News

Audit row: what was officer’s role?

Published

10 years ago

July 16, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Left of picture: Jonathan Haswell on a site visit with the Audit Committee

A SENIOR Pembrokeshire County Council officer’s intervention at the Council’s Audit Committee has raised questions about the selection of its Vice Chair.

Jon Haswell, the Council’s Director of Finance, whose department is overseen by the Audit Committee, appears to have sounded out a councillor to accept the post and then checked to make sure that the councillor could be appointed while out of the country.

Following the Council legal officers’ embarrassment at being proved wrong by Cllr Jacob Williams on the correct construction of the law governing the Committee’s operation, a member of the opposition had to be appointed Vice Chair to abide the event of the Chairman’s absence. This meant that only Cllrs Guy Woodham and Jacob Williams, as members of the opposition could be appointed to the post.

At the meeting of the Committee on Monday, June 22, Cllr Woodham was absent. As was widely known, he was on holiday in the United States of America. With only Cllr Williams present of the elected members, it might have appeared inevitable that the appointment would fall to him by default.

That did not, however, happen.

When Cllr Mike James proposed Cllr Woodham for the post in absentia, Cllr Williams asked whether Cllr Woodham was in a position to consent to the nomination.

At that point Jon Haswell, the Council’s Finance Director, intervened.

Mr Haswell told the Committee meeting that he knew Cllr Woodham would accept the nomination, saying: “My understanding is that he [Cllr. Woodham] would accept the nomination.”

When The Herald asked Mr Haswell to clarify the circumstances in which he spoke with Guy Woodham about the nomination for vice chair of the Committee, we received the following response from a Council spokesperson: “Mr Haswell recalls that he spoke to Cllr Woodham in May. He did not approach Cllr Woodham and the subject of the Vice Chairmanship of the Audit Committee came up in conversation.”

At the meeting of the Audit Committee, however, Mr Haswell went further. He told the Committee he had asked Cllr. Woodham “if he would be happy to be nominated” – to which Cllr. Woodham answered in the affirmative.

The clear inference to be drawn from the above is that not only did Mr Haswell ‘pop the question’, but Cllr Woodham was open to the proposal. It also leads to the inference that it was subsequently, and after learning of Cllr Woodham’s impending absence from the meeting that the Council’s Finance Director took steps to establish whether the candidate he had asked about accepting the nomination could ascend to the heights of being Peter Jones’ number two.

We asked Cllr Woodham to comment on what had happened. He told us: “Not being at the meeting I don’t feel in a position to comment. As for events prior to the meeting I’m sure these will be clarified when the Committee meets in September.”

In spite of his comments, we are now able to offer some clarification as to the sequence of events.

According to both Mike Stoddart and Jacob Williams, a clue was given to the meeting by Jon Haswell himself. He revealed he had discussed the appointment with Cllr Woodham’s leader, Cllr Paul Miller. While Cllr Miller was himself on holiday on the day of the meeting, The Herald spoke to him about the position.

Cllr Miller told us: “At the end of a 30min meeting on the Neyland Community Hub Project Mr Haswell mentioned in passing that he had not seen Guy recently. I confirmed that Guy was still away on leave at which point Mr Haswell inquired as to his availability for the audit committee which was coming up.”

He continued: “When I passed on Cllr Woodham’s apologies for that meeting Mr Haswell said something along the lines of ‘oh I think they were planning on nominating him for the vice-chairmanship. Could he still be nominated if he’s not there?’ I provided my view on that question (that yes he could) and there the conversation on the audit committee ended. (No more than 30 secs in the course of leaving his office).”

At which point two questions arise: Who are they? And why was the Council’s Finance Director, whose work is overseen by the Audit Committee, involved in the process at all?

As the only persons who can nominate a person for a post on the Audit Committee are its members, ‘they’ have to be the IPPG members of the Committee. Why ‘they’ should have communicated their wishes to Mr Haswell is a mystery. Still more mysterious is why Mr Haswell had asked Cllr Woodham if he, in Mr Haswell’s own words ‘would be happy to be nominated’.

It appears to be the unlikeliest of happy accidents that Mr Haswell would ask the pertinent question of Cllr Woodham unprompted; not least in the light of his subsequent comments to Cllr Paul Miller about the identity of the persons who wanted to nominate Cllr Woodham to the role.

Having prolonged the appointment process for the lay member who now chairs the Audit Committee, Mr Haswell is now in the invidious position of having apparently taken an active role in the appointment of the Vice Chair.

With all of the respect in the world, that cannot be proper the function of a council officer, least of all the Director responsible for Finance. As all Council officers, Jon Haswell is bound by a code of conduct that provides that he, “must serve all Councillors” and “must ensure that the individual rights of all Councillors are respected.” He is obliged to be impartial.

It is immaterial whether or not Cllr Woodham is the right person to be vice chair of a committee charged with the marking of, amongst others, Mr Haswell’s homework. The process seems to have become hopelessly compromised by Mr Haswell’s acting as the agent for one party, or at least seemingly being aware of the wishes of one party, when seeking to ensure Cllr Woodham’s nomination could go through.

Cllr Woodham must now be very aware of the risk of being perceived as the IPPG nominee or, worse, that of Council officers. Whether he is prepared to continue in such circumstances we shall all, no doubt, discover in September.

Entertainment

Gavin & Stacey stars reunite for Christmas advert

Published

2 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Luke Sinclair

GAVIN & STACEY favourites Joanna Page and Mathew Horne have reunited on screen for a Christmas special – though not the one fans might have hoped for. Instead of returning to Barry or Billericay, the duo appear together in a new festive advert for Waitrose, sharing a turkey pie while responding to a fan’s heartfelt letter about expressing love through food.

The short film marks their appearance in How to Say It With Food, a six-part series in which Page and Horne tackle some of the nation’s most common Christmas food dilemmas. The clip opens with Page teasingly nodding to their iconic sitcom: “Oh, you didn’t think we’d let Christmas roll around without showing up again, did you?”

Horne quickly follows with his own playful line: “Us? Miss Christmas? Not a chance. But this time we’re here to help you say it with food.”

The pair are then handed an envelope “from Santa”, containing a letter from a viewer asking how he can show his “leading lady” he loves her through food. Mathew quips: “First time saying it, you want a statement. Sixteenth time, you want a statement that doesn’t involve socks.”

He then introduces Waitrose’s new Christmas advert starring Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson. The main campaign follows an unlikely festive romance sparked by Sussex Charmer cheese and culminating in Wilkinson presenting Knightley with a turkey pie decorated with the words “I love you”. Watching the moment unfold, Page smiles at Horne and mirrors another classic Gavin & Stacey reference: “Oh, that’s so romantic.”

The duo are soon given their own turkey pie to try. Horne eagerly tucks in before cutting Page a slice, prompting laughter from his co-star. The advert ends with the pair wishing viewers a Merry Christmas as Knightley and Wilkinson share a warm festive kiss on screen.

The reunion comes almost a year after audiences tuned in to the BBC sitcom’s much-anticipated finale, which drew an impressive 12.3 million viewers on Christmas Day. The episode wrapped up storylines including Gwen’s blossoming romance with Dave Coaches, Smithy’s near-wedding to Sonia, and the moment fans had long debated – Smithy and Nessa tying the knot.

Reflecting on the new project, Page said: “You thought you’d seen the last of us! Well, we’re back and what fun we had.” She added: “It was such a treat working with Mat… food is what brings people together over the festive season.”

Horne described the experience as “brilliant”, calling their on-screen reunion “a Christmas tradition”.

Health

Government orders clinical review amid sharp rise in mental health diagnoses

Published

2 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

4.4 million working-age people now claiming sickness or incapacity benefit, up by 1.2 million since 2019, many because of a mental health condition

A CLINICAL review into how mental health conditions are diagnosed across the UK is expected to begin this week, following concerns within government over rapidly rising sickness-benefit claims linked to conditions such as autism, ADHD and anxiety.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has commissioned leading clinical experts to examine whether ordinary emotional distress is being “over-pathologised” and to assess why the number of people receiving sickness and incapacity benefits has grown to 4.4 million – an increase of 1.2 million since 2019.

According to reports in The Times, ministers are particularly alarmed by the surge in the number of 16- to 34-year-olds now out of work because of long-term mental health conditions.

Streeting said he recognised “from personal experience how devastating it can be for people who face poor mental health, have ADHD or autism and can’t get a diagnosis or the right support,” but added that he had also heard from clinicians who say diagnoses are “sharply rising”.

“We must look at this through a strictly clinical lens to get an evidence-based understanding of what we know, what we don’t know, and what these patterns tell us about our mental health system, autism and ADHD services,” he told the newspaper. “That’s the only way we can ensure everyone gets timely access to accurate diagnosis and effective support.”

The review is expected to be chaired by Prof Peter Fonagy, a clinical psychologist at University College London specialising in child mental health, with Sir Simon Wessely, former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, acting as vice-chair.

Prof Fonagy said the panel would “examine the evidence with care – from research, from people with lived experience and from clinicians working at the frontline of mental health, autism and ADHD services – to understand, in a grounded way, what is driving rising demand.”

The move comes as the UK Government faces mounting pressure over the rising welfare bill. Ministers earlier this year pulled back from proposed changes to disability benefits, including those affecting people with mental health conditions, after opposition from Labour backbenchers.

Speaking on Monday, the Prime Minister said a fresh round of welfare reform was needed.

Keir Starmer said: “We’ve got to transform it; we also have to confront the reality that our welfare state is trapping people, not just in poverty, but out of work.”

Business

Welsh Govt shifts stance on business rates after pressure from S4C and Herald

Published

15 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ministers release unexpected statement 48 hours after widespread concern highlighted in Welsh media

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has announced a new package of tapered business rates relief for 2026-27, in a move that follows sustained pressure from Welsh media — including S4C Newyddion and The Pembrokeshire Herald — over the impact of revaluation on small businesses.

In Milford Haven, the hard-pressed pub sector is already feeling the impact: the annual bill for The Lord Kitchener is rising from £5,000 to £15,000, while rates at the Kimberley Public House have nearly doubled from £10,500 to £19,500. The Imperial Hall’s rates are increasing from £5,800 to £9,200, prompting director Lee Bridges to question why businesses “are being asked to pay more when we use less services”. In Haverfordwest, the annual rates bill for Eddie’s Nightclub is increasing from £57,000 to £61,500.

A written statement, issued suddenly on Wednesday afternoon, confirms that ministers will introduce a transitional “tapering mechanism” to soften steep increases for tourism, hospitality and small independent operators. Full details will be published with the draft Budget later this month.

The announcement comes less than two days after The Herald’s in-depth reporting brought forward direct concerns from Pembrokeshire business owners and councillors, highlighting the uncertainty facing one of Wales’ most important local industries.

Herald reporting credited by senior councillor

Pembrokeshire County Council Independent Group Leader Cllr Huw Carnhuan Murphy publicly thanked The Herald for pushing the issue into the spotlight.

In a statement shared on Wednesday, Cllr Murphy said: “Welcome news from Welsh Government. Thanks to Tom Sinclair for running this important item in the Herald in relation to the revaluation of businesses and the consequences it will have for many.

He added: “Newyddion S4C hefyd am redeg y stori pwysig yma ynghylch trethi busnes.,” which in English is “and thanks to S4C Newyddion as well for running this important story about business taxes.”

He added that the Independent Group “will always campaign to support our tourism and agriculture industry, on which so many residents rely within Pembrokeshire”.

Media spotlight increased pressure on Cardiff Bay

On Monday, ministers said business rates plans would be outlined “within the next two weeks”.
By Wednesday afternoon — following prominent coverage on S4C and continued pressure from The Herald — Welsh Government released an early written statement outlining new support.

Industry sources told The Herald they believed the level of public concern, amplified by the media, “forced the issue up the agenda much faster than expected”.

A cautious welcome for ‘better than nothing’

Cllr Murphy welcomed the partial support, though he stressed it fell short of what many businesses had hoped for.

“This isn’t the level of support many were hoping for,” he said, “but it is certainly much better than nothing.”

Draft Budget expected soon

The full tapered support scheme will be detailed in the Welsh Government draft Budget, expected within a fortnight.

Tourism and hospitality representatives have reserved final judgment until the figures are published, but many have expressed relief that some support will continue, following weeks of uncertainty.