News

Tories promise service return to Withybush

Published

10 years ago

April 28, 2016

SENIOR members of the Welsh Conservative Party visited Withybush Hospital on Tuesday (Apr 12) to pledge a return of services to the hospital if elected in May.

The leader of the party, Andrew RT Davies, and local Assembly candidates Angela Burns and Paul Davies met with the local media to discuss health care in west Wales.

Ms Burns emphasised how important health care was in the area, saying that all respondents so far to a survey she had commissioned specified provision of health services as a major issue.

Andrew RT Davies said that investment in the service, to allow commissioners to commission services, would improve the health care service locally, and pledged £800m of investment in the Welsh NHS over the fifth assembly.

When asked if his party had any plans to privatise NHS services, as is happening in England, Andrew RT Davies came straight to the point:

“There will be no privatisation and health will be free at point of need,” he insisted. What the Welsh Conservatives want to do is commit to lowering waiting times and reopen minor injury units to take the pressure off A&Es.”

Mr Davies also pledged to reopen the special baby care unit at Withybush – the closing of which attracted a lot of strong feeling locally.

The reasons given for the closure were finance, ability to train staff, and failure to attract staff. If you get the finance right you can put the training in place. If you put the training in place you can attract medics to come here and develop skills, so it all boils down to the commitment you are prepared to make about finance.

Mr Davies dismissed talks of cuts in other areas, including adult social care: “There will be no cutbacks in social care, because health and social care go hand-inglove,” he added, pointing out that cuts would lead to bed blockage.

Mr Davies also claimed that the average hospital stay in Wales was 6.7 days, while in England it was 4.6

“If we can shave two days off the average stay in hospital, that is saving about £1,000 per bed.”

When asked whether the Welsh Conservatives disagreed with a report from the Royal College of Paediatric Services and Child Health, which suggested that there was ‘no clinical sense’ in returning 24 hour paediatric services to Withybush, Mr Davies said he disagreed with the way in which the report was undertaken.

When asked how they would address long-standing issues in attracting staff, Andrew RT Davies said that finance was key, in that doctors would be offered secure long-term contracts and would have the resources in place to back up their skills and the training necessary to improve.

“What has happened in the last five years is we have had £1b illio n taken out of the health service and that has led to cuts.

“What we need in our politicians is strong leadership and commitment – and we are offering that on both counts.”

He pledged that no cuts to the health budget would be made over the assembly term, and promised the delivery of a rural health care plan.

Ms Burns also pointed out that, without Withybush Hospital, the region would be unable to attract GPs – a concern that has previously been raised by doctors’ surgeries in the county.

When asked whether controversial plans mooted in Westminster to introduce a minimum £35,000 salary requirement for non-EU migrants would affect the ability of health boards to fill job vacancies, Mr Davies said: “The ability to attract staff from outside the EU is key to all health services in the UK,” and suggested it was down to devolved governments to put the right packages in place.

He also claimed that there would be exemptions for health workers to make up shortfalls.

“But what we are aspiring to do is train of our own doctors, our own nurses and our own professional staff to manage and develop our own health service here in “Wales,” he added.

“But in the short term it should be within the gift of any health board to attract staff and we will work with our colleagues in Westminster to make sure that happens.”

Given that the Conservative Government in England has replaced nursing bursaries with a loan system, we asked if the Welsh Conservatives would follow suit. Mr Davies emphatically denied that this would be the case.

When asked how important this election was for Wales, Mr Davies said that it was ‘vital’.

“In 2021, people in Wales will be looking back at a missed opportunity,” he added. “We can’t afford another five years of Carwyn’s crisis.”

Mr Davies was somewhat more reticent when asked whether he would enter a coalition with UKIP to get Labour out of power in Wales: “408,000 people in Wales voted Welsh Conservative in 2015, and 401,000 voted for Carwyn Jones in 2011″

He said, neatly dodging the question : “So more people voted Welsh Conservative in the last 12 months and we have to make sure they turn up at this election.”

The polls in the run-up to the election, which show a gain for Plaid Cymru and a slight falling-away of Conservative support were disputed by Mr Davies, who reminded us that in the general Election, the Tories were polled at 14 points behind Labour in the Gower, which they ended up winning. “What I am seeing on the doorstep, and what all candidates across Wales are seeing, is a positive response for the Conservatives,” he claimed.

Ms Burns, currently predicted to lose her seat to Plaid Cymru, pointed out that ‘her death had been predicted twice before, ‘but I’ve managed to evade it!’ She claimed that when doorstepping in the Labour and Plaid Cymru heartlands ‘people had been positive about the story I have to bring.’

News

Another Senedd member defects to Reform as Lib Dem MP hits out

Published

10 minutes ago

February 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

David Chadwick MP says James Evans MS ‘put career before constituents’ after party switch

A SENEDD member has defected to Reform UK, prompting sharp criticism from a neighbouring MP who accused him of abandoning his principles to protect his political future.

James Evans has left the Conservatives to join Reform UK, a move that immediately drew fire from local David Chadwick, the Welsh Liberal Democrats MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe.

Mr Chadwick said the switch raised serious questions about consistency and loyalty to voters in mid Wales.

‘Career before constituents’

In a strongly-worded statement, Mr Chadwick said: “What’s clear is that James Evans is more interested in protecting his own career than standing up for his constituents in Brecon and Radnorshire.

“You could fill a library with his past criticisms of Reform and of Conservative defectors. He has described Reform as a danger to national security because of its links to Russia, and warned they would push Britain towards an insurance-based NHS.

“Yet the moment his own seat came under threat, he jumped ship to the very people he once said had no principles.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats are clear: our principles are not for sale. We will continue to do what we were elected to do, stand up for our constituents, not engage in political psychodrama.”

Past remarks resurface

The comments highlight a series of previous attacks made by Mr Evans on Reform UK and those who had joined the party.

He has previously questioned Reform’s leadership and direction, and suggested the party could not be trusted with the NHS, warning of a move towards insurance-based healthcare.

The Liberal Democrats also pointed to remarks made last year when Mr Evans criticised another Conservative who defected, saying she had “no principles”.

Opponents say those statements now sit uneasily with his own decision to change parties.

Growing political pressure

The defection comes amid increasing competition between parties across rural and mid Wales, with Reform seeking to capitalise on dissatisfaction with both Labour and the Conservatives ahead of the next Senedd election.

Mr Evans has yet to respond publicly to Mr Chadwick’s comments.

Community

Milford Haven community mourns loss of dedicated volunteer Robert Duncan

Published

28 minutes ago

February 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Tributes paid to former RBL chairman and Citizens’ Award recipient

MILFORD HAVEN has been left saddened by the death of Robert Duncan, a well-known and much-respected community figure who devoted decades of his life to voluntary service.

Milford Haven Town Council said it was “so sorry to learn of the passing” of Mr Duncan, describing him as a dear friend to many and a man whose generosity touched countless lives.

Mr Duncan served as Chairman of the Milford Haven branch of the Royal British Legion and was widely recognised for his tireless work supporting veterans and local causes. Alongside his wife Carol, he received a Citizens’ Award in 2016 in recognition of their years of voluntary service to the town.

The couple also fostered children for many years, opening their home to young people in need and providing stability and care to families across the area.

Beyond his work with the Legion, Mr Duncan was involved with the local R.A.O.B. lodge and Milford Haven Museum, contributing time and energy to preserve the town’s history and strengthen community life.

In a statement, the Town Council said: “Robert was a wonderful family man and a most dedicated public servant. So many of us will have stories of his generosity and community activities that we would like to share. Thank you for everything, Robert. We will truly miss you.”

Councillors added that his quiet commitment and willingness to help others made him a familiar and trusted figure across Milford Haven.

Sympathies have been extended to Carol and the wider family, as well as friends and colleagues who worked alongside him over the years.

Those who knew him say his legacy will live on in the many lives he helped shape and the strong sense of community he worked so hard to build.

Photo caption: Robert Duncan and his wife Carol receive a Citizens’ Award in 2016 alongside the Mayor of Milford Haven (Pic: Milford Haven Town Council).

News

Road sign vandalism sparks political row across west Wales

Published

35 minutes ago

February 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

BILINGUAL road signs across parts of west Wales have been deliberately defaced, with English place names sprayed over in what politicians have described as targeted acts of vandalism.

Incidents have been reported in St Clears, Welshpool and Burry Port in recent days, with the English wording obscured while the Welsh language names were left untouched.

The damage has prompted criticism from Andrew RT Davies, the South Wales Central Conservative Member of the Senedd, who said the attacks were “disgraceful” and risk fuelling division within communities.

In St Clears, Carmarthenshire, black paint was sprayed across the English name on entrance signage, while the Welsh version, “Sancler”, remained clearly visible. The town itself dates back to the 12th century as an Anglo-Norman settlement, with the Welsh name derived from the original English.

Similar reports have emerged from Welshpool in Powys and Burry Port on the Carmarthenshire coast, where bilingual signs have also been tampered with.

Mr Davies said: “These attacks, presumably carried out by Welsh separatist activists, are disgraceful.

“The English language is central to Welsh culture.

“Attempts to erase it are completely unacceptable and must be condemned.”

He added that road signs are there for safety and navigation and should not be used to make political statements.

Local residents have also voiced frustration, with some pointing out that obscuring parts of signs could pose a risk to drivers unfamiliar with the area, particularly visitors and tourists.

Bilingual signage has been standard across Wales for decades, reflecting both Welsh and English as everyday languages used by communities. While the vast majority of signs remain untouched, the recent incidents appear to have been deliberate and selective.

Police have not yet confirmed whether any arrests have been made, but anyone with information about damage to public property is urged to contact their local force.