For many pensioners, Cold weather isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s dangerous. For pensioners, particularly those on lower incomes, Winter fuel support has been a lifeline. Removing this vital benefit will force millions of pensioners to choose between heating and eating. It could kill 4,000 people – a figure which comes from Labour’s own research, in 2017.
Ministers say it is about filling a black hole but the only black hole we have seen filled in is the black hole in Keir Starmer’s wardrobe filled by a Labour donor. In the run-up to the election, our Labour MP claimed that she would support pensioners, yet only a few months later she voted to make them poorer. The Welsh Conservative Group has called for the UK Labour Government to reconsider. We need a government that understands that supporting pensioners is not just an economic responsibility, but a moral one.
Growing up as a Farmer's daughter near Usk, I have always loved attending our county’s agricultural shows. This year was no exception and I enjoyed the fantastic shows in Monmouth and Usk. Huge crowds enjoyed the livestock displays, vintage cars, crafts and everything else that made the show a success.
Farmers and their Union representatives raised concerns about the ongoing spread of TB in Wales, the costs of complying with the NVZ regulations for small farms, and the need to ensure that the new version of the Sustainable Farming Scheme doesn’t take away prime agricultural land and adopts a more common sense approach to planting trees.
Like many local people, I grew up swimming in the river but I worry about my sons enjoying the same freedom because of levels of pollution. I raised the issue with the Environment Minister in the Senedd this week. Many people believe that the answer is to close off the sewage outflows which enable the water companies to pump sewage into the rivers. T
he Minister completely ruled this out explaining that this has been the system for many decades and the Welsh Labour Government have no intention of changing it, but hopefully they will come good on their promise to reduce the use of CSOs and make our rivers cleaner.