Politics

Carwyn Jones to step down as row over Sargeant inquiry intensifies

Published

8 years ago

April 21, 2018

THE FIRST MINISTER of Wales and leader of the Labour Party in Wales, Carwyn Jones, has announced he is to step down from both roles in the autumn.
Carywn Jones, who succeeded Rhodri Morgan as First Minister in 2009, made the announcement at Labour’s Spring Conference in Llandudno earlier today (Saturday, April 21).
Mr Jones was widely expected to step down during the current Assembly, but the timing of his resignation statement has come as a surprise.
Carwyn Jones has exercised power as First Minister for almost nine years in spite of having either no majority or only the slenderest of majorities in the Welsh Assembly. During his period in office he has been embroiled in a number of controversies; however, the last few months of his time in office have been dogged by a series of scandals surrounding the circumstances of the dismissal and subsequent death of former Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Carl Sargeant.
Mr Sargeant’s dismissal from office was leaked before the official announcement was made, with Llanelli AM Lee Waters revealing that he knew of Mr Sargeant’s sacking before the official announcement. A well-known Welsh journalist was also told of Mr Sargeant’s dismissal before the First Minister met with Mr Sargeant to inform him of it, as were at least two Labour MPs.
Following Mr Sargeant’s sudden death – a few days after his sacking by Mr Jones – a series of awkward questions about due process arose. Mr Sargeant was dismissed without being given the chance to respond to the allegations and the details of the allegations were not made available to him; allegations of leaking of confidential information from sources within the Welsh Government followed; and allegations of a toxic bullying culture at the heart of the Welsh Labour administration, were made.
Although questions regarding those issues focussed on the actions of politically appointed civil servants, those issues cast a long shadow over Carwyn Jones.
Yesterday, solicitors acting for Jack Sargeant, Carl Sargeant’s son who was elected to his late father’s Alyn & Deeside constituency, released a strongly-worded letter which took the Welsh Government to task for continuing delays in setting up an inquiry.
In a subsequent interview, Jack Sargeant’s lawyer – Neil Hudgell – suggested that: ‘[I]t’s been dehumanised within the first minister’s office: there’s some game-playing going on and some deliberate stalling tactics’.
Mr Jones acknowledged the pressure exerted by Carl Sargeant’s death and the subsequent furore about the involvement of civil servants both in bullying and in leaking information.
“There are people I haven’t been fair to in recent times, and that’s my family,” he said.
“In any normal political career you expect to be put through the wringer and have your everything challenged. I don’t think anyone can know what these last few months have been like, other than Lisa and the kids. They have helped me through the darkest of times. I have asked too much of them at times and it’s time for me think about what’s fair to them.”
While no direct allegations of wrongdoing were ever made against Mr Jones personally, the suspicion that something was rotten among civil service political appointees became increasingly hard to dispel. And there have been increasing signs in the First Minister’s responses to questions that he is feeling the pressure, as the Olympian sarcasm he often uses to cross-cut opposition AMs has degenerated to personal attacks on those questioning him.
Evidence of that was the abortive attempt to smear Adam Price in exchanges over the healthcare reorganisation in Hywel Dda.
A Freedom of Information Act request made by The Herald to the Health Board uncovered that civil servants working for the Welsh Government had asked for details of Mr Price’s correspondence from the Health Board and after receiving it had gone back and asked for details other AMs’ and MPs’ correspondence.
That led to an angry exchange in the Senedd last week, when Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns, referring to The Herald’s article about our Freedom of Information Act request and the Health Board’s response, questioned the First Minister why she was still waiting for an answer to her own request from the Welsh Government on the same lines. When Adam Price raised the spectre of a ‘smear machine’ staffed by civil servants to assist Labour in making personal attacks on opposition AMs, Mr Jones responded with a personal attack on Adam Price.
The field of candidates to replace Mr Jones is likely to number no more than four, thanks to the nomination procedure for leadership of the Assembly group. Likely runners include Ken Skates, the Economy Secretary, Health Secretary Vaughan Gething, and possibly Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford – likely to be popular with a grass-roots membership significantly more left wing than the party in the Assembly.

Business

Bid to convert office space into chocolate factory, salon and laundrette

Published

50 minutes ago

February 4, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL for the retrospective conversion of office space previously connected to a Pembrokeshire car hire business to a chocolate factory, a beauty salon and a laundrette has been submitted to county planners

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Mr M Williams, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, sought retrospective permission for the subdivision of an office on land off Scotchwell Cottage, Cartlett, Haverfordwest into three units forming a chocolate manufacturing, a beauty salon, and a launderette, along with associated works.

A supporting statement said planning history at the site saw a 2018 application for the refurbishment of an existing office building and a change of use from oil depot offices to a hire car office and car/van storage yard, approved back in 2019.

For the chocolate manufacturing by ‘Pembrokeshire Chocolate company,’ as part of the latest scheme it said: “The operation comprises of manufacturing of handmade bespoke flavoured chocolate bars. Historically there was an element of counter sales but this has now ceased. The business sales comprise of online orders and the delivery of produce to local stockist. There are no counter sales from the premises.”

It said the beauty salon “offers treatments, nail services and hairdressing,” operating “on an appointment only basis, with the hairdresser element also offering a mobile service”. It said the third unit of the building functions as a commercial laundrette and ironing services known as ‘West Coast Laundry,’ which “predominantly provides services to holiday cottages, hotels and care homes”.

The statement added: “Beyond the unchanged access the site has parking provision for at least 12 vehicles and a turning area. The building now forms three units which employ two persons per unit. The 12 parking spaces, therefore, provide sufficient provision for staff.

“In terms of visiting members of the public the beauty salon operates on an appointment only basis and based on its small scale can only accommodate two customers at any one time. Therefore, ample parking provision exists to visitors.

“With regard to the chocolate manufacturing and commercial laundrette service these enterprises do not attract visitors but do attract the dropping off laundry and delivery of associated inputs. Drop off and collections associated with the laundry services tend to fall in line with holiday accommodation changeover days, for example Tuesday drop off and collections on the Thursday.

“With regard to the chocolate manufacturing ingredients are delivered by couriers and movements associated with this is also estimated at 10 vehicular movements per week.”

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.

Politics

Ceredigion council tax expected to rise by 4.7 per cent

Published

8 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A BETTER financial settlement for Ceredigion from the Welsh Government along with a fresh grant is expected to see council tax bills in the county rising by less than five per cent this year, far below previous fears of a rise as high as nearly nine.

Last year, for the 2025-’26 budget, Ceredigion saw a council tax rise of 9.3 per cent.

While council tax makes up a proportion of the council’s annual revenue, a crucial area of funding is the Aggregate External Finance (AEF) rate from Welsh Government.

Ceredigion was to receive a 2.3 per cent increase on its settlement, some £3,388,000 for a total of £150,670,000, placing it at joint 13th of the 22 local authorities in Wales.

Following a later Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru agreement additional funding for local government was secured, giving Ceredigion additional funding.

Back in November, before the increased settlement was announced, Ceredigion Leader Cllr Bryan Davies said that early estimates indicated that an 8.9 per cent increase in council tax would be necessary, but an improved position of 6.9 per cent had been indicated as a result of a further modelling of service cost pressures and operational savings.

Following the improved settlement, members at the January meeting of Cabinet heard from Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement Services Cllr Gareth Davies a recommendation for a 4.75 per cent council tax increase as part of a draft budget requirement of £221.493m was being mooted.

That position has improved again, following financial support towards the Mid and West Wales Fire Service Levy, members of the February 3 meeting of the council’s corporate resources overview and scrutiny committee heard, the funding now dropping the expected council tax increase to 4.7 per cent, equivalent to an extra £7.39 per month for the average Band D property for the next financial year.

Members of the committee agreed to note the 4.7 per cent figure, with the final council tax recommendation being considered by Cabinet on February 10; the final decision on the budget being made by full council on March 2.

international news

Mandelson quits Lords amid police probe over Epstein links

Published

16 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Peter Mandelson has announced he will retire from the House of Lords with immediate effect, as mounting political and legal pressure grows over claims he shared sensitive government information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Parliamentary officials confirmed that Peter Mandelson formally notified the Clerk of the Parliaments of his decision, ending his membership of the upper chamber from Tuesday (Feb 4).

The move follows reports that the Metropolitan Police Service is reviewing allegations of possible misconduct in public office connected to emails said to have been forwarded to Epstein while Mandelson was business secretary during the 2008–09 financial crisis.

Downing Street has confirmed that material has been passed to police after an initial Cabinet Office review.

Government fury

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 19: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivers a statement in the media briefing room of 9 Downing Street in central London, after US president Donald Trump’s threats to ramp up tariffs until a deal is reached for the US to buy Greenland, at Downing Street on January 19, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Jordan Pettitt – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Keir Starmer told cabinet colleagues Mandelson had “let his country down”, according to No 10, and officials are now drafting legislation that could strip him of his peerage entirely.

Removing a life peer is rare and would require an Act of Parliament.

If passed, Mandelson would lose the title “Lord” altogether — an extraordinary step that has only been considered in the most serious cases.

Senior ministers have described the alleged passing-on of market-sensitive government discussions as “disgraceful” and a “betrayal of trust”.

What police are examining

Misconduct in public office is a centuries-old common law offence that applies where someone in a position of public trust wilfully abuses that role. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Investigators will assess whether confidential information — particularly relating to government financial policy during the crash — was shared without justification and whether safeguards were breached.

At this stage, no charges have been brought.

Mandelson has previously apologised for maintaining contact with Epstein after the financier’s conviction, saying he regrets “ever having known him”, but he has disputed some of the latest claims and has not commented directly on the police review.

Political shockwaves

Opposition parties are pushing for further disclosure of documents relating to Mandelson’s vetting and his past roles.

Conservatives are expected to force a Commons vote demanding more information, while Liberal Democrats have called for a public inquiry.

Several MPs have also suggested Mandelson should be removed from the Privy Council.

The developments mark a dramatic fall for one of Labour’s most influential political figures of the past three decades, who only months ago was serving as the UK’s ambassador to Washington.

Now, with police examining evidence and legislation being prepared to remove his title, his public career appears effectively over.

More updates are expected as the investigation continues.