News

Mark Drakeford resigns – his full statement word for word

Published

2 years ago

December 13, 2023

Mark Drakeford has announced today he will stand down as Welsh Labour leader immediately and a leadership contest for a new first minister will be held.

A new party leader will be elected before Easter, Mr Drakeford said

The Herald can confirm that he will remain as first minister until his successor is picked by his party.

Here is today’s statement from Mark Drakeford in full:

I have today formally notified the chair of the Welsh Executive Committee of my intention to stand down as Leader of Welsh Labour in March 2024.

When I stood for the leadership, I said that, if elected, I would serve for five years.

Exactly five years have passed since I was confirmed as First Minister in 2018.

Nominations for my successor as Welsh Labour Leader will open shortly.

The process will be concluded by the end of the Spring term, to enable the name of the winner to be put to the Senedd before the Easter recess.

In the meantime, I remain your First Minister.

We have a busy few months ahead of us – full of major events and challenges, which I will be fully focused on:
A child poverty strategy
The final report of the independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales
The future of steel-making in Wales
The conclusion of consultations about making council tax fairer and the reform of the school year
Module 2B of the Covid-19 UK Inquiry
Co-operation Agreement commitments to deliver
And a Budget to pass.

There will be plenty of time for political obituaries and retrospection once I cease to be First Minister.

But not before.

In a five-year period, which has seen Wales deal with austerity, Brexit, the covid pandemic, the climate crisis, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and four different Prime Ministers – so far – there will be lots to reflect on.

For now, I will continue to deliver on the promises we made to people across Wales.

The next Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister will, I hope, have the opportunity, which has not come my way, to work with a newly-elected Labour Government in London.

I will work as hard as I can to see that Labour Government elected.

It has been a huge privilege to lead both the Welsh Labour party and the Welsh Government.

I have also had the enormous fortune to have played a part in Welsh politics during the first quarter century of devolution.

None of that would have been possible without the consistent support and enormous hard work of my talented Cabinet colleagues and successive Labour groups.

Now it is time to look forward to the next five years across the UK and to the next 25 years of devolution in Wales.

That journey begins today.”

News

Reform reveals west Wales candidates for Senedd battle

Published

11 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Monkton councillor tops Pembrokeshire list as party confirms Carmarthenshire names and includes Haverfordwest councillor in unwinnable Swansea spot

REFORM UK has unveiled its full list of candidates for the 2026 Senedd election, setting out its challenge across west Wales including Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

The party has named Susan Claire Archibald, a sitting councillor for Monkton on Pembroke Town Council, as its lead candidate for the Ceredigion Preseli, Mid and South Pembrokeshire regional list.

Speaking to The Herald, Archibald said: “I am honoured to represent Reform UK and Wales.” She added that a fuller statement outlining her priorities would be released in due course.

The remaining candidates on the Pembrokeshire regional list are Paul Marr, a former prison officer, Michael Allen, Elisa Randall, Peter John and Bernard Holton.

Carmarthenshire candidates named

Reform has also confirmed its list for the Caerfyrddin and Llanelli region, with Gareth Beer placed first, followed by Carmelo Colasanto, Sarah Edwards, Christopher Brooke, Alan Cole and Michelle Beer.

The announcement forms part of a nationwide rollout of candidates as the party seeks to establish itself as a credible electoral force ahead of the 2026 vote.

Thorley listed in Swansea region

Among the names included elsewhere is Scott Thorley, a Haverfordwest-based councillor and the first Reform representative elected to Pembrokeshire County Council.

Thorley appears on the party’s list for the Gower and Swansea West region, where he is placed sixth.

Under the Senedd’s proportional representation system, candidates placed lower on regional lists are significantly less likely to be elected, meaning his position is widely viewed as a paper candidacy to complete the slate.

Election framing

Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas said the party was offering voters a stark political choice.

He said: “After a hundred years of failure, Labour are finished in Wales. The choice at this election is what comes next — common sense and a fresh start with Reform, or independence by stealth with Plaid Cymru.”

The Herald understands that further announcements, including candidate profiles and policy details, are expected in the coming weeks as the campaign begins to take shape.

Crime

Man bailed after serious assault in Fishguard town centre

Published

12 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault in Fishguard that has left a man in hospital.

The incident happened on Main Street at around 11:00pm on Saturday (Mar 21), when the victim was reportedly punched, sustaining head injuries. He remains in hospital receiving treatment.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.

Dyfed-Powys Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident, or who may have information that could assist the investigation, to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police quoting reference: 26*227686.

Information can be provided online via the Dyfed-Powys Police website, by emailing [email protected], by calling 101, or by sending a direct message on social media.

Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.

News

Childcare funding boost announced in Wales

Published

12 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Hourly rate to rise as costs increase

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has confirmed an increase in the hourly rate paid to childcare providers under its Childcare Offer, following a review of funding levels.

The Minister for Children and Social Care, DAWN BOWDEN MS, announced that the rate will rise to £6.67 per hour from April 6, 2026. The increase of 4.18% comes after feedback from childcare providers and sector data gathered during 2025.

The Welsh Government said the change is designed to help providers cope with rising costs, including increases to the National Living Wage.

The Herald understands the review drew on responses from the Childcare Offer’s Annual Survey, as well as information from Care Inspectorate Wales’ Self-Assessment of Service Statement (SASS).

The move follows a policy shift announced last year to review the rate annually, rather than every three years, in a bid to make funding more responsive to pressures facing the sector.

As part of the update, the maximum charge for meals will also increase by 4.18%, which ministers say is intended to balance affordability for both providers and parents.

Dawn Boden said the Welsh Government remains committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of childcare services, adding that officials will continue working with the sector to explore further improvements.