News

Lib Dems call for new protections for rivers and coastlines

Published

3 weeks ago

June 7, 2024

THE Liberal Democrats have announced a massive expansion of marine protected areas and a new Blue Flag status for rivers will be included in their general election manifesto.

In response to sewage being pumped into bathing water status rivers, the party has announced plans for new Blue Flag rivers, setting legally binding targets to prevent sewage dumping in those sites. Blue Flag rivers would give special protected status for swimmers and wildlife.

The current government bathing water scheme has failed to protect waterways from sewage discharges by only requiring increased water quality testing. Analysis by the Liberal Democrats has found in 2021 Dŵr Cymru discharged sewage into bathing water areas across Wales 7,888 times for over 63,598 hours. Dŵr Cymru has since failed to report sewage discharges in bathing waters since 2021.

The Liberal Democrats are also announcing new plans to protect coastal marine wildlife, which would see the expansion of the blue belt of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Marine environments are currently in a state of crisis due to sewage and plastic pollution.

Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

“Our precious rivers and coastlines have been destroyed after years of a Conservative government letting water firms get away with environmental vandalism.

Meanwhile the Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff Bay has also failed to use the powers they have available to them to tackle the issue.

It is time we got tough on polluting and profiteering water firms. Conservative MPs and Welsh Labour Ministers have stood by whilst swimmers have become ill and wildlife killed by sewage discharges.

This scandal has to end now. The Liberal Democrats will have the boldest manifesto on cleaning up our rivers and coastlines. Families should be free to swim safely in the knowledge that our waters are not polluted with sewage.”

News

Labour and Plaid Cymru are expected to win Pembrokeshire seats

Published

2 hours ago

June 30, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

LABOUR and Plaid Cymru are expected to win the two new general election seats of Mid and South Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion Preseli, with as much as half of all votes, according to the highest estimates of 12 election polls.

In collated results of different polls from Britain Predicts, The Economist, electionmaps, Electoral Calculus, Focaldata, the FT, Ipsos, More in Common, Savanta, Survation, WeThink, and YouGov, Labour is expected to win the Mid and South Pembrokeshire seat with vote percentages ranging from 33 per cent to as high as 50 per cent.

For the top three parties in Mid and South Pembrokeshire, the poll figures as a percentage of votes are listed below.

Labour: 39, 41, 42, 45, 42, 48, 43, 50, 47, 45, 44, and 33.

Conservative: 28, 27, 27, 20, 26, 23, 30, 29, 24, 36, 22, and 29.

Reform: 14, 15, 15, 23, 16, 17, 8, 9, 15, 14, 20, and 19.

The fourth poll, Electoral Calculus, puts Reform as the second-highest polling party for the seat, with 23 per cent, against 20 for the Conservatives.

Ceredigion Preseli polls are predicting a Plaid Cymru win, ranging from a narrow 27 per cent of votes win to as much as 48 per cent.

It includes a few variations about who is in second, third and fourth positions.

Plaid Cymru: 36, 34, 36, 48, 33, 42, 39, 27 – a narrow win over Labour by one percentage point, 42, 34, 37, and 36.

Labour: 21, 22, 23, 16, 24, 28, 22, 26, 21, 23, 28, and 14.

Conservatives: 20, 13, 11, 12, 12, 10, 14, 19, 12, 15, 13, and 14.

The Reform party polls see some potential upsets for Labour and the Conservatives, with the party gaining third place in four polls (one jointly), and even second, in one poll.

Reform: 8, 14, 13, 17 – ahead of Labour by one point, 14, 9, 10, 12, 10, 7, 10, and 14.

Labour, Conservatives and Reform are all tied on 14 per cent each in the Ceredigion Preseli seat according to the YouGov poll.

Candidates standing in the 15-candidate battle for the two seats are listed below.

Ceredigion Preseli: Ben Lake for Plaid Cymru, Liberal Democrat Mark Williams, Welsh Labour’s Jackie Jones, Conservative Aled Thomas, Tomos Barlow for the Green Party, Karl Robert Pollard for Reform UK, and Taghrid Al-Mawed for the Workers Party of Britain.

Mid and South Pembrokeshire: Hanna Andersen (Women’s Equality Party); Alistair Cameron (Welsh Liberal Democrats); Stephen Crabb (Welsh Conservative); Stuart Marchant (Reform UK); James Purchase (Green Party); Vusi Siphika (Independent); Cris Tomos (Plaid Cymru); and Henry Tufnell (Welsh Labour).

Crime

Pembrokeshire man admits to child sex offences in court

Published

2 hours ago

June 30, 2024

Court Reporter

A MAN from Pembrokeshire, Paul Stuart Chesher, 66, has pleaded guilty to serious child sex offences at Swansea Crown Court.

Chesher, from Herbrandston, appeared in court on Friday, 21 June, where he admitted to multiple charges.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to incite a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, specifically masturbation, without believing she was over 16.

These offences occurred in September 2021.

Additionally, Chesher admitted to attempting to engage in sexual communication with the same victim for sexual gratification, also without reasonably believing she was over 16. This communication occurred between August and October 2021.

Chesher, who has admitted all charges, is scheduled to be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court next month.

Community

The Crymych Arms set to host Election Day special

Published

5 hours ago

June 30, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ON Election Day, the Crymych Arms Community Pub is inviting voters to enjoy a special menu inspired by political figures. After casting your vote on Thursday, drop by for a Voter’s Meal and Drink. The pub, owned by the community, is offering a £10 voucher for the best names of political-themed meals submitted on their Facebook page by noon on Wednesday (Jul 3).

Some imaginative entries already include “Sunak Soup of the Day,” “Farage Fish & Chips,” “Starmer Steak Roll,” “Ap Iorwerth Apple Pie and Custard,” and “Davey Danish Pastry Selection.”

Don’t forget your Voter ID when you head to the polls, and join Crymych Arms for a post-election meal. There’s even talk of an exit poll karaoke!

The pub, which the community purchased in October 2023 after a two-year closure, reopened in December 2023, now stands as the village’s sole pub. Experience the refurbished venue and its lively atmosphere. For pre-bookings, call 01239 831435.