Politics

Manifesto Destiny

Published

5 years ago

April 6, 2021

BY the time you read this article, each of the main parties contesting the Welsh Parliamentary election will have published their manifestos.

Virtually nobody will read them.

Instead, the public will be drip-fed press releases by the respective parties. Then the parties will take it in turns to take pot-shots at each other’s proposals.

That predictable back-and-forth means voters will hardly be one jot wiser when they cast their ballots than they were before the manifestos’ publication.

As Labour has been in power in Wales for twenty-two years, there is only its track record to assess.

Predictably, and as with every government anywhere, Labour’s record on actual delivery is mixed.

In the last few months of the last Welsh Parliamentary session, Labour appeared to realise pointing to banning two circuses from Wales was not much of a legislative record.

In response, it took to promising to deliver in the future what it promised in the past.

Labour’s totemic Wellbeing of Future Generations Act is a monumental piece of legislation. It cuts across government policy, but it’s become more of a Christmas tree the Welsh Government has placed ill-matched baubles on since its inception.

The Act’s aims are praiseworthy. Its execution – in practice – is a shambolic mess of box-ticking compliance and aspirational thought in place of solid leadership and rigorous decision-making.

Wales’ Future Generations Commissioner (no, nor me) recently outlined the problems following the Act’s aims.
Sophie Howe said: “Welsh Government must stop introducing new policy, legislation, guidance and reviews that overlook the Act and create new layers of complexity and governance.”

Sophie Howe continued: “There is a lack of clarity over how they interact with each other and a tendency to bypass existing boards that have already been set up.

“For example, to deliver on a wellbeing objective to ‘give every child the best start in life’ a public body would need alignment between Public Services Boards (PSBs), Regional Partnership Boards, Area Planning Boards, Community Safety Partnerships, Regional Skills Partnerships and City/Regional Growth deals.

“The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill potentially adds to an already complex and crowded partnership environment by creating statutory regional Corporate Joint Committees and proposes they will also be subject to the wellbeing duties of the Act.”

It all sounds a bit like having a working group of a sub-committee to advise a committee to inform a management team to consider the conclusions before setting up a working group to report to another committee where a decision might be taken or sent back to another sub-committee to view.

What it is not is democratic decision-making intended to address problems swiftly or with any sense of urgency.

The Act means well, but its aims are lost in a morass of bureaucracy.

The first policy priorities for any incoming Welsh Government must be to stabilise the economy and health service before moving on to longer-term objectives.

Its first administrative priorities must be to unpick bureaucracy-for-the-sake-of-it. Decision-making must be streamlined, so manifesto commitments materialise as policies to be voted on during a Senedd term and not as White Papers produced at its end.

The last Labour Government had lamentable form for doing that.

Promises made in 2016 emerged only as White Papers for consultation just before the end of the Senedd term.

In the ten years since the Welsh Government gained the power to pass Acts of the Assembly as primary legislation, it passed 49 Acts. Its most significant pieces of legislation were passed between 2013 and 2015.

Even accepting the pandemic’s disruption to everyday politics, the legislative return from the last five years of government is sparse.

After 2016, Welsh Government ministers frequently popped up to trumpet one initiative or another. It is no wonder that the Welsh Cabinet apparently consists of the First Minister and a dozen or so deputy Ministers for Announcements.

That is not to doubt the previous Welsh Government’s commitment to put flesh on the bones of their predecessors’ legislation and set about making it work.

Lee Waters, for example, has tirelessly worked on the Active Travel Act. But the Act was passed in 2013, three years before he joined the Welsh Parliament and almost six years before he became a Minister in the Labour Government.

Only now are ‘active travel zones’, which encourage commuters to ditch their cars, coming into play across Wales.

You can tell.

There are consultations taking place about them. Eight years after the primary legislation passed.

As for Labour’s last manifesto:

It didn’t deliver the M4 relief road it promised.
It barely scratched the surface of resolving Wales’ long-term transport infrastructure problems.
It didn’t reach its own child poverty targets.
It hasn’t improved health service.
It failed to introduce either an Agriculture Bill or Clean Air Act.

The education system’s results are improving. The Minister in charge was a Liberal Democrat.

You can’t say that’s all down to a failure of political willpower. It’s an oversupply of hot air: over-promising and underdelivering. For the first three years of the last Senedd term, the Welsh Government spent time firefighting problems hanging over from the previous Welsh Government. Itself.

Less talking about doing and more doing would be a fresh start – indeed, a novel approach – for the next Welsh Government.

It’s a chance for the Senedd to dispel the notion it’s just a talking shop for politicians’ pet peeves and crack on with delivering for Wales.

News

Accidental deaths in Wales rise by 43% as calls grow for urgent action

Published

10 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

More than 1,200 lives lost each year as charity warns of growing public health crisis

ACCIDENTAL deaths in Wales have risen by 43% over the past decade, with more than 1,200 people now dying each year, prompting calls for urgent action from the next Welsh Government.

New figures released by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) show that Wales now has a death rate 22% higher than the UK average, with preventable harm placing increasing pressure on the NHS and disproportionately affecting poorer communities.

Falls remain the leading cause of accidental death, accounting for nearly half of all fatalities. People in Wales are around 24% more likely to die from a fall than those elsewhere in the UK.

RoSPA has warned that the situation represents a growing public health crisis, as it launches its Stronger, Safer Wales manifesto ahead of the next Senedd election.

The charity is urging ministers to treat accident prevention as a national priority, arguing that many deaths could be avoided through relatively simple and low-cost interventions.

Accidental harm is also linked to a range of other risks, including rural road collisions, accidental poisonings, machinery incidents, and dog-related injuries.

The wider impact is significant, with preventable accidents costing the NHS billions, reducing workforce participation, and deepening inequality across Wales.

RoSPA is calling for a range of measures, including improved home safety standards, compulsory water safety education in schools, and stronger road safety interventions.

Among its proposals are mandatory eyesight tests for drivers every three years, better road markings to protect motorcyclists, and tighter regulation of unsafe or counterfeit products sold online.

The charity also wants to see national home safety programmes introduced to support vulnerable households, along with clearer responsibilities for local authorities in managing water safety risks.

Becky Hickman, Chief Executive of RoSPA, said the figures should act as a wake-up call for policymakers.

She said: “Wales is facing a clear and escalating crisis of accidental deaths, and the evidence shows the situation is worsening year on year.

“Behind every statistic is a life that could have been saved with practical, proven interventions.

“We are calling on the next Welsh Government to make accident prevention a national priority, because coordinated action will save lives, reduce inequalities and relieve pressure on the NHS.”

She added: “Accidents are not inevitable. With strong leadership and consistent standards across Wales, we can significantly reduce preventable harm.”

RoSPA says tackling the issue will require coordinated action across government, emergency services, local authorities and industry, but insists that the solutions are both achievable and cost-effective.

The charity’s manifesto is intended to shape future policy in Wales, with a focus on reducing avoidable deaths while easing pressure on overstretched public services.

Business

Pembroke South Quay boat shed expansion plans submitted

Published

19 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A PADDLEBOARDING and canoeing company’s call for an extension to a boat shed at Pembroke’s South Quay, below its historic castle, has been submitted to county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, G Booth of Paddle West CIC, through agent James Dwyer Associates, seeks permission for an extension to the stone-built boathouse, adjacent to the cliff on South Quay fronting the Mill Pond, Pembroke.

A supporting statement says: “It is intended to erect a single storey ‘lean-to’ building, or ‘shed’ for the storage of boats, such as canoes and kayaks, and related equipment, on a vacant space adjacent to the existing stone-built boathouse.”

It adds: “The boathouse and the intended adjacent boat storage shed is located, as is to be expected, in close proximity to water, the Mill Pond. The Mill Pond is the main area of activity for Paddle West, a Community Interest Company, providing boating activities, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding, frequently for young people and families.”

It goes on to say: “It is intended that the structure would be lightweight, erected on the exiting hard standing. The ‘shed’ would be used for the storage of boats and related equipment.”

With regard to the historic setting, it adds: “Although the stone-built boathouse appears not to be listed, it is recognised that the walls above are listed and together they are a piece.

“Accordingly, through form and external materials proposed, timber cladding and profile sheet roofing, the aim is to ensure that the structure would be subservient and muted and not detract or compete with the visual aesthetic of the boathouse or historic walls. In effect the addition would blend into the background.”

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

The boathouse is sited near to the new Henry Tudor Centre in South Quay, which is due to open in Spring 2027.

The centre, expected to receive around 30,000 visitors a year, will tell the story of Henry Tudor, son of Pembroke, his Welsh ancestry and his impact on our national story, Welsh culture and our wider British heritage.

The restored derelict South Quay buildings will also house a new library and community café, and a healthcare, social services and supported employment facility in the adjoining premises.

Community

First person of colour to be elected mayor of Haverfordwest

Published

21 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE town council will soon have its first-ever person of colour as mayor, and its youngest mayor in a century.

Haverfordwest Town Councillor Randell Iziah Thomas-Turner, aged 37, is to become mayor this May.

Cllr Turner said: “Tonight [March 19], I had the honour of accepting the nomination as mayor-elect — a moment that will forever stay with me.

“In doing so, I am humbled to be making history as the first mayor of colour in Haverfordwest and the youngest mayor in a century. This is not just my achievement, it belongs to every person who believes in progress, representation, and the power of community. This is a new chapter for our town — one built on unity, opportunity, and hope.

“My mayor-making will take place this May, and I cannot wait to officially step into the role and begin serving the people of Haverfordwest with pride, passion, and purpose. Haverfordwest is the best in the West — and together, we are just getting started.

“Diversity is not a challenge to overcome, but a strength to embrace. When people from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives come together with respect and openness, we unlock new ideas, stronger solutions, and deeper understanding.”

It’s a double celebration for the Thomas-Turner family.

Wife, and fellow town councillor, Dani, has been voted as sheriff of the town for the second-year-running, the first woman to serve as sheriff for two consecutive years.

“The coming civic year will be one to watch as my husband Councillor Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner is becoming the first mayor of colour in Haverfordwest’s history,” said Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner, adding: “It’s going to be a year of history and memory making for sure.”