Welsh Labour unveils its six key pledges ahead of May election
WELSH Labour has unveiled six key pledges that will be at the heart of its campaign to win a sixth consecutive term of office after May’s Senedd election.
The party’s key pledges are:
A Covid Recovery catch-up programme for the NHS and schools, and a new medical school in North Wales.
A Young Persons’ Guarantee, with an offer of work, education or training for all under-25s.
The Real Living Wage for all social care staff.
A greener future, with the abolition of single-use plastics and the creation of a National Forest for Wales.
Safer communities, with the jobs of 500 police community support officers safeguarded and a further 100 employed.
The creation of thousands of jobs in a low-carbon house building revolution.
Party leader and Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Our first pledge will be to lead our recovery with the most comprehensive programme of catch-up support ever seen for our public services.
“We’ll support our children and our young people with a major schools catch-up plan, employing over 1,800 additional tutoring staff so that none of them are left behind.
“We’ll launch an NHS Recovery Plan on day one and begin work delivering a new medical school in North Wales.
“For young people a pledge to stand with them as they face the worst economic crisis we’ve ever seen.
“We’ll deliver a new Young Person’s Guarantee of a place in work, education, training or selfemployment for everyone in Wales under the age of 25, including creating 125,000 new apprenticeships.
“For our brave care workers that have helped us through this last year, a pledge for a fair deal at work.
“We’ll guarantee the Real Living Wage for all our social care staff and we’ll continue to cap nonresidential care fees and maintain the £50,000 capital limit, helping people hold on to more of their savings before paying for care.
“For future generations and for our planet, a pledge to create a greener country. We’ll abolish the use of the most littered single-use plastics, protecting our seas and our countryside and we’ll extend our new National Forest for Wales.
“For our communities, a pledge to help keep people and our communities safe. Where the Tories want to cut all 500 of the vital PCSOS that the Welsh Labour Government funds, we will not only protect them – we’ll fund 100 more. More help on the street in every part of Wales.
“And for our economy – a pledge to create thousands of new jobs in a low-carbon house building revolution. The next Welsh Labour Government will match urgent job creation with combating climate change and build 20,000 new low-carbon social homes for rent to support people, jobs and the planet.
“These are the pledges we will take to the country in the coming weeks.”
On his commitment to these pledges, he said: “Welsh Labour will be the only party that can and will deliver all of its promises.
“Our manifesto promises won’t depend on doing a backroom deal with another party. They aren’t conditional on an unreliable and unrealisable pledge to find a new Westminster money tree.
“Every one of our pledges and every single promise in our manifesto will be delivered with a Labour government. No ifs, no buts.”
He said the pledges reflected his party’s “positive and ambitious” plan to keep moving Wales forward, ahead of the full manifesto in April.
Stressing what he sees as his government’s strong leadership during the pandemic, Mr Drakeford said: “Our vaccinations rollout has been the best in the UK. It has been a collective effort. A national, Welsh effort, meaning we can begin to hope once again. “Despite the pain and
the sadness of these last months, what is now clear is that a collective national feeling now exists for a different future after Covid. A recognition that we cannot return to business as usual once this pandemic is over. That we can – and we must – build back fairer.
“Doing that will require credible leadership: leadership that isn’t about simply saying things that you think people want to hear. That isn’t about chasing the next day’s headlines.
“Leadership that is earned through honesty and by making decisions that match bold ambition with practical reality.
“At this election one thing will define the difference between Welsh Labour and the opposition parties. Welsh Labour will be the only party that can and will deliver all
of its promises.”
Our first pledge will be to lead our recovery with the most comprehensive programme of catch-up support ever seen for our public services
- First Minister Mark Drakeford
A FARMER was illegally dumping and burning huge amounts of waste on his land, a court has heard.
Environmental inspectors found vast piles of rubbish 12ft high on the farm containing everything from old tyres and fridges to builders’ rubble and carpets.
Andrew Paul Thomas continued his unlawful business even when he knew he was being investigated, going to the lengths of trying to bury the incriminating evidence and cover it with top soil.
Swansea Crown Court heard Thomas has previous convictions for animal welfare offences relating to a dog-breeding business, and for handling stolen sheep, and a judge told him he needs to abandon his “cycle of fantasy” about making money and face the realities of his dire financial situation.
Jon Tarrant, prosecuting, said Natural Resources Wales turned its attention to Gwndwngwyn farm near Garnant in the Amman Valley in January 2019 following numerous reports from members of the public about burning activity at the site. Inspectors from the environmental watchdog went to the farm and saw large amounts of waste being stored at the site and gave the owner, Thomas, guidance about the need to apply for registration.
The court heard that visit was the first of a number to the farm which uncovered the true scale of what was happening on the land.
During subsequent trips the inspectors found large amounts of waste, from old tyres and vehicle parts to electrical items – including fridges, TVS, and computer printers – as well as builders’ rubble and plasterboard, gas cylinders, garden furniture, toys, and household and green waste. Some of the piles of waste were up to 12ft high. There was evidence of large-scale burning of objects including tyres and inspectors also found the burnt-out remains of a caravan.
The court heard that Thomas was kept under surveillance and he was seen making a number of trips to a scrap metal merchant in Ammanford where he sold the inner wire cording recovered from burnt tyres.
Mr Tarrant said inquiries with the scrap business revealed Thomas had been paid almost £20,000 in the previous 12 months for metal waste he had taken there.
The defendant was served with a stop notice and was ordered to safely remove the waste from his land.
The court heard that throughout the period of the investigation the NRW continued to receive complaints from the public about burning activity on the farm.
Thomas was interviewed and claimed people had been fly-tipping on his land and claimed he had reported the problem to the council – though subsequent checks with the local authority found no such reports.
The prosecutor said inspectors returned to the farm in March 2020 and found “active efforts had been made to conceal waste”, with large amounts of waste buried and covered with top soil. The inspectors also found five caravans full of bags of cans.
Mr Tarrant said the buried waste would not only produce methane as it broke down but that leachate – liquids containing harmful substances leaking from the waste – could make its way into the soil, water courses, or the nearby marshland. He said the buried waste posed a “significant potential for adverse impacts on the environment”.
The advocate also said that by operating an illegal waste business the 53-year-old defendant would have avoided the costs incurred by legitimate firms and put them at a commercial disadvantage.
He said it was the prosecution’s case that Thomas had been involved in the handling of waste for money.
Thomas, of Gwndwngwyn Farm, Bryncethin Road, Garnant, Ammanford, admitted the unregulated carrying of waste, disposal of waste in a way likely to cause harm to the environment, and failing to comply with a stop notice.
The court heard he has four previous convictions for 25 offences including animal welfare offences relating to a dog-breeding business and handling stolen sheep.
Kate Williams, for Thomas, said the motive for the offending had been financial. She said the defendant was struggling financially and began taking and disposing of waste, initially on a small scale, but the task proved “a lot more difficult than he anticipated”.
The advocate said the financial motive was “the common theme running through his offending” and finances was something the father-of-four needed to address going forward.
Judge Catherine Richards said Thomas’ offending had been “deliberate and determined” and driven by financial gain. She told the defendant he needed to address the reality of his financial situation and end the “cycle of fantasy” he was currently in.
The judge said it was particularly galling that at a time when the public finances were stretched, a lot of money had been spent investigating Thomas – and she said while the offending clearly crossed the custody threshold she had concluded that no more public money should be spent on him unless it was absolutely necessary and he could be properly punished in the community.
Giving the defendant a one-third discount for his guilty pleas, the judge sentenced the defendant to 10 months in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation course.
The court heard that due to Thomas’ financial situation NRW had decided not to use Proceeds of Crime Act powers to try to recoup the money he had illegally made through his unregistered waste business.
Speaking after the hearing David Ellar, team leader of the south west regulation team of Natural Resources Wales, said: “This was a serious offence and the sentencing reflects that.
“Thomas went to great lengths to try to get away with the illegal dumping, burning, and burying of waste at this farm. It was not only a blight on the countryside, but had a real impact on the lives of those subjected to the sight, smell, and smoke caused by the activity.
“Our investigation was complex and involved working closely with several of our partner organisations including police and the fire and rescue service.
“This successful prosecution will not only stop Mr Thomas from illegally disposing of waste, but will clearly show anyone trying to take shortcuts in the waste industry that they will be investigated by Natural Resources Wales and pursued through the courts when necessary.”
This was a serious offence and the sentencing reflects that . Thomas went to great lengths to try to get away with the illegal dumping, burning, and burying of waste at this farm - David Ellar, team leader of the south west regulation team of Natural Resources Wales
FROM Geraldine Grainger lip syncing to Lizzo’s Juice, to Mel Giedroyc wailing to All By Myself in a parody of Bridget Jones and Jack Whitehall on a failed Zoom call – Comic Relief promises to give us a muchneeded night of laughs.
As always, the great and the good of British comedy and entertainment come together for hilarious sketches, live performances and one-off comedy specials.
The mega telethon is hosted by Alesha Dixon, David Tennant, Davina Mccall, Paddy Mcguinness and Sir Lenny Henry, and appeal films throughout the night will be a surefire reminder to dig deep for charity.
Best bits to watch out for tonight include 2020: The Movie, dubbed the biggest blockbuster movie NEVER made (yet).
Part biopic, part disaster film, it stars Keira Knightley,
COMIC RELIEF 2021 BBC1, 7pm
Michael Sheen and KSI among others, all in unlikely roles.
Charlotte Church leads Comic Opera, which sees five comedians learning to be opera singers so they can perform live for the nation.
The likes of Olivia Colman and Anya Taylor-joy will wish they’d never tried to join Jack Whitehall’s Zoom meeting.
There’s a bespoke sketch from David Tennant and Michael Sheen in a funny take on their lockdown series Staged.
Top Gear’s Paddy, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris are grilled by kids, there’s a mashup of Normal People vs Fleabag, and Harry Styles’ single Treat People With Kindness is set to get the nation dancing.
An unmissable night of telly for a great cause.