Western Mail
WHY LABOUR COLLAPSED AT SENEDD ELECTION – DRAKEFORD SPEAKS OUT
VOTERS in Wales are “fed up” with Labour, former First Minister Mark Drakeford has said, as he explained why he thought the party was so comprehensively defeated in the Senedd election. Mr Drakeford, a key supporter and voice in devolved politics, has...
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‘WE WERE IN TEARS’ – TV’S GABBY TELLS OF FINAL MOMENTS WITH FOOTBALL ACE DAD TERRY
GABBY Logan says the outpouring of tributes helped her family work through the pain of losing father Terry earlier this year, and says an out-the-blue email left them both in tears shortly before his death. Former Wales boss Yorath, who also won 59...
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THE TOWN THAT CHARMED JEREMY CLARKSON
TV STAR Jeremy Clarkson has heaped praise on part of “real Wales” after a recent trip. The Clarkson’s Farm presenter said west Wales was the perfect place for a UK-based holiday as trips abroad become increasingly unaffordable amid the US and Israel’s...
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WOODEN SPOON WOE FOR WALES WOMEN
WALES Women finished the Six Nations with the wooden spoon for the third year in a row after falling to a heavy defeat against Italy at the Arms Park. This defeat will pile pressure on head coach Sean Lynn following a desperate set of results. Tries...
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‘My life is destroyed’ – mum after son killed
AMOTHER has said her life has been “destroyed” after her son was killed after being punched in the head outside a Wetherspoons pub. She told a court she would never get over her son’s death, saying: “Mine and my family’s life will never be the same...
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Starmer ‘on the brink’ as Streeting resigns
SIR Keir Starmer said he was “truly sorry” that Wes Streeting had resigned after he quit as UK Health Secretary and called for a leadership contest. Mr Streeting had criticised the “drift” at the top of UK Government and told the Prime Minister it is...
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‘I THINK MY BODY IS TELLING ME SOMETHING’ – WALES ACE BALL HANGS UP HIS BOOTS
WALES and Scarlets secondrow Jake Ball has announced his retirement from the game. The 34-year-old initially retired from rugby in November 2024 but made a remarkable U-turn and returned to the Scarlets whom he left in 2021. Ball made a strong start...
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‘Our best days lie ahead of us’
RHUN ap Iorwerth, the leader of Plaid Cymru, has been named the next First Minister of Wales. Watched on by his family, he became the first non-Labour politician to be named First Minister of Wales when the newlook Senedd met for the first time...
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Top Welsh MP blasts Labour’s mistakes
THE only Welsh MP to sit in the UK Government cabinet has launched a blistering attack on former First Minister Mark Drakeford and her own administration in Westminster as the Labour Party in Wales seeks to understand the causes of the collapse in its...
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Rhun’s challenge to Westminster
PLAID Cymru leader and likely next First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth insists the UK Government has two choices following a seismic Senedd election – it can “punish” Wales for voting Labour out of power after 27 years or “reflect” on how to better serve...
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‘A moment 100 years in the making’
WALES needs a government that “represents the change people have voted for”, Plaid’s Rhun ap Iorwerth said as he declared his intention to be the nation’s next First Minister. Mr ap Iorwerth will lead the largest party in Wales’ Parliament for the...
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The last moments of shamed singer Ian Watkins
APRISONER accused of murdering paedophile Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins told jail staff: “If I’ve killed him, you could be talking to someone famous,” prosecutors have told a jury. Former rock star Watkins was stabbed to death in his cell at...
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WHY WALES COULD FACE DEMOCRACY TRUST CRISIS AFTER MAY 7
ONE of Wales’ leading political experts has warned the nation may face a crisis of confidence in the electoral system after next month’s Senedd Election. Dr Jac Larner, of Cardiff University, fears that Reform may be the largest party after the...
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AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
A BRILLIANTLY “subversive” statue of Monty Python star Terry Jones was unveiled on the beach near his hometown of Colwyn Bay on Saturday. Hundreds turned out in glorious sunshine after more than £120,000 was raised to immortalise the comic genius in...
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Missed targets for NHS deal blow to Welsh Labour
THE Welsh Government will miss key NHS waiting time targets, latest data shows. With just two weeks to go before the Senedd election, this is the last monthly data being released ahead of polling day. In April 2025, Welsh Government published details...
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PUFFIN NUMBERS AT RECORD LEVELS ON WELSH ISLAND
ARECORD number of puffins have been recorded on Skomer Island, an internationally important island for seabirds, conservationists have said. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) said it had recorded 52,019 puffins in this year’s count on...
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‘This is about people’s livelihoods’ – green energy firm risked spreading bovine TB across Wales, High Court told
WORKERS for a green energy company planning new electricity pylons across Wales risked spreading disease among cattle by entering lands “under active bovine TB restrictions”, the High Court has heard. Natalie Barstow, the Campaign for the Protection...
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Driver guilty of killing ex-Wales manager in crash
ADRIVER who killed a woman on her way to a Take That concert, and subsequently claimed she had suffered an epileptic seizure at the wheel, has been convicted of causing her death by careless driving. Following a week-long trial, a jury determined that...
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Race tightening as Plaid lead narrows
PLAID Cymru could be forced to share power in Wales if it wants to govern as a majority, a new poll suggests. The survey puts Plaid Cymru narrowly ahead of Reform to become the largest party in the Senedd after the election on May 7. However, it is...
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WRU Y11 deal ‘on brink of collapse’
Y11 Sports & Media’s bid to buy Cardiff Rugby is on the verge of falling through, with the Welsh Rugby Union set to own the club indefinitely. The likely development looks set to be the latest twist in Welsh rugby’s ongoing drama, casting further...
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ADORATION AND ABUSE AS FARAGE GOES ON ELECTION TRAIL IN WALES
UNMISTAKABLE in his mustard-coloured corduroy trousers, tweed jacket, broadchecked shirt and tie, Nigel Farage cut a distinctive figure as he made his way up Merthyr Tydfil High Street. With the man he selected to be Reform UK’s Wales leader, former...
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‘Halt space radar over Trump’s hostility’ – Eluned
FIRST Minister Eluned Morgan has called on Keir Starmer to pause plans for a key defence project in Wales due to Donald Trump’s “hostility towards the UK”. Ms Morgan said the United States is “not the partner it once was” and urged the UK Government...
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FROM FLANKER TO FLOOR-FILLER – JOSH NAVIDI’S NEW SPIN ON LIFE AFTER RUGBY
IT IS three years since Josh Navidi was forced to bring down the curtain on his rugby career, yet retirement has proved anything but a retreat into quiet obscurity. At 35, he is as industrious and in demand as ever – only now, his stage lies far...
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Anger as key Wales cancer facility shut
ACANCER facility in Wales that cost £8m of taxpayer’s money and is vital to pioneering clinical trials has ceased operation, we can reveal. Staff who worked on the Cardiff cyclotron have been laid off – and whistleblowers have accused the Welsh...
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Anger over lack of jobs for new nurses
STUDENT nurses across Wales, who have put in thousands of hours of unpaid work and taken out vast student loans, have spoken of their fury and devastation at being told there now aren’t enough jobs for them. A jobs crisis for student nurses about to...
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Car wash people smugglers jailed
PEOPLE smugglers based at a car wash in Wales who acted as “travel agents” for migrants who were smuggled into Europe by lorry and boat have both been jailed for 19 years each. Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, made several thousands of pounds by...
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We won’t bend to London, says Plaid leader
APLAID Cymru government will not bend to Westminster’s will, the party leader has promised. Speaking at the launch of Plaid’s Senedd election manifesto yesterday, Rhun ap Iorwerth said there will be “no more saying no to Wales” if his party forms a...
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JAC’S BACK, SO WHO GETS LEFT OUT?
ANEW road to relieve congestion on the M4 around Newport is now firmly back on the political agenda. The two parties leading in the polls are both going into May’s Senedd election in favour of building a road to take traffic away from the Brynglas...
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Cardiff Airport wins £205m subsidy row
THE Welsh Government has seen off a legal challenge from Bristol Airport over plans to provide £205m of subsidy support to Cardiff Airport. The ruling is a major boost for the Rhoose airport as it seeks to expand its passenger numbers and grow non...
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Warning as e-bike fires hit record high
E-BIKE and e-scooter fires reached a record high last year, an investigation has found, leading to riders being warned about online marketplaces. Fire brigade figures obtained by the Press Association show 432 e-bike blazes were recorded across the UK...
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‘You’ve really got to make friends with vegetables’
CHEESE used to be one of Diane Morgan’s great loves – but just four weeks after going vegan, the comedian feels very differently. Best known for playing Philomena Cunk on Charlie Brooker’s Wipe series and the spinoff Cunk mockumentaries, Diane says...
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Union questions cost of school watchdogs
ATEACHERS’ union has questioned the value of what it estimates are tens of millions of pounds spent on education watchdogs in Wales amid a crisis in schools funding. The NASUWT official for Wales claimed there is “little accounting for what that money...
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GIFTS FROM THE KING
THE King yesterday distributed Royal Maundy gifts at the annual service, as it was held in Wales for only the second time. Charles, accompanied by the Queen, attended St Asaph Cathedral yesterday for the ceremony, which was last held in Wales in...
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No jobs in Wales for new paramedics
NEWLY-QUALIFIED paramedics in Wales have been advised to apply for jobs across the border or abroad because of a hiring freeze. The Welsh Ambulance Service said that it was facing a “difficult financial and operational landscape” as it confirmed that...
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GREENS WILL BE THE KINGMAKERS IN WALES – POLANSKI
THE leader of the Greens has said his party will be kingmakers in next month’s Senedd election. Speaking at the campaign launch in Jacob’s Market, Cardiff yesterday, Zack Polanski said the Green Party will be open to negotiations with other political...
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COURT REJECTS CARDIFF CITY £100m CLAIM FOR DAMAGES OVER SALA DEATH
CARDIFF City FC’s claim for compensation against Nantes following the death of Emiliano Sala in a plane crash has been thrown out by a French court. The tribunal of Nantes, announcing its decision yesterday, ordered Cardiff to pay more than £400,000...
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Labour’s time is up, claims Plaid leader
THE battle for power in the Senedd is heating up as Plaid Cymru claims Labour is out of the running to win the May 7 election. The party’s leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “Labour’s time is up, they are now out of the picture – this campaign will be a...
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WRU chair says he’ll stand down this summer
WELSH Rugby Union chairman Richard Collier-Keywood is to step down in July. Collier-Keywood, who was facing an EGM vote to oust him next month, will depart at the end of his term this summer. The news is a surprise development in Welsh rugby’s...
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Schools ‘in survival mode’ over funding
ONE IN FOUR Welsh schools are overspent, with a combined national deficit of £72m, official figures show. The eye-watering sum comes as headteachers warn they are “in survival mode”, with job cuts, increased class sizes and reduced subject choices in...
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Son jailed for hammer murder of own mother
ATEENAGER who murdered his mother with a hammer and recorded his attack on a dictaphone has been jailed for a minimum of 22 years and six months. Tristan Roberts, 18, later “boasted” online about the fatal attack on Angela Shellis, a 45-year-old...
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A&E waits linked to nearly 1,000 deaths
ALMOST 1,000 people died in Wales last year due to long waits in accident and emergency (A&E), according to new analysis. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) said that on average 18 people died each week due to delays in A&E. The RCEM says...
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Brace for long-term Iran war, warns PM
BRITAIN must be prepared for the Iran war to continue “for some time”, the Prime Minister has said. Sir Keir Starmer told MPs yesterday it was “hard to answer” how long the crisis would continue and that he had warned his team not to fall into the...
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BELLAMY TIPS JOHNSON TO FIRE FOR WALES
JEREMIAH Azu is ready to turn his attentions to the summer season after losing his grip on the men’s 60 metres title at the World Indoor Championships. The Welsh sprinter won a surprise gold medal in Nanjing last year but had to settle for an agonising...
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‘Match days are incredible – you can get fresh seafood with rosé!’
GEORGE North has opened up on his “incredible” new life in France, with the Welsh rugby legend getting stuck into the French lifestyle and culture with his wife Becky and their children. It is nearly two years since the 33-year-old left Welsh rugby to...
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Covid-hit NHS came ‘close to collapse’
IT WAS only the “superhuman” efforts of NHS workers in Wales and around the UK that prevented the health services from collapsing during Covid, the inquiry into the pandemic has concluded. Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett’s report into how the...
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Steffie’s parents watched her ‘fade away and did nothing’
THE parents of a woman who died in an emaciated state left her to “fade into insignificance”, a court has heard. Steffie Davies, 32, was found dead by paramedics who were called to her home in Pandy, Wrexham, in May 2023, Mold Crown Court heard...
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Hospital used tools unsterilised in ops
AMAJOR failing at a Welsh hospital led to 21 patients undergoing operations with unsterilised surgical tools. The Western Mail can today reveal the procedures took place at Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital across two days – February 25 and 26 this year...
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Horse trainer guilty of assaulting walker
ACHAMPION horse trainer could be jailed after he was convicted of assaulting a dog walker who was on his land late at night. Richard Williams, 54, repeatedly struck Martin Dandridge, 72, with a hockey stick during a night-time assault. Mr Dandridge,...
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No charges over four Army barracks deaths
THE father of a Welsh soldier found dead at an Army barracks has expressed his fury after a sixyear criminal probe into allegations of abuse at the barracks failed to result in a single charge. Cheryl James, 18, from Llangollen, was one of four...
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Reform and Plaid neck and neck – poll
REFORM UK and Plaid Cymru are projected to be tied on 28 seats each in May’s Senedd election with Labour just behind on 26, latest polling shows. The gap between Reform, which launched its manifesto for Wales in Newport on Thursday, and main...
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Reform pledge to cut income tax in Wales
NIGEL FARAGE pledged to slash the number of people working for the Welsh Government and to cut income tax as he launched Reform UK’s manifesto in Wales. The party leader spoke at an event in Newport to announce his party’s pledges ahead of the vote on...
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MP’s husband held in China spy probe
AFORMER Labour special adviser and one-time Welsh police and crime commissioner candidate has been named as one of three men arrested on suspicion of spying for China. David Taylor, the husband of Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid, was special adviser to...
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MEE SET FOR WALES START – BUT FITNESS FEARS FOR WAINWRIGHT
ELLIS Mee is set to be brought back into Wales’ starting XV to face Ireland on Friday but Aaron Wainwright could yet be ruled out in a hammer blow. Head coach Steve Tandy is expected to make three changes when he announces the side today with Mee, Dan...
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Woman died in crash after drivers’ race, court hears
A20-YEAR-OLD woman was killed in a crash after the driver of the car she was travelling in became involved in a “race” which saw him reach speeds of 80mph in a residential area, a court has heard. The driver was left with “life-changing injuries”,...
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Evacuation plan from Middle East
UK OFFICIALS are drawing up plans to evacuate UK nationals from the Middle East as the death toll grows amid continuing Iranian and Israeli strikes. Some 76,000 British nationals are understood to have registered their presence in the Middle East –...
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Plaid leader reveals plans for government
PLAID Cymru party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth revealed his plans for government as he addressed party members in the keynote speech at the Plaid Cymru party conference in Newport and hailed the May elections a “generational opportunity”. The man the polls...
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PRESENTS FOR A PRINCESS
THE Prince and Princess of Wales made an unscheduled stop to meet well-wishers standing in heavy rain during a visit to Powys ahead of St David’s Day. William and Kate had travelled to The Hanging Gardens, a community hub focused on resilience and...
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CRAZY DAY SNOOP DOGG CAME TO TOWN
“IACTUALLY went through a few shooting drills with him yesterday”. If the idea of Leon Britton taking Snoop Dogg for a spot of training feels surreal enough, this admission to a member of the gathered press outside the Swansea.com Stadium was merely an...
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DRUID’S CALL FOR MUSEUM OF WELSH MYTHS
AWELSH druid has called on ministers to establish a national museum celebrating Welsh mythology. Deborah Rose Hālani said such a facility would thrust Wales on to the global stage while instilling a national sense of belonging. She envisages an...
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LAUREN IN BAFTA SUCCESS DELIGHT
ONE Battle After Another was the big winner at the 2026 Bafta Film Awards, where British films Hamnet and I Swear also received plaudits. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film about a washed-up revolutionary searching for his missing teenage daughter won six...
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