her use the toilet and told her men were coming from London to put her in a pre-dug grave.

The final incident happened in October after the couple visited Morrisons in Haverfordwest. Smyth became aggressive in the store and threw shopping items at the victim. Concerned staff asked a security guard to shadow them.

During the taxi journey home, Smyth threatened to break the woman’s legs and punch her. When the taxi driver intervened, Smyth threatened to break his legs too.

Later that evening, a 999 call was made. No one spoke, but officers could hear a woman screaming and a man’s voice in the background.

When police arrived, they found the victim with cuts to her head. She was extremely upset and tried to hide her face in her roll-neck jumper.

When asked what had happened, she said: “I would in a heartbeat, but I can’t.” The court heard this was because Smyth was listening outside.

In a victim impact statement read to Judge Catherine Richards, the woman said her life had been “fundamentally scarred”.

“I hid my injuries away from other family members because I was scared,” she said.

“I’m scared to go out in case Patrick is there. I don’t treat life the same way anymore and I don’t leave the house by myself.

“It got to the point where I wish Patrick had killed me because I’d prefer to be dead. I’ll never be the same again.”

Smyth appeared by video link from prison, where he had been remanded since his arrest.

His barrister said he “wishes no bad will on the victim” and had reflected on his behaviour.

“He wishes to apologise,” she said. “He has no intention of making any further form of contact with her. Custody has acted as a wake-up call.”

Sentencing Smyth to 22 months in custody, Judge Richards said half would be served in prison and the remainder on licence.

SCHOOL leaders have urged Wales’ new Plaid Cymru government to make school funding an urgent priority, after a union survey found more than half of respondents had buildings or areas closed or unfit for purpose.

NAHT Cymru said Welsh schools were facing “demoralising choices” between cuts to staffing, provision and essential repairs.

The school leaders’ union said 51% of Welsh members who responded to its latest survey reported buildings or areas that were either out of use or not fit for purpose.

More than nine in ten leaders, 91%, said they did not receive enough funding to maintain their school buildings and estate.

Laura Doel, national secretary of NAHT Cymru, said schools were under severe pressure, with some struggling with growing deficits.

She said: “There are many pressures contributing to this, from the increasing numbers of pupils with additional learning needs, a funding postcode lottery, rising costs, and the extra demands landing with schools after investment in health and social care failed to keep pace with demand.

“Many are facing demoralising choices between cutting teachers and teaching assistants, or wider educational provision — and between spending money on books or bricks.

“The simple truth is that schools are not getting the money they need to consistently deliver for pupils or even to maintain a safe and inspiring learning environment in some cases.”

Ms Doel said Plaid Cymru had spoken at its spring conference about “getting back to basics” in education.

She added: “What could be more basic than ensuring schools have sufficient funding?

“Now they have a golden opportunity to do the right thing and provide the urgent investment schools and children need.”

Call for fair funding

NAHT Cymru said the new administration would face competing demands, but argued there was a clear opportunity to “right a wrong” after it was confirmed last month that Wales would receive a further £555m in consequential funding from the UK Government over the next three years.

The union said the additional money was partly driven by significant increases in funding for pupils with additional needs in England.

Ms Doel said that during the 2026/27 budget process, the outgoing Welsh Government had failed to give schools their fair share of consequential funding.

She said an extra £113m had been offered to councils, but there were no guarantees it would reach schools, which face a £137m budget shortfall this financial year, according to the Welsh Local Government Association.

She added: “The additional consequential funding announced means Plaid now have an open goal to deliver a quick win for schools and right the wrong which saw them fail to receive anywhere near enough of the extra funding which previously came to Wales.

“We know the new Welsh Government will face difficult financial decisions, but little is more important than children’s learning and wellbeing, and the life chances that flow from those.”

Buildings concern

NAHT Cymru said Plaid’s manifesto had promised to survey the condition of the school estate.

Ms Doel said such a survey might provide a fuller picture, but added: “Ultimately it will only tell us what we already know from our own conversations with school leaders — that new funding is needed to better maintain, refurbish and rebuild schools.

“No child should have to learn in some of the conditions laid bare in our survey. It really is appalling.”

Among leaders who reported areas closed or unfit for purpose, 93% said basic building infrastructure such as windows, roofs and doors was not fit for purpose, while 2% said such facilities were out of use.

Toilet blocks were reported as not fit for purpose by 70%, with a further 2% saying they were closed.

Classrooms were reported as unfit by 64% of affected leaders, while 63% raised concerns about specialist facilities for additional learning needs, including dedicated classrooms, sensory rooms and outdoor spaces. A further 3% said ALN facilities were out of use.

Playgrounds were the area most likely to be reported as closed, with 8% of affected leaders saying they had playgrounds out of use.

One Welsh school leader told the union: “Our school is slowly but surely rotting away. With every passing winter — every storm, every period of wet and rainy weather — the leaks are getting bigger and more numerous, the drains are overflowing, the playgrounds, pavements and road surfaces on site are crumbling beneath our feet.

“We now have broken buildings for forgotten children. This is no way to raise and educate our most cherished resource in the 21st century.”

Another said their school had been in a six-figure deficit for three years and now had just £1,000 left in its repairs and maintenance budget.

They said: “We are a large school with over 400 pupils — £1,000 won’t cover an inch of the site.”

NAHT’s capital funding survey was carried out between February 2 and February 16 this year and was completed by 127 school leaders in Wales. Of those asked whether they had received enough capital funding over the last three years to develop their buildings and estate to meet pupils’ needs, 98% said they had not.