Politics

AM calls for sweeping changes

Published

7 years ago

April 6, 2018

Neil McEvoy: The Welsh establishment don't want change

“IT’S BEEN a disastrous year for Welsh Democracy.”

Those were the eye-catching words with which controversial Cardiff AM Neil McEvoy spoke about the need for a new campaign group within Plaid Cymru.

Suspended from membership of his party and expelled from the Party of Wales’ Assembly group after demanding access to information held about him under the Data Protection Act after Plaid made a complete hash of an investigation into allegations made against him by a firm of lobbyists, Mr McEvoy was not talking about his own experiences.

Fed up of what he regards as nepotism and systemic corruption within the Welsh body-politic, Mr McEvoy offered a series of trenchant analyses of Wales’ political and social problems.

And he started by referring to the dismissal of the late Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Carl Sargeant.

Neil McEvoy writes: It took just three anonymous complaints about a Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary – which were not investigated, not proven, not deemed serious enough to go to the police or even written down. They led to him being sacked and judged guilty by the mob, without the opportunity to defend himself. We know the rest.

The Permanent Secretary of the Civil Service is refusing to release documents that the democratically elected National Assembly has demanded. I’ve had to invoke a clause in the Government of Wales Act used for the first time, to force the publication of the report into the Carl Sargeant leak, because I am not going to sit in our Senedd and let Wales be disrespected.

My motion is supported by the Conservatives and even UKIP, but we have to wait until after recess for Plaid Cymru to confirm if they will or will not back my motion. For the sake of the Welsh National Interest, I hope they do.

Investigations into the First Minister’s involvement into the shoddy sacking affair are being whitewashed. We’ve been hearing about a toxic culture at the heart of Welsh Government. When we campaigned for the Welsh Assembly is this where anyone thought it would end up?

Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales – has to rise above this kind of politics and lead the way.

FREE SPEECH UNDER THREAT

Neil McEvoy had strong words about the threat posed to free speech in Wales.

Nowadays, being offended is almost a hobby for some people. They’re dismissed as virtue signallers in many parts of the world. But they don’t get dismissed in Wales. They actually make it onto the news. Too many of them have made it into our Assembly. Mock outrage everywhere on Twitter from politicians who joke about the same things in private.

The reality is that we have imported America’s culture war into Welsh politics. Instead of uniting people we’re dividing people up. Some people are said to be oppressors, simply because of their gender or race. People talk about male white privilege. Are white men in the valleys privileged? Really?

In Wales, we should know where the oppressor is, because it’s been the same for a thousand years. It’s the elite in London who have taken the wealth from our country to make themselves rich while keeping us poor.

It’s the new elite in the Bay Bubble, copying their London masters.

I’m not interested in turning people against each other because of their gender, or their race, or their sexual orientation. I know what my political purpose is. It’s addressing the injustice of our country being exploited for centuries.

WE MUST DEFEAT THE ELITE

We have to defeat the elites, they are very powerful people. They’re the political elites that don’t represent us. The London media elite that doesn’t talk about us, unless they have something condescending or negative to say. The financial elite that keeps their money off shore, so we can’t benefit from it.

But where are we now? I was thrown out of the Plaid group for questioning why we can’t sell council houses so long as the money is used to buy new ones. That’s a really popular policy that has helped tens of thousands of working class people own their own home and become independent. That’s real sovereignty as far as I’m concerned, because how can you ever be sovereign when someone else owns the house you live in?

The establishment here has had warnings. The huge rise in the UKIP vote. It didn’t matter how incompetent they were. The less competent the better in order to send a message to the establishment. And they beat us in so many elections as a result.

The Brexit referendum. The establishment didn’t see it coming. They couldn’t understand that faced with voting for the status quo or voting for the unknown, then people would pick the unknown, because that risk was better than keeping things the way they are. I voted remain but I can tell you, I understand why so many people didn’t and I’m not judging anybody for that.

A lot of people voted leave because of immigration, and there is a migration problem in Wales. Our political Leaders choose not to talk about it. Because our economy is bad, our young, talented and economically active people have to leave. And they’re replaced by older, economically inactive people because Wales is a cheaper, more beautiful place to retire.

The best thing we can do about this is become wealthy. That way the young people stay and it will be the talented, economically active people coming to our country because of the opportunities we’ll have here.

DANGER FOR THE ASSEMBLY

People are crying out for change, but nobody is providing it. The establishment in Wales don’t want change. The status quo is working great for them so they’ll fight to keep it.

What we need is equality of opportunity, which means ending nepotism and ending corruption, because nothing hurts equal opportunity more than nepotism and corruption. You can see that in Cardiff Bay. Millions dished out to the third sector, who often seem to spend a lot but deliver little. Those organisations are packed with Labour members.

We’ve got lobbyists running rampant in Cardiff Bay, selling access and information to the highest bidder. Anyone who gets in their way is smeared in the most personal and damaging way. These people are poisoning our democracy and must be dealt with.

But how can we when we’ve had the same Labour party in charge in Wales for 20 years? That’s not healthy for any democracy.

I can tell you where this is heading. People will not be voting for a sovereign Wales in future. They’ll be voting to abolish the Assembly. Because they’re looking at what’s going on and they’re thinking the Assembly is too broke to fix. But too many of us worked too hard to get a national parliament to see it fail like this.

So what are we going to do about it? We are going to get organised and we are going to change the direction of this party, change the direction of its politics and change people’s minds about voting for us. We’re going to propel Wales forward.

Politics

Pembrokeshire County Council needs to find £28m funding

Published

6 hours ago

December 19, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A BETTER-than-expected settlement from the Welsh government has lowered Pembrokeshire’s funding gap for the next financial year by millions but the county still faces a £28m challenge.

In a draft budget report before the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, presented by Cabinet member for finance Cllr Joshua Beynon, members heard a projected funding gap for the next financial year of £34.1m had now been reduced to £28.1m as Pembrokeshire received a higher than expected Aggregate External Finance (AEF) settlement increase of 3.6 per cent from Welsh Government – amounting to just over £8.1m – against a predicted two per cent; the average across the 22 local authorities being 4.3 per cent.

Of the 22 authorities in Wales, Pembrokeshire ranked 15th in its rate of settlement, neighbouring Ceredigion also receiving 3.6 per cent, to rank 17th, and Carmarthenshire receiving 4.1 per cent, ranking 12th.

The report added: “In the current financial year, Pembrokeshire received an AEF settlement of £218.87m, representing 72.1 per cent of the 2024-25 Net Expenditure budget of £303.496m, the remainder (27.9 per cent) being funded by council tax.

“There is now more reliance on council tax funding due to AEF reductions during the austerity period whilst council tax increased. Council tax accounted for only 18.4 per cent in 2013-14. This trend is likely to continue whilst anticipated AEF increases are proportionally below council tax increases in future years.”

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Beynon referenced ‘unpalatable’ options listed in an online council budget modeller giving options for the final figure for the next financial year.

“It’s not a fun time to be in local government, it’s about what we can cut, making really difficult decisions; in that [online council] budget modeller there are some unpalatable things we could do, it is more and more difficult for us to get these savings, years and years of reduced budgets mean we are finding it difficult.”

Members backed recommendations including the outline draft budget be noted, with final decisions on any budget being made by full council next February.

The funding gap figures are based around a 11.14 per cent council tax increase in the next financial year.

News

Greyhound racing in Wales: Future hangs in balance as decision delayed until 2025

Published

17 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT’S decision to postpone a ruling on the future of greyhound racing until 2025 has sparked mixed reactions, with animal welfare groups voicing disappointment and industry representatives welcoming the extended timeline for discussion.

Welfare groups demand urgent action

Animal welfare organisations, including Dogs Trust, RSPCA Cymru, Blue Cross, Greyhound Rescue Wales, and Hope Rescue, have expressed dismay at the delay. The coalition, known as Cut the Chase, has long advocated for an end to greyhound racing in Wales, calling the postponement a missed opportunity to prevent further harm.

Their concerns mirror recent developments in New Zealand, where greyhound racing will be banned by August 2026 due to concerns over injuries and fatalities. Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, stated:
“The call to end greyhound racing in Wales has received overwhelming support from the animal welfare community, Members of the Senedd, and the public, with over 35,000 people signing a petition demanding change.

“It is unacceptable that so many dogs die or are seriously injured every year, all in the name of entertainment. Wales now stands alongside only a handful of countries, including England and Scotland, where this outdated and inhumane practice persists. The Welsh Government must take the only meaningful action to stop this cruelty: end greyhound racing once and for all.”

Public supports a phased ban

A consultation conducted by the Welsh Government revealed that 64.69% of respondents supported a phased ban on greyhound racing. Despite this, officials have opted to extend deliberations, with a final decision now expected in 2025.

Animal welfare groups highlighted troubling figures from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), which reported 359 racing greyhound deaths and 4,238 injuries in 2023 – a 47% increase in fatalities compared to the previous year. Concerns extend to off-track welfare, including reports of poor living conditions, inadequate nutrition, and lack of enrichment for retired greyhounds.

Industry defends its welfare standards

The GBGB has countered criticism by emphasizing welfare improvements at licensed tracks such as Valley Stadium in Wales. Mark Bird, GBGB Chief Executive, said:
“Valley Stadium’s licensing has brought significant welfare improvements, overseen by expert veterinarians and our national network of professionals. Racing greyhounds receive more oversight and protection than many pet dogs across Wales.

“We remain committed to working with the Welsh Government to promote and protect greyhound welfare through effective and proportionate regulation.”

Broader calls for change

The debate in Wales reflects a growing movement to end greyhound racing across the UK and beyond. In Scotland, a Proposed Prohibition of Greyhound Racing Bill aims to outlaw the sport, while New Zealand has committed to a ban, citing ethical concerns.

Decision delayed but debate intensifies

The Welsh Government has emphasized the need for thorough consideration before making a final decision. However, the delay has intensified divisions, with animal welfare groups urging an outright ban and the industry advocating for improved regulation as a viable alternative.

A final verdict is not expected until 2025, leaving the future of the sport – and the welfare of thousands of greyhounds – uncertain.

Community

Only three anti-social behaviour warnings in Haverfordwest in two years

Published

19 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

DESCRIBED as a “waste of taxpayers’ money”, a protection order introduced in the centre of Haverfordwest to tackle antisocial behaviour has been “an unnecessary tool” which only resulted in three warnings in two years.

Prior to its backing in mid-2022, a plan to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Haverfordwest town centre had been under discussion for some time, with a public consultation on the matter, as well as previous debates by Pembrokeshire County Council.

The proposals were brought by the town’s then five county councillors, initially prompted by anti-social behaviour and drinking issues at the skate park but later expanded to a large part of the town centre, and were developed in partnership with Dyfed-Powys Police.

Claims had previously been made that “gangs of feral children are roaming around town”, with members of the public subject to verbal and physical abuse in Haverfordwest, and a “criminal element” dealing drugs in the town.

The PSPO gives police and PCSOs additional powers for three years to issue a fixed penalty notice of £100 if someone fails to comply with a request to cease consumption of intoxicating substances in a designated area.

At the time, Cllr Jacob Williams said on “civil liberties grounds” he was shocked to see what was being proposed.

“I think this is way over the top and not a proportionate response,” he said.

The PSPO area includes the Withybush retail area, the river alongside Morrisons, Barn Street, Horsefair roundabout, Rifleman Field, skatepark, Fortunes Frolic and out to the train station.

The December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council received a submitted question by Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy, who had opposed the scheme.

“At full council on July 14, 2022 a decision was made to implement a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) within certain areas of Haverfordwest.

“A Partnership Panel held on May 23, 2024, received confirmation that since this PSPO was implemented there have been no prosecutions or fixed penalties issued. There was a cost implication in implementing this PSPO for PCC, money that we can ill afford to spend when ample legislation exists for dealing with antisocial behaviour.

“Therefore, can it be agreed that in future such applications are given greater scrutiny to avoid further waste of taxpayers’ money and what actually reduces antisocial behaviour is increased pro-active policing not more legislation?”

Responding to Cllr Murphy’s question Cllr Williams, now Cabinet Member for Planning & Regulatory Services, said he agreed with the questioner.

“Cllr Murphy and I were among several who opposed this introduction, among the things I said was I was aghast at this proposal which had snowballed; I would’ve been in support around the skate park rather than the town.”

He added: “The way the council was proceeding was not justified and I voted against it; as Cllr Murphy’s question states there have been no prosecutions, but on three occasions police have warned people about offences.”

Cllr Williams said any potential renewing of the order – up for review next year – would go to scrutiny committee before coming before council, “should there be an appetite for this PSPO to be renewed”.

He concluded: “It could be argued there’s no prosecutions so it’s worked; but only three persons have been warned [by police], I think that paints a story that it was probably not only was not a success but probably a tool that was not necessary.”