News

Badger and the difference

Published

11 years ago

March 5, 2015

badger84image AND SO, readers, the massed forces of law and order have spoken and determined that there is no evidence of criminal conduct by anyone involved in the unlawful scheme to allow local authority fat cats to cash in on the supine and crass stupidity of those councillors charged with assessing whether they should be paid in guineas or gold doubloons. Now: Kevin Maggs, the Beloved Leader of the People’s Republic of Carmarthenshire, of whom Badger has written before, and a man renowned as one who cannot see a belt without hitting below it, is full of praise for the Police’s good sense in agreeing with the opinion that he says he held all along. Never one to miss out on the opportunity to place his own spin on events, the Council’s very own “Mr Expenses”, Jamie Adams, claimed: “1 have always maintained that though the decision in question may have been procedurally flawed, no individual had used their influence improperly.”

He then invites people to believe that – even though he rolled over and asked the Wales Audit Office to tickle his belly when faced with the prospect of defending the indefensible in Court — there was nothing “inherently unlawful” about allowing Bryn to avoid tax on his publicly-funded pension pot. What a weasel-word “inherently” is, readers! Let’s try a sample sentence to see how it works: There is nothing inherently dishonest about Jamie Adams’ intellectual position. There is nothing inherently immoral about rewarding
failure. There is nothing inherently wrong in giving a tax break on pensions to those at the top while screwing down the wages of those at the bottom. Yes: I think we can all see Jamie’s point. Weasel words for a weasel, after all.

Like most of his IPPG comrades, Jamie lives in a world devoid of ideals, idealism or principles. The ends, for Jamie, ALWAYS justify the means. Jamie likes to say that “It’s all about outcomes not processes.” Well Jamie, a flawed processes of which you were part had an outcome that landed the authority with legal bills and experts’ fees running into tens of thousands of pounds; the same flawed process has exposed the moral bankruptcy of your administration and its grovelling dependence on officers; the same flawed process has put local government in this county into disrepute. Yes, Jamie: it’s all about outcomes.

If Jamie didn’t think that Mac O’Velly was an Irish manufacturer of agricultural machinery, you’d think that his proclivity – like a Renaissance prince – for dishing out patronage and remunerated favours like sweeties was derived from actually doing his own reading, rather than being told what to think by reading about it on the back of an officer’s fag packet. How dim must Jamie be not to realise that the issue is not about what is lawful or unlawful? The issue is a moral one. There is not so much a moral vacuum in Jamie’s political understanding ‘°’ a moral black hole from which no light can escape. When it comes to political principles and moral choices, Jamie may as well be asked to translate Parsee into Linear B. He’s a bit like Mr Heslop in Porridge, in that regard, is Jamie.

“I read a book once. Green it was.” And that, readers, is the difference between Jamie and those like him and the rest of the world. Badger watched Huw George a few months back as he claimed — in Welsh — that Bryn had to be in the meeting discussing his pay to advise the Senior Staff Remuneration Committee. Not actually advise, you understand. But there so his advice could be called upon if required. Sort of being influential without offering any direct influence. An entirely novel approach to the issue which his leader has, rather pointedly, not repeated. And almost certainly not repeated to the Gloucestershire plod. Even on the !PPG benches there are those who can tell the difference between right and wrong. On those benches there are those uneasy about the contortions of language their leader and others have used again and again to defend a policy they know is both morally wrong and politically disastrous.

Even Huw George cannot be that stupid. Not with one head. They are rather like Tory backbenchers in the dying days of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership. Aghast at the unwinding of a policy that was an unmitigated failure and a political canker, Tory backbenchers were loyal in public — to a point — but fretful in private. That festering realisation of impending doom, focussed a lot of Tory minds in November 1990. Suppurating away with resentment on the IPPG side of the Council chamber, there are decent people who are the prisoners of Jamie’s patronage.

In hock to allowances both internal and external, they have realised that whether they vote for Christmas or not, the turkeys don’t have much of a future. Jamie cannot easily lance that infection, not least because he publicly continues to defend an officer – and a policy affecting that officer — who has not so much lost the confidence of the Pembrokeshire public, as he has become a byword for a complacent, self-serving and self-regarding approach to local government. Mary Tudor, Bloody Mary, it was who is alleged to have claim that the word “Calais” would be found engraved upon her heart after death, as a memento mori of her greatest failure. Jamie and the !PPG will collectively be found with the words “Bryn Parry Jones” upon theirs.

Crime

Prosecution delivers powerful closing speech in Christopher Phillips trial

Published

19 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Jury expected to retire shortly in Swansea Crown Court baby abuse case

THE TRIAL of Christopher Phillips, accused of inflicting catastrophic injuries on a 10-week-old baby in Haverfordwest, moved into its final stages today (Dec 5) as the last evidence was heard and the prosecution delivered a forceful closing speech at Swansea Crown Court.

Phillips, 34, of Kiln Park in Burton, is charged with causing serious physical and sexual harm to Baby C in January 2021. The infant was taken by ambulance to Glangwili Hospital in the early hours of January 24 after suffering life-threatening internal injuries.

The baby’s mother faces separate charges of allowing serious physical harm and child cruelty for allegedly failing to protect her child.

Final evidence presented

The court resumed at 11:09am, when the prosecution submitted its final exhibit: a detailed timeline reconstructed from Phillips’ mobile phone data, charting his visits to the mother’s flat in Haverfordwest.

Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC highlighted the distances between Phillips’ home, the mother’s address and Glangwili Hospital, telling the jury that the timings were central to understanding the sequence of events that night.

This concluded the evidential phase of the trial.

Judge issues legal directions

Late this morning (Friday, Dec 5) Judge Paul Thomas KC delivered his directions to the jury, outlining the legal tests required for convictions against both Phillips and the child’s mother. He reminded jurors to consider each charge separately and to apply the law only to the evidence they had heard.

Prosecution closing speech

In her closing address at early this afternoon, Rees KC told the jury that 10-week-old Baby C had been a “happy little baby” who showed “no signs of distress” in a video recorded by his father on January 23, 2021.

She said that within hours, by the early morning of January 24, the infant was in hospital with what she described as a “gaping tear in his anus”.

Rees KC argued that the evidence of who caused the injuries “points in one way – towards Christopher Phillips”.

Turning to the baby’s mother, she said the prosecution’s case was that she was “not without blame”, telling the jury that the mother had “failed in her duty to keep her baby safe”.

“She at the very least ought to have realised that her baby was at serious risk from the man she brought into her home,” Rees KC said. “She didn’t take any steps to keep that baby safe. She prioritised Christopher Phillips over her own child.”

Jury expected to retire

No defence closing speech was delivered today and no further evidence is scheduled. The jury is expected to retire shortly to begin its deliberations.

The case continues at Swansea Crown Court.

Farming

FUW urges government action as plunging dairy prices threaten family farms

Published

44 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FARMER’s UNION OF WALES has sounded the alarm over a sharp and sustained collapse in dairy prices, warning that the situation is placing intolerable pressure on family farms already grappling with regulatory change, rising costs and wider economic uncertainty.

The Union convened an emergency meeting of its Animal Health and Dairy Committee last week to assess the scale of the crisis. Representatives from across Wales reported widespread anxiety, with many members seeing milk prices fall dramatically through the autumn. Processors are now signalling further cuts in early 2026, while commodity markets offer little sign of stability heading into spring.

Farmers, fearful of jeopardising commercial relationships, have approached the FUW confidentially to express grave concern about projected milk payments for the coming months. Many say the offers being made will fall far below the cost of production.

Average milk prices are forecast at just 30–35 pence per litre, against estimated production costs of 39–44 pence per litre (Kite Consulting). On current trajectories, the FUW warns a typical Welsh dairy farm could lose thousands of pounds per month for as long as the downturn persists.

Following its committee meeting, the Union raised the matter directly with Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies MS during talks in Cardiff on Wednesday, December 3. Officials stressed the immediate threat facing family-run dairy farms and called for urgent consideration of government support to prevent long-term damage to the sector.

Gerwyn Williams, Chair of the FUW Animal Health and Dairy Committee, said the pace of the price crash was “unprecedented”.

“Farmers are facing an impossible situation where input costs remain high while the value of their product plummets. The viability of many family farms is now at serious risk. We need immediate assurances that this crisis is being treated with the urgency it deserves.

“Some can weather a short storm, but rumours that this could continue into summer 2026 will see businesses shut. These modest family farms have already invested heavily to meet regulatory requirements. Cuts on this scale will severely impact their ability to service repayments.”

FUW Deputy President Dai Miles warned that the consequences extend far beyond farm gates.

“Dairy farming underpins thousands of jobs in Wales and is central to the economic, social and environmental fabric of rural communities. When prices fall this sharply, it isn’t just farmers who suffer — local businesses, services and entire communities feel the impact.

“We have made it clear to the Deputy First Minister that government must work with the industry to provide immediate stability and a long-term resilience plan.”

The FUW says it will continue to work with the Welsh Government, processors and supply-chain partners to seek solutions and secure fair, sustainable prices for producers.

Community

Haverfordwest’s first memory tree brings community together this Christmas

Published

1 hour ago

December 5, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Spud Box is delighted to launch a brand-new festive initiative for the people of Pembrokeshire – Haverfordwest’s first Memory Tree, now open to the public at our premises.

The idea, inspired by Drew from The Big Pembs Panto, invites members of the community to write and hang personal messages on the tree. These can be tributes to loved ones, cherished memories, or simple Christmas wishes.

The project has been created to give people a meaningful way to connect during the festive season. All materials – including paper, plastic pockets and ribbon – are provided free of charge. Visitors are also welcome to enjoy complimentary hot drinks, kindly supplied by Connect: Pembrokeshire, along with mince pies donated by Brakes.

Anyone who prefers to create their message at home can bring it in, and the team will be happy to help attach it to the tree.

Donations are being encouraged in support of Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity, making the Memory Tree both a reflective and charitable community event.

The tree itself looks spectacular thanks to Sion from DSR Batteries, who supplied the lighting. The project has also received generous support from Marty at Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity and Pure West Radio. Spud Box welcomes other community groups or organisations who wish to get involved.