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Badger and the legend of Leighton’s gold

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badger84imageTHIS Friday is an important one for Pembrokeshire, readers. It may seem like any other Friday at this time of year, marking time to the inevitable twinkling of sleigh bells and relentless smuggery of Christmas, but this Friday is different. For this Friday, local authorities across Wales are due to answer to the call of Welsh Labour’s Local Government Minister Leighton Andrews and tell him exactly how they intend to throw themselves on the bonfi re of democracy that he wants to take place sooner rather than later. Now, after all that has happened over the last few years, readers might expect Badger to face the potential dissolution of Pembrokeshire County Council with equanimity. You would be wrong readers. Badger believes, fi rmly believes, in the ability of Pembrokeshire’s people to govern themselves. You can say what you like about the incompetence and fatuity of members of our current council. Badger has. Often. But we can at least say that, whatever their manifest shortcomings, those governing us from County Hall were elected by and are accountable to us. That is the nature of representative democracy.

Now, however, without a democratic mandate of any sort, Welsh Labour in Cardiff Bay has decided that it needs to sweep away local democracy and replace it with – well – readers, there is the question. For all Leighton’s big words and posturing, he is very thin on detail. In short, he is asking council’s to mortgage their futures not on a false prospectus but on moonshine and moon beams. Let’s look at some basic arithmetic, readers. Welsh councils face carving out £900m from their budgets in cuts over the coming years. Those are cuts that follow on from the Welsh Government’s decision to slash the grants it gives to councils so they can pay for essential services. Like education, bin collections, and elderly social care. We have already seen the effects of those cuts in the last couple of years, and there is a long way to travel down that path of pain yet. More and deeper cuts are the order of the day. But Labour will do nothing to ease the burden of cuts: Instead – and in a moment of blind panic – Ed Milliband signed up to a cross-party promise to keep in place a funding formula that costs Wales (very conservatively) £400m A YEAR in grants from the UK Treasury.

Into that toxic mix, Leighton has decided to throw in a fundamental shake-up of Welsh councils for no better reason than it suits Welsh Labour in Cardiff Bay to emasculate a tier of government and raise the Senedd above the level of a glorifi ed County Council. Think about it readers: Do you seriously see Mark Drakeford and his ilk as people with the nous and ability to outwit a stunned herring, let alone get to Westminster and occupy senior stations on the Labour benches? But to return to our fun with sums. On top of £900m in cuts, Leighton wants to burden councils with a shakeup that could cost as much as £268m.So: While services are slashed and burned, Leighton thinks it a jolly good idea to get councils to fund their own dissolution by fi nding another quarter of a billion pounds to go with the near billion they are expected to find already.

Leighton has given heavy hints that he expects councils to fund all of this from their reserves. Readers, there is fi scal illiteracy and blind stupidity. Badger would not seek to burden Leighton and Carwyn et al with an accusation of crass stupidity. Let’s just settle for fi scal illiteracy. If county councils dump capital onto the market – for example, commercial properties and assets – in a fi re sale to realise Leighton’s levy, what do you think will happen to property and fi nancial markets, readers? And what about the duty of councils to realise the best commercial price for their assets? Leighton doesn’t care. In his prison of fi scal illiteracy he does not think of consequences just of grand schemes. Like Del Boy in Peckham Market he will knock it off on the cheap to get it off his hands. So, with Welsh local government, in the hole to – say – £1.1bn, how much does Leighton think will be saved? £80m a year.

Maybe. He has not got a clue. Nobody does. In ten years, possibly, 12, the cuts and the costs will be made up for by alleged savings in local government. Maybe. He has not got a clue. Nobody does. Leighton’s gold is without substance because it has no basis in reality. He has not got a clue. Badger has a word for the idea that changing local government a la Leighton will deliver meaningful service improvements at a lower cost. Bulls***. Shedding a few Chief Offi cers will save bugger all in the grand scheme of things. Their scalps are just a convenient peg upon which Leighton can hang his hat. Emperor Leighton has no clothes. He is trying to bully councils with unspecifi ed penalties and even more nebulous (and probably) unlawful intervention if they do not bend to his will.

‘No change is not an option’, is Leighton’s call. Badger has heard that before, from Mark Drakeford, Carwyn’s Health Minister. Remember that one, readers? Consult on proposals and then press ahead anyway with a policy already determined by a panel appointed by the Welsh Labour Government. The Welsh Government carved up the Welsh NHS in such a way as it could force through its programme of cuts and closures in the teeth of public disapproval. That is what the Welsh Government wants to do to Welsh local government. Having centralised health policy in the Bay, the Welsh Labour Government wants to do the same with local democracy. There are those who might think it couldn’t be worse than what we have at the moment. Badger invites them to consider whether turning the Welsh NHS into an unresponsive, centrally run, bureaucratic mess operated by placemen and hacks is a template for success or failure. Put another way, do you trust Leighton enough to leap into the dark holding his hand in yours? Badger doesn’t. After all, Leighton was too gutless to be interviewed by The Herald.

What faith could you have in a man who will not subject himself to even the gentlest of quizzing? If you are still nodding along with Leighton at this point, readers, please bear this in mind: Leighton was in Carwyn’s Cabinet before. He resigned from his role as Education Minister after campaigning in his own constituency against a policy he was enforcing on the rest of Wales. This is the man Carwyn has charged with ramming through local government change. This is the man who tells us he is doing this not for party advantage but to deliver the best local government for Wales. ‘Hypocrisy’ is a terrible word, readers. But if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks… And don’t forget to ask your Labour candidate their views. After all ‘hypocrisy’ is a terrible word, readers.

 

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Salvation Army calls for more volunteers across Wales

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THE SALVATION Army is encouraging more people to get involved in their local communities as Volunteers’ Week marks its 42nd anniversary.

Volunteers’ Week runs from Monday, June 1 to Sunday, June 7, recognising the contribution made by volunteers across the UK.

Across Wales, volunteers play a vital role in The Salvation Army’s community services. They help run activities and classes in community centres, prepare and serve food at lunch clubs and community cafés, support charity shops, and provide meals for people who might otherwise spend Christmas Day alone.

Lyddia Kibaara, The Salvation Army’s Volunteering Manager said: “We’re incredibly privileged to have the support of so many dedicated, kind people who keep our community services running.

“Time is the only non-renewable resource we have, and our volunteers give it generously. Their time transforms the communities we serve.

“We have families who have volunteered with us through the generations, students who are looking for their first volunteering experiences, people who can cook for a crowd, help others with debt advice, or share their digital skills to make sure others aren’t left behind.”

A chance to help others

Anne Evans, 74, began volunteering at The Salvation Army shop in Newtown after retiring and looking for something worthwhile to do.

She said the experience had opened her eyes to the problems faced by people in her community, including poverty, loneliness, relationship breakdowns and employment issues.

Anne said: “I enjoy talking to people who pop into the shop as everybody has a different story to tell. It makes you realise that you don’t know how many problems people can face.

“They are glad to have someone who listens to them and takes an interest in their lives.

“Also, with the rising cost-of-living, people appreciate that we sell items at affordable prices. That’s such an important thing for people right now. Life is becoming more expensive.”

‘More than just a shop’

The Salvation Army supports some of the most disadvantaged people in communities across Wales, including those experiencing homelessness, older people, people affected by drug and alcohol addiction, and those looking to develop skills for work.

Gary Chapman, 43, volunteers at The Salvation Army charity shop in Llanelli.

After his marriage broke down, Gary experienced homelessness for a number of years. He said volunteering at the shop had changed his life and helped him support others.

Gary said: “We are more than just a shop. We are a meeting place. A focal point in the community.

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“There could be one person comes through the door who is really struggling. Hopefully I can be there for that person.

“I enjoy interacting with people and helping them if I can. That’s what we are here for in The Salvation Army. We are here to help people. We are here to listen to their concerns.”

How to volunteer

Volunteers’ Week is an opportunity to thank those who give their time, passion and skills so generously, while also encouraging others to get involved.

Anyone interested in volunteering with The Salvation Army can visit: www.salvationarmy.org.uk/volunteer

 

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News

St Davids lifeboats launched twice in one day after yacht damaged and kayaker rescued

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BOTH St Davids RNLI lifeboats were launched on Wednesday (May 27) after separate incidents involving a damaged yacht in St Brides Bay and a kayaker who had become separated from his craft in Ramsey Sound.

The all-weather lifeboat Norah Wortley was first tasked at 3:12pm to assist a yacht in St Brides Bay after its mast snapped and its sails were lost during gusts in a thunderstorm.

The lifeboat launched at 3:27pm and made its way to the scene, encountering patches of fog and thundery showers en route. Conditions were otherwise described as smooth to slight, with good visibility and winds of between three and five knots.

The volunteer crew arrived at 4:00pm and found the yacht had also lost engine propulsion. A tow was established and the vessel was taken safely to a mooring in Dale.

The yacht was secured to a buoy before the lifeboat departed at 7:00pm. The crew returned to station at 8:00pm and the boat was back on service by 8:15pm.

While the all-weather lifeboat was still at sea, St Davids’ inshore lifeboat was tasked at 5:18pm to a kayaker who had become separated from his kayak.

The crew launched at 5:35pm and headed to the south end of Ramsey Sound, off Treginnis Head. The casualty was located on Shoe Rock, where crew members helped him aboard and carried out a medical assessment.

The kayaker had been wearing a buoyancy aid and had a means of calling for help, allowing him to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard after becoming separated from his kayak.

He and his craft were safely returned to Porthclais Harbour, and the inshore lifeboat returned to station, where it was back on service at 8:00pm.

RNLI inshore lifeboat helm Chris Limbert said: “This rescue was a brilliant example of why it’s so important to always wear a buoyancy aid and carry a means of contact.

“If the kayaker had been without a buoyancy aid, he may have struggled to stay afloat and get himself safely onto the rock.

“He was also carrying a mobile phone which allowed him to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

“Our crew of volunteers are on call 24/7 to go to people’s aid. Never be afraid to call for help.”

Pic: RNLI/Rosie Rees

 

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Crime

Haverfordwest sex offender jailed over child abuse material

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Registered offender used library computers to hide social media accounts

A HAVERFORDWEST sex offender who used public library computers to exchange child abuse material and discuss the sexual abuse of minors has been jailed for 20 months.

Euwyn Draper, aged 22, of Hill Street, Haverfordwest, appeared at Swansea Crown Court after admitting four breaches of a sexual harm prevention order.

Recorder Greg Bull KC told him the courts had “bent over backwards” to assist him in the past, but said those efforts had failed.

He told Draper: “I’m not going to lecture you because I would be wasting my breath. You knew you had to comply with the order.”

Secret accounts

The court heard that Draper had been made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order in 2024 after earlier convictions for possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

The order banned him from holding social media accounts in any name other than his own and required him to disclose relationships or friendships to police when asked.

Despite this, Draper secretly maintained accounts on a number of platforms, including X, formerly Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and BlueSky. The BlueSky account had been registered under a false name.

His use of Snapchat was specifically prohibited because of the platform’s auto-delete function.

Library computers

Prosecutor Megan Williams said Draper’s latest offending came to light on May 5 this year during a routine meeting with his offender manager at Haverfordwest police station.

When asked about his internet use, Draper claimed he only went to the library to watch YouTube and listen to Spotify. He denied having any social media accounts or communicating with anyone online.

But as questioning continued, he became “flustered” and admitted he had been chatting to a male online and had an X account which had not been disclosed to police.

Officers attended the library with Draper the following day to examine his digital activity.

After he logged in using his library ID and opened his Google account, police reviewed his X profile and found sexually explicit conversations between Draper and another male in which the pair discussed sexual activity involving children aged five and above.

The court heard that explicit photographs had also been exchanged.

Police also discovered that Draper had reinstalled Instagram after previously deleting the account in front of officers.

Previous offending

Draper has three previous convictions for 14 offences.

In April 2024 he was given a suspended prison sentence and made subject to the sexual harm prevention order for possessing and distributing child sex abuse images.

Within months, he breached the order by maintaining an undisclosed social media account. In September 2024 he was jailed for 16 months for possession of further indecent images.

When interviewed about the latest breaches, Draper answered “no comment” to all questions.

‘Immature young man’

Alex Scott, defending, described Draper as an “immature young man” who lived an isolated life in rented accommodation and acted “impulsively” in relation to social media.

He said Draper had co-operated with police by accompanying officers to the library and recognised the need to address the underlying causes of his behaviour.

Jailed

Draper had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

After giving him a one-third discount for his early guilty pleas, Recorder Bull sentenced him to 20 months in prison.

Draper will serve up to half of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to complete the remainder in the community.

 

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