Politics

Cameron ‘has failed to make case’ for air strikes

Published

8 years ago

December 14, 2015

Stephen Crabb: ‘ Clearly we have to take action ‘

PLAID CYMRU leader Leanne Wood has said that the Prime Minister has failed to make the case for UK air strikes in Syria and that many unanswered questions remain.
Ms Wood said: “Plaid Cymru has said that it would listen to the Prime Minister’s case for UK intervention against IS.
“From the outset, Plaid Cymru has insisted that UK military intervention could only be considered in the context of an internationally-agreed peace plan for Syria, one that includes winning the peace as much as the military defeat of IS.
“Plaid Cymru has also insisted that a framework backed fully by the UN is essential, including a Chapter VII resolution. The Prime Minister has failed to deliver this.
“We are also dubious of the Prime Minister’s claim that there are 70,000 moderate Syrian fighters on the ground ready to fight IS – a doubt shared by the Chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee, amongst many others.
“Dropping bombs from the air will not lead to the defeat of IS. Neither will it the secure peace for the people of Syria or bring stability to the wider region. What is needed is a plan for a process of reconciliation and reconstruction.
“The Party of Wales urges all governments to redouble efforts to secure a comprehensive peace deal for Syria and the wider region. We urge world leaders not to repeat the mistakes of past Western military interventions in the Middle East.
“We call for renewed commitments to support and aid civilians who are suffering as a result of the war, call for pressure to bear on Saudi Arabia and others who are financing IS and we call for practical support for those currently d e f e n d i n g themselves on the ground from IS such as the Kurdish P e s h m e r g a fighters, which must also include a commitment from Turkey to cease attacks upon the Kurds.
“UK military action as currently proposed risks further escalation in Syria and making our own communities at home less secure.
“Unless the Prime Minister addresses all unanswered questions and brings forward a more comprehensive plan, Plaid Cymru cannot support military action.”
On Monday the leader of the opposition in Westminster said that he would allow Labour MPs a free vote on extending British air strikes into Syria. Jeremy Corbyn is opposed to the bombing, and in a letter to Labour MPs said that he felt that Mr Cameron had not explained how the bombings would help Britain’s security.
However, the Shadow front bench team is divided on the matter, with shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn and Tom Watson among those favouring military intervention. Llanelli MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Nia Griffith has said that she is opposed to UK involvement in air strikes, citing the lack of an effective strategy from Mr Cameron as a major factor in this. Ms Griffith said:
“Last week in Parliament I listened very carefully to the Prime Minister making the case for the UK’s involvement in air-strikes on Syria. He spoke eloquently, but it was clear that he did not have an effective strategy for following up the air strikes and bringing the stability that that country so desperately needs. That’s why I spoke up very clearly in Shadow Cabinet against UK involvement in air strikes.
“It is understandable that in the wake of appalling atrocities in Paris, that we should want to do something urgently to combat Daesh / Isis and show solidarity with our allies, but we should beware of simply bombing places like Raqqa in Syria as a knee-jerk reaction, which, as fleeing Syrians have pointed out, would inevitably lead to civilian casualties.
“We all abhor Daesh with their barbaric acts, and their murdering of innocent p e o p l e including m a n y Muslims, b u t military experts h a v e warned that air strikes alone are not sufficient to drive Daesh out of the territory it holds. Far more needs to be done to cut off their supplies of oil and weapons, and to prevent more young people being drawn into their hateful propaganda and radicalisation.
“But in terms of re-taking the parts of Syria they control, we need to have a strategy which includes how and by whom the peace can be secured. The Prime Minister talked vaguely about some 70,000 rebel forces, but they are scattered geographically, and composed of many disparate groups. The Prime Minister could not give us details about their commitment or capacity for taking and holding territory.
“However, we now have signs of a greater determination in the United Nations to tackle the region’s problems, and Russia has shown a willingness to be involved. So where the UK should take a lead would be in furthering the Vienna process, getting commitment from the regional powers and developing a political strategy for the area. That now needs to be the priority. I am not a pacifist, but I shall not be voting for air strikes on Syria.
Ms Griffith’s opposite number, Stephen Crabb, has announced that he is in favour of extending British operations. In an interview shortly after the tragic events in Paris, the Preseli Pembrokeshire MP said: “Clearly the events of recent days have focused people’s minds. I personally don’t know what it is going to take to persuade people further, whether it’s the images of carnage and death we saw on the streets of Paris on Friday night or whether it’s the images of mass graves that have been discovered in Syria or the evidence of rape being used as a weapon of war in Syria, but clearly we have to take action to eradicate the world of this horrific poisonous threat which threatens our lives within this country, this so-called Isil.”
When asked whether ground forces would be required, the Conservative MP reiterated what Mr Cameron said regarding the capabilities of existing forces: “We believe there are troops on the ground to do the job, the Kurdish forces and others who have shown in just recent days how capable they are at defeating Isil on the ground, but the diplomatic strategy is an important one as well.”
Jeremy Corbyn has written to Mr Cameron, urging the Prime Minister to hold a full two-day debate on the subject of military involvement before any vote. It is thought that the Government will not call for a vote unless they are confident of securing a clear majority.

News

Fresh questions over fire that ravaged Manorbier school

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A senior Pembrokeshire councillor is to be quizzed on what progress has been made in recouping a £200,000 insurance excess paid by the council following the 2022 fire at a Manorbier school.

Manorbier Church in Wales VC School and its adjoining schoolhouse was severely damaged by a fire on October 11, 2022, which broke out in the school roof space.

Pupils and staff were successfully evacuated with no injuries, and a “school from school” was set up in Jameston Village Hall, after a brief period of sanctuary at the nearby Buttyland caravan site.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s insurers have previously said the fire was accidentally started while “hot works” were being carried out by contractors to renew an adjacent flat roof, but, as has previously been stressed, no liability had been accepted to date.

Councillors have previously heard the majority of costs were likely to be met from the council’s insurers, with the caveat of the unknown issue of liability and its effect on the £200,000 insurance excess.

A submitted question, by Councillor Aled Thomas, to be heard at the full council meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council on May 9, will ask Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language Cllr Guy Woodham “to update the chamber on what progress the Cabinet have made in recouping the £200,000 insurance excess paid following the devastating non-fault fire at Manorbier school”.

Councillors have previously been told by Cllr Woodham: “The legal issues are not straightforward but will be robustly taken forward.

“At this stage it’s still subject to legal discussion. The excess will be covered by a fund the council holds for insurance excess.”

He said that, if liability was found or accepted, the council would “pursue for the full maximum claim of the costs associated with the fire”.

Crime

Dafydd Llywelyn retains his post as our local commissioner

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE result of the election for the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner election has been declared.

Plaid’s Dafydd Llywelyn retains his role as commissioner. He has held the role since 2016.

The result of the election is as follows:

Justin Mark Griffiths (Lib Dem) 7,719
Ian Harrison 19,134 (Con)
Dafydd Llywelyn 31,323 (Plaid)
Philippa Thompson (Lab) 18,353

Before the election, Dafydd Llywelyn promised: “As your current Commissioner, operational, front-line policing has, and always will come before party politics. I have a strong track record of delivering on my promises and of listening to the communities of Dyfed Powys. I am proud of what I have achieved since 2016, but there is still so much to do.

“I am an approachable individual and I believe in listening to all members of the community in order to shape a successful police force.

“Since 2016, I have increased resources whilst also retaining the lowest council tax levels in Wales. During that time, we’ve seen:

150 more Police Officers;

150 more Police Staff;
A CCTV system that is monitored 24/7 by police staff;
A dedicated rural crime team;
A focus on county lines drug dealing to target organised crime;
Investment in Youth Offending Teams to divert young people away from crime;
A new Offender Diversionary Scheme to reduce re-offending.

If re – elected:

I will safeguard Neighbourhood Policing resources retaining a visible local policing presence;
I will invest in the Communications Centre to ensure an accessible service;
I will continue to put the victim at the heart of the service and develop a truly victim led service;
I will work with operational staff to keep local police stations open;
I will invest in a new and refreshed School Police programme to deliver early intervention and preventative work;
I will prioritise working in partnership with organisations and agencies to safeguard the most vulnerable in society.

“Your safety is my top priority. I want to ensure that the Dyfed Powys Police Force remains one of the safest places to live in Wales and England.”

News

Pembroke Power Station hydrogen fuel production hopes rise

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A public consultation on plans to develop a green hydrogen production facility next to Pembroke Power Station has been launched by energy company RWE Generation UK.

The technology uses the electrolysis of water to split into its constituent elements, hydrogen for fuel and power, and oxygen.

RWE, in its consultation, says: “RWE is progressing proposals to develop a green hydrogen production facility on RWE’s land adjacent to the existing Pembroke Power Station and has launched a statutory pre-application consultation to inform stakeholders and the community.

“RWE values the input of the local community and feedback will be used to inform the plans. RWE Pembroke Green Hydrogen will facilitate the generation of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is produced from water, using energy obtained from renewable sources.

“The hydrogen can then be used to decarbonise local industrial activities in South Wales, by displacing their current fossil fuel usage. The facility would be located on RWE’s site to the west of Pembroke Power Station and would benefit from being well-screened from local communities, while being accessed via the current power station access road.”

It adds: “It is expected that hydrogen generated by this facility for use in local industry would directly result in the reduction of approximately 93,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year, helping to secure a more sustainable future for South Wales’ long-standing industrial heritage. This CO2 saving is the equivalent of removing 18,600 cars from the road each year.”

The 23.7ha development site proposed comprises of a 4ha main electrolyser area, a 1.5km hydrogen gas pipeline corridor, an electrical connection to a high voltage transformer all located to the west of Pembroke Power Station, and an area for connections into the Pembroke Power Station and a cable corridor for connection into the National Grid Substation.

The consultation documents say: “The proposed development is a green hydrogen electrolysis plant that will consume circa 100-110MW of electricity to produce around 2 te/hr green hydrogen gas for third-party uses unrelated to Pembroke Power Station. Including the balance of plant, the total energy consumption for the proposed development will be approximately 140MW.

“The consequent reduction in use of fossil fuels due to substitution by green hydrogen gas, and avoided greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is a beneficial operational effect of the proposed development.”

It says development of the project is expected to take 24 months, and subject to as-yet unsubmitted full plans’ approval, could be built by early 2027.

The consultation runs to May 20.

A hydrogen fuel plant facility was given the backing of county planners last October, at the former Puma Energy site in Milford Haven.

H2 Energy Ecosystem UK Limited sought permission for the erection of an electrolysis hydrogen generation facility, and associated storage facilities and works at the Amoco Road site.