#torsten-bell — Public Fediverse posts

LABOUR EXIT: ‘An affront to the people of Swansea’ — ex-MP Geraint Davies goes public over blocked candidacy

Former Swansea West MP Geraint Davies has gone public with his account of how his 22-year parliamentary career ended — telling Swansea residents he was “unfairly and unjustly prevented” from standing for re-election.

In a statement posted on Facebook today, the ex-Labour MP said he wanted to set the record straight “in case there remains any misunderstanding” about his departure from the party after more than 40 years of membership.

Mr Davies represented Swansea West from 2010 until 2024, winning four elections, and previously served as MP for Croydon Central.

He was suspended by Labour in June 2023 after allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women were published anonymously online — allegations he denied, which did not involve criminal conduct, and which were never tested at a hearing.

Mr Davies says the suspension came a week before he was due to be confirmed as Labour’s Swansea West candidate for the 2024 general election.

In an interview with Nation.Cymru last month, he said the party’s handling of the case amounted to being put on “political death row”.

He says he waited 23 weeks to be told what the complaints against him were — against a six-week standard recommended by the party-commissioned Forde Report — and that no disciplinary hearing was convened in more than a year of suspension.

When the general election was called in May 2024, he says the party refused to hold a hearing in the two weeks before candidate nominations closed — meaning he remained suspended and could not stand as Labour’s candidate.

Mr Davies says he repeatedly asked for the hearing he believed would clear his name, and responded to the complaints within two weeks of finally receiving them.

He resigned from the party after the election, describing its complaints process as one he had “completely lost my trust and confidence” in.

Torsten Bell, now Pensions Minister, was selected as Labour’s Swansea West candidate and elected in July 2024.

The complaints process was overseen by the party’s then executive legal director, Alex Barros-Curtis — who was later selected as Labour’s candidate for the vacant Cardiff West seat, and elected in July 2024.

Mr Davies told Nation.Cymru it was “difficult not to conclude” that the objective of the process “was not to get to the truth of the allegation in an independent forum, but to ensure that I did not stand for re-election”.

In a statement, a Labour Party spokesperson said the party “assesses all complaints thoroughly in line with our rules and procedures”.

“We cannot comment on the specific details of individual cases, however any suggestion that a case would be delayed for political reasons is strongly denied,” they said.

It is understood the party made proposals to expedite and determine Mr Davies’ case in February 2024, but that he declined to take this up.

A hearing was subsequently proposed for 19 May 2024, but it is understood Mr Davies’ lawyer said she was not available on that date.

In his Facebook post, Mr Davies — whose family, he said, has lived in Swansea for five generations — called the way the seat changed hands “an affront to the people of Swansea”.

Mr Davies has remained publicly active since leaving Westminster, criticising the chancellor last year over rail funding for Wales.

This article was updated on 8 July to include a response from the Labour Party

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

STARMER RESIGNATION: Kinnock backs Burnham for PM as local Labour MPs react
How Swansea Bay’s Labour MPs responded to the Prime Minister’s departure.

Former Labour MP criticises chancellor for leaving out Wales in latest train, bus and tram funding announcement
Geraint Davies on the funding gap for Welsh transport.

SWANSEA BY-ELECTIONS: Labour holds Morriston by 86 votes and Conservatives take Mumbles
The most recent test of Labour’s support at the ballot box in Swansea.

DYFATTY: Want a say in how £20m transforms your neighbourhood? Applications open for the board that decides

People across a swathe of north-central Swansea are being invited to apply for the board that will decide how £20m of UK Government money is spent in their neighbourhoods over the next ten years.

Applications opened today to join the area’s new Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board, which will draw up a ten-year vision and investment plan.

“North Gate Swansea” is the name given to the programme area, covering North Hill, Upper High Street, Dyfatty, Hafod, Brynmelyn, Waun Wen and surrounding neighbourhoods — the cluster of communities north of the railway station selected earlier this year for up to £20m under the UK Government’s Pride in Place programme.

The board will be chaired by Thom Lynch, co-founder of the High Street charity Matthew’s House, whose appointment was announced last month.

Anyone who lives, works, volunteers, studies or has a strong connection to the area can apply, and no previous board experience is needed. Applications can be made in writing or by video, with a deadline of 12pm on Thursday 16 July.

Mr Lynch said more than forty local people had expressed an interest before applications had even opened.

“We are looking for people who care deeply about this area and want to play an active role in helping it thrive,” he said. “What matters most is your passion for the community, your willingness to work with others and your desire to create lasting positive change.”

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell said people in the area deserved “not only to see investment to strengthen their communities” but “a voice in what those investments should be”.

“I fought for this funding because it gives us the chance to show that no part of Swansea can be written off,” he said. “Please do get involved.”

Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart said the board would ensure local people helped shape priorities and decisions, adding that he looked forward to “a wide range of people stepping forward”.

Places on the board are limited, but applicants who miss out will be encouraged to join a wider North Gate Swansea Changemakers Network supporting projects across the area.

Anyone wanting to find out more can meet Mr Lynch at an informal drop-in session at Matthew’s House on High Street this Friday, 10 July, between 11am and 1pm.

Application packs are available at northgateswanseapip.co.uk or by emailing [email protected].

The area has seen a run of recent investment activity, including a row of long-empty High Street units reopening as the Dyfatty Junction community space last month, as police reported falling crime in the neighbourhood.

North Gate Swansea is one of three Pride in Place areas locally. In Llanelli, where an equivalent board is steering the town’s own £20m programme, applications close today — while the Afan Valley’s £20m drive is chaired by former Neath Port Talbot Council chief executive Karen Jones, who was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours last month.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

DYFATTY: Swansea homelessness charity boss to lead £20m drive to transform city neighbourhoods
Thom Lynch’s appointment as chair of the North Gate Swansea board.

SWANSEA: Empty Dyfatty shops reborn as community hub in neighbourhood’s turnaround
Long-shuttered High Street units reopen as the Dyfatty Junction community space.

LLANELLI: Residents wanted for board steering town’s £20m, 10-year transformation
The equivalent Pride in Place board across five Llanelli wards.

HONOURS: ‘An incredible honour’ — MBE for the council chief now leading the Afan Valley’s £20m revival
Karen Jones takes on the Afan Valley’s Pride in Place programme.

SWANSEA: Cheaper days out and meals as summer VAT cut takes effect — here’s what’s included

Families in Swansea face cheaper day…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Frenchbistrofood #bistrofood #costofliving #Food&Drink #francais #france #French #GreatBritishSummerSavings #money #Museum #pub #restaurant #Restaurants #Swansearestaurants #TorstenBell #VAT #VATchanges #VATcut
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2703233/swansea-cheaper-days-out-and-meals-as-summer-vat-cut-takes-effect-heres-whats-included/

SWANSEA: Cheaper days out and meals as summer VAT cut takes effect — here’s what’s included

Families in Swansea face cheaper day…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Frenchbistrofood #bistrofood #costofliving #Food&Drink #francais #france #French #GreatBritishSummerSavings #money #Museum #pub #restaurant #Restaurants #Swansearestaurants #TorstenBell #VAT #VATchanges #VATcut
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2703233/swansea-cheaper-days-out-and-meals-as-summer-vat-cut-takes-effect-heres-whats-included/

SWANSEA: Cheaper days out and meals as summer VAT cut takes effect — here’s what’s included

Families in Swansea face cheaper day…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Frenchbistrofood #bistrofood #costofliving #Food&Drink #francais #france #French #GreatBritishSummerSavings #money #Museum #pub #restaurant #Restaurants #Swansearestaurants #TorstenBell #VAT #VATchanges #VATcut
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2703233/swansea-cheaper-days-out-and-meals-as-summer-vat-cut-takes-effect-heres-whats-included/

SWANSEA: Cheaper days out and meals as summer VAT cut takes effect — here’s what’s included

Families in Swansea face cheaper day…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Frenchbistrofood #bistrofood #costofliving #Food&Drink #francais #france #French #GreatBritishSummerSavings #money #Museum #pub #restaurant #Restaurants #Swansearestaurants #TorstenBell #VAT #VATchanges #VATcut
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2703233/swansea-cheaper-days-out-and-meals-as-summer-vat-cut-takes-effect-heres-whats-included/

SWANSEA: Cheaper days out and meals as summer VAT cut takes effect — here’s what’s included https://www.diningandcooking.com/2703233/swansea-cheaper-days-out-and-meals-as-summer-vat-cut-takes-effect-heres-whats-included/ #BistroFood #CostOfLiving #Food&Drink #francais #france #French #FrenchBistroFood #GreatBritishSummerSavings #money #Museum #pub #restaurant #Restaurants #SwanseaRestaurants #TorstenBell #VAT #VATChanges #VATCut

SWANSEA: Cheaper days out and meals as summer VAT cut takes effect — here’s what’s included https://www.diningandcooking.com/2703233/swansea-cheaper-days-out-and-meals-as-summer-vat-cut-takes-effect-heres-whats-included/ #BistroFood #CostOfLiving #Food&Drink #francais #france #French #FrenchBistroFood #GreatBritishSummerSavings #money #Museum #pub #restaurant #Restaurants #SwanseaRestaurants #TorstenBell #VAT #VATChanges #VATCut

SWANSEA: Cheaper days out and meals as summer VAT cut takes effect — here’s what’s included https://www.diningandcooking.com/2703233/swansea-cheaper-days-out-and-meals-as-summer-vat-cut-takes-effect-heres-whats-included/ #BistroFood #CostOfLiving #Food&Drink #francais #france #French #FrenchBistroFood #GreatBritishSummerSavings #money #Museum #pub #restaurant #Restaurants #SwanseaRestaurants #TorstenBell #VAT #VATChanges #VATCut

EGYPT IN SWANSEA: A 2,000-year-old ‘magic’ stone that warded off crocodiles is now on show in the city

A free summer exhibition pairing an ancient Egyptian treasure with artwork by Swansea schoolchildren is now open to the public.

Ancient Egypt: magic and medicine has opened at Swansea University’s Egypt Centre, where it will run until 20 September.

At its heart is a cippus — a hieroglyph-inscribed stone, more than 2,000 years old, on loan from the British Museum.

To the ancient Egyptians, the cippus was a magical object, believed to shield people from dangers such as lions and crocodiles.

The protection came from spells carved into the stone, with the god Horus shown overpowering the threats and the face of the household-protector deity Bes above him.

Around it sits a burst of colour from much younger hands: brightly painted masks, collages, models and a full-sized sarcophagus made by pupils at Terrace Road and St Helen’s primary schools.

The children’s work earned its place beside the treasure through months of sessions with curators, after the schools were chosen to help bring the loan to the city.

The project is part of the British Museum in Your Classroom programme, which puts real ancient objects in front of children who might never otherwise encounter one.

Its high point came when the cippus itself travelled to both schools, letting pupils meet the 2,000-year-old object face to face.

Egypt Centre curator Dr Ken Griffin, whose own fascination with Egyptology started with a childhood museum trip, said the pupils’ enthusiasm had produced some wonderful art.

“We are so lucky to have been able to work with the British Museum on this project and to welcome this remarkable ancient Egyptian cippus to Swansea,” he said.

Teacher Tim Sudbury, from St Helen’s Primary, said the pride had been visible when the stone was displayed alongside the children’s creations.

“When the cippus visited our school and was displayed alongside their work you could see the sense of pride in the faces of the pupils and their parents,” he said.

He said the project had left the children far more curious about the ancient world.

John Stokes, head of national programmes at the British Museum, said the aim was to instil the wonder of meeting an ancient object first-hand and to inspire “a new generation of museumgoers.”

Visitors to the exhibition can also see the Egypt Centre’s own pieces, among them a 3,200-year-old ostracon — a limestone fragment once used to write a letter.

The centre, on Swansea University’s Singleton Park campus, holds thousands of Egyptian artefacts and is free to visit year-round.

For families looking for something to do over the summer, the exhibition offers a rare chance to see a British Museum object up close in Swansea.

Ancient Egypt: magic and medicine is open from 10am to 6pm, Tuesday to Saturday, until 20 September. Entry is free.

The launch was attended by schools, university staff, volunteers and Swansea West MP Torsten Bell, alongside some of the young artists whose work is now on show.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Pupils help bring a 2,500-year-old treasure to the city
How Swansea children chose the British Museum loan now on show.

Coffin returns to the Egypt Centre after 26-year restoration
An ancient Egyptian coffin brought back to life in Swansea.

SWANSEA: Cheaper days out and meals as summer VAT cut takes effect — here’s what’s included

Families in Swansea face cheaper days out this summer, after a temporary cut to VAT on children’s meals, cinema tickets and family attractions came into force this week.

The reduction is part of a UK Government scheme, branded “Great British Summer Savings,” running from 25 June until 1 September.

It cuts the VAT rate on a range of family activities from 20% to 5% across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The lower rate applies to children’s menu meals eaten in restaurants, and to children’s and family tickets for cinemas, theatres, concerts, shows and exhibitions.

It also covers admission to attractions including theme parks, soft play centres, museums, zoos, fairs, adventure parks, nature reserves and wildlife parks.

In Swansea, that means cheaper visits to local restaurants, pubs and family attractions — from independents such as the Secret Bar and Kitchen to chains like Nando’s.

The scheme follows the VAT cut first announced in May, which will run through the school summer holidays.

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell, a Treasury minister who helped put the discounts in place, welcomed the move.

“Families across Swansea will be able to enjoy their summer holidays that bit more this year,” he said.

He said he was “delighted at the boost this will give to the many fantastic local pubs, restaurants and attractions.”

Bell said the focus on living standards was “exactly right,” and that the scheme would help bring down bills.

The government has said it expects businesses to pass the VAT savings on to customers — though there is no requirement for them to do so, meaning the size of any discount at the till will vary from place to place.

The cut comes on top of other cost-of-living measures, including a £150 reduction in energy bills and a freeze on fuel duty.

For families weighing up how to fill the six-week break, the savings could take the edge off the cost of eating out and visiting attractions across the city and beyond.

Parents are being encouraged to check with individual venues to see how the reduced rate is being applied before booking.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Theme parks, soft play and children’s meals to get cheaper — but Wales misses out on free bus scheme
How the summer VAT cut was first announced, and the catch for Wales.

SWANSEA: Pupils help bring a 2,500-year-old treasure to the city as their own Egypt work goes on show

Children from two Swansea primary schools have helped bring a 2,500-year-old Egyptian treasure to the city — and their own work is now on display beside it.

Pupils at Terrace Road and St Helen’s primary schools took part in the first Welsh “British Museum in your classroom” scheme, which brings world-class artefacts and learning directly into schools.

As part of the project, the children helped choose an ancient cippus — a carved Egyptian healing statue — from the British Museum‘s collection.

The 2,500-year-old artefact was taken into their classrooms before going on display at Swansea University’s Egypt Centre.

The pupils then created their own array of work exploring ancient healing, belief and everyday life in Egypt, including building their own sarcophagus and producing artwork.

Much of it is now on show as part of the centre’s summer exhibition, Ancient Egypt: Magic and Medicine, sitting alongside the British Museum loan.

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell, who opened the exhibition, said he had been struck by what the schools produced.

“I have been completely blown away by the imagination and hard work of these two wonderful schools,” he said.

He said seeing the children’s work displayed alongside a statue that had travelled from ancient Egypt via the British Museum was something they should be proud of.

He encouraged local families, residents and visitors to head to the Egypt Centre over the summer to see the exhibition for themselves.

The project is the latest chapter for a centre that has had a busy couple of years.

It reopened in April after a major revamp, including a transformed House of Death gallery with staff and supporters’ names inscribed in hieroglyphs on the ceiling.

That followed a £300,000 Welsh Government funding boost to improve its facilities and let visitors experience the sounds and smells of ancient Egypt.

The Ancient Egypt: Magic and Medicine exhibition runs until 20 September, open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Egypt Centre reopens after major revamp
Inside the transformed museum, with hieroglyphs on the ceiling.

Egypt Centre wins major funding boost
The £300,000 that helped bring ancient Egypt’s sights and smells to life.

STARMER RESIGNATION: Kinnock backs Burnham for PM as local Labour MPs react

Labour MPs across the area have paid tribute to Sir Keir Starmer following his resignation — with one already backing Andy Burnham to replace him.

Aberavon MP Stephen Kinnock, a government minister and the son of former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock, was quick to throw his weight behind the frontrunner.

He said Sir Keir had pulled Labour “back from the brink” to win the 2024 landslide, and had been “a committed and dignified Prime Minister, always putting country before party”.

Kinnock said he was proud of what the government had achieved, pointing to progress on GP access, a fall in small boat crossings, and better pay and conditions for workers.

But he said the country now needed “a fresh start with a Prime Minister who can inspire public confidence”.

He added: “I believe Andy Burnham has these qualities — and I am excited by the prospect of the positive change his leadership is set to bring.”

Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, confirmed earlier on Monday that he would put himself forward to succeed Sir Keir, and is widely seen as the frontrunner.

Gower MP Tonia Antoniazzi also paid tribute to the outgoing Prime Minister, though she stopped short of naming a preferred successor.

She said Sir Keir had “served our nation with devotion and dignity”, and that she wanted to thank him for his leadership.

“This will not have been an easy decision, but I respect it and support it in the interests of our country,” she said.

Antoniazzi said it was important that the party now came together and continued “to focus on delivering tangible change for the people who we were elected to serve”.

In neighbouring Pembrokeshire, Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell also thanked Sir Keir, saying he had helped to make Britain “fairer, safer, and more prosperous over the past two years”.

Tufnell said his own focus remained on his constituents, with priorities “unchanged” — bringing jobs and growth to Pembrokeshire, improving public services, and tackling the cost-of-living crisis.

Bridgend and Porthcawl MP Chris Elmore, who also served in Sir Keir’s government, said that without his leadership “the Labour Party would not be in Government”. He said Sir Keir had taken the party “from our worst defeat in decades to one of the biggest majorities in our movement’s history” in the space of five years.

Elmore pointed to stronger employment rights, children lifted out of poverty and the railways being brought back under public control, and said that for Sir Keir it had “always been country first, party second”.

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell, also a government minister, said Sir Keir had “turned around our party” and given “huge service to our country”, both as Prime Minister and as a former public prosecutor. He pointed to stronger workers’ rights, rising wages and falling waiting lists, adding that the party now owed the country “a redoubling of our efforts to build a better Britain”.

Several other Labour MPs in the area had not commented publicly by Monday afternoon, among them Llanelli’s Dame Nia Griffith and Swansea East’s Carolyn Harris.

Sir Keir announced on Monday morning that he would step down as Prime Minister and Labour leader, having “heard the answer” of his party on whether he was the right person to lead it into the next election.

He will remain in post until a new leader is chosen, with nominations opening on 9 July and a successor expected before Parliament returns on 1 September.

The resignation follows months of pressure that intensified after Labour’s heavy losses in May’s elections, and after Burnham’s by-election victory in Makerfield last week.

It comes as Wales adjusts to its own changed political landscape, with Labour having lost power in the Senedd in May for the first time since devolution.

For the area’s Labour MPs, the coming weeks will shape not just who leads their party — but the direction of a UK government many of them serve in.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Keir Starmer resigns as Prime Minister
The resignation and the wider Welsh reaction.

DYFATTY: Swansea homelessness charity boss to lead £20m drive to transform city neighbourhoods

A Swansea charity leader who has spent years helping the city’s most vulnerable people has been handed a central role in deciding how £20m is spent transforming neighbourhoods north of the city centre.

Thom Lynch has been named independent chair of the Neighbourhood Board overseeing Swansea’s £20m Pride in Place funding.

The money is a 10-year investment targeted on the city’s Gateway Communities — a cluster of neighbourhoods just north of Swansea railway station that takes in Brynmelyn, Waun Wen, North Hill, Dyfatty and Hafod.

They are areas long identified as among the most overlooked in the city, despite being passed through daily by thousands of commuters and visitors arriving in Swansea.

The funding can be spent on a wide range of community-led projects, from saving threatened pubs and libraries to improving community safety, reviving local high streets and restoring green spaces — with residents helping to decide where it goes.

Lynch is the co-founder and project leader of Matthew’s House, the High Street charity that provides a base and support for vulnerable people, including those experiencing homelessness.

The charity’s work has been recognised nationally, including with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

His appointment followed an open recruitment process, with the role designed as a community-rooted voice at the top of the board rather than a council or government appointee.

Lynch said one of his first tasks would be to build the Neighbourhood Board itself, and he urged local people to step forward.

“I’m honoured to take on this role and grateful for the opportunity to work even more with local people to shape the future of our communities,” he said.

“Pride in Place is about putting residents at the heart of decision-making, and I’m excited to build on the strong community work already happening across these neighbourhoods.”

He added: “I’ll be looking for people from local communities to get involved, share their ideas and help deliver projects that make a real, lasting difference. We’re going to need a real team effort to get this right.”

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell, who secured the funding, described it as a once-in-a-generation chance for the area.

“Pride in Place is a landmark 10-year, £20 million investment in Swansea communities that have too long been overlooked,” he said.

“It is a huge opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives. Thom is exactly the right person to get as many residents as possible involved in making that happen.”

Council leader Cllr Rob Stewart said the appointment was a major step forward.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the people of Dyfatty to shape their own future, backed by £20 million of UK Government investment over the next decade,” he said.

“Thom has a proven track record, is well-known in the community and will be an outstanding chair for the Neighbourhood Board.”

Stewart said the money would add to more than £60m of council investment in housing improvements in the area, alongside wider work to create a safer, stronger community.

The regeneration drive comes after a targeted police crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour in Dyfatty, which saw crime fall 12% and anti-social behaviour drop 69% in its early months — work the longer-term investment is intended to complement.

In neighbouring Neath Port Talbot, a separate £20m Pride in Place award is regenerating the Upper Afan Valley, with former council chief executive Karen Jones chairing that board as a volunteer.

The council has not yet set out which individual projects will receive money, or when residents will see the first changes on the ground.

But with the board now taking shape, decisions on how the £20m is spent are expected to follow in the months ahead.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Swansea neighbourhood handed £20m boost
How the decade-long Pride in Place investment was first announced for the city.

Community champion sought to lead £20m drive
The chair’s role as it was advertised earlier this year — now filled by Thom Lynch.

Llanelli handed £20m lifeline in same scheme
The Carmarthenshire town’s own Pride in Place award.

Matthew’s House and the Swans big sleep out
The High Street charity Thom Lynch co-founded.

OPINION: ‘That is the line in the sand. The work now is on the lines that follow’ — Kirstie Logan-Townshend on the under-16s social media ban

The following is an opinion piece by Kirstie Logan-Townshend, founder of Kirstie Logan Communications and a Swansea-based strategic communications consultant. She previously worked on AI at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and holds a Masters degree in Terrorism, Organised Crime and Global Security. The views expressed are her own and do not represent the editorial position of Swansea Bay News. Swansea Bay News publishes OpEds from politicians and public figures across the political spectrum.

I am on the GWR from Swansea to Paddington, the Welsh countryside rolling by, en route to an APPG meeting at Westminster on Rhetoric, Disorder, and Crisis of Democracy. That is a column of its own. I will come back to it.

The news this morning has overtaken the day. The government has announced a ban on social media platforms for under-16s. Modelled on Australia’s. Wider restrictions on the functionalities doing the most concrete damage to children online: livestreaming, stranger contact across gaming platforms, AI “romantic companion” chatbots that have no business being aimed at minors. Legislation in Parliament before Christmas. First regulations in force by Spring 2027. By the standards of the Online Safety Act’s wander through the last parliament, this is a sprint.

I back it. I welcome it. Today is a first step on a trajectory, and we can go further. Here is what should come next.

The ban focuses on platforms where children view content; the messaging services where they communicate are not in scope. The Com networks the National Crime Agency flagged, the ones I wrote about for Swansea Bay News last month, organise primarily on Discord and Telegram. Today’s announcement names them neither as social media nor as messaging, and they therefore sit, for now, in a regulatory grey zone. They will, in time, need to be named and addressed for what the NCA already calls them: a national security threat. The Ofcom enforcement review commissioned today must come back with a clear answer on powers, not only on resource. The encryption conversation must be reopened on terms that do not let Silicon Valley write the agenda.

None of those will be easy. When tech companies are investing, or not investing, billions in your market, regulating them costs political capital, and this government has shown it is willing to spend it. I want to see it keep spending.

What does this mean for the children I wrote about for Swansea Bay News last month? For the boy at the top of Townhill, his Snapchat, his TikTok, his Instagram, his YouTube, the public-facing apps where children view content and which my column tied to the radicalisation pathways the National Crime Agency has been warning about, are all to be blocked to under-16s. The livestreaming so prominent in the most coercive online spaces will be restricted. The stranger contact built into the gaming voice chats and Discord servers his caregivers had assumed were just games will, for under-16s, be ring-fenced. The AI “romantic companion” chatbots that have crept quietly into the lives of teenage boys this past year are locked behind an age-18 floor. None of that is small.

For the girl in West Cross, the change is real in different ways. The TikTok scroll that fills her evenings is gone. The predator whose first move depends on the stranger-contact functions the ban now restricts will find that move harder to make. The algorithmic feeds implicated in preventable teenage tragedies will no longer operate on under-16s at all.

Swansea has engaged with this. Torsten Bell MP’s public meeting during the consultation period drew a room from every quarter of the political conversation. As Torsten said on the night, “we’re not all going to agree, and we shouldn’t either.” But one thing we in the room agreed on, instinctively, was that the safety of children comes first.

Since the news landed, my WhatsApp has been lighting up. Some technology-sector contacts have been weighing in unprompted; others I have been asking. Most sent a clapping emoji and a few words either way. One, who has worked in government, sent “dying government’s response,” which pained me. A dying government does not legislate for regulations that land after the next election. That is a bet on a future you expect to be holding.

Another said “this is a start. We go.” A cyber security expert wrote back at length, with a thought I have been turning over since:

A good move. Social media has significant impacts on mental health and personal resilience. These changes will deliver real benefits, and they will help with extremism: less exposure to extremist views online, less risk of getting caught in a self-perpetuating algorithm of them.

That last phrase, self-perpetuating algorithm, is one I want to come back to before Paddington.

The follow-through is visible in the choices already made. A choice to legislate via the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act rather than wait for primary slots that may never arrive. A binding timetable written into the process: a progress report due within three months of Royal Assent, regulations laid within a year of that. And a consultation, Growing Up in the Online World, that closed in May with ninety per cent of parents behind the change. None of that is the work of a government simply chasing a headline.

Which brings me back, as the train approaches Paddington, to the session ahead of me, titled, perhaps not coincidentally, Rhetoric, Disorder, and Crisis of Democracy. This is the week for it. As I travel, the National Security (State Threats) Bill is moving through the Commons: counter-terrorism-style powers to confront the foreign states and their proxies who do this country harm, a Bill I welcome without reservation. It is a different national security from the one I have spent this column on, and a welcome one. The foreign-power threat and the threat to a child in West Cross are not the same danger, but they are answered by the same instinct, that the state has a duty to act, and that the bodies built to handle these things should be given the tools to handle them.

The self-perpetuating algorithm my cyber security friend identified is not only the mechanism by which children are radicalised into Com networks or fed extremist content. It is the same mechanism that hollows out democratic discourse, delivers disinformation, and turns reasonable disagreement into the kind of online aggression we have all become too used to. The boy at the top of Townhill and the girl in West Cross are not a separate conversation from the one I am going to spend the afternoon having in Westminster. They are the same conversation at different ages.

Online harm carries consequences for democracy. In acting decisively to protect children from these feeds, this government has, whether it has fully articulated this yet or not, taken a step to protect democracy itself. After a decade in which the previous government pretended the problem belonged to parents, this one has decided the problem belongs where it has always belonged, with the bodies built to handle it. That is the line in the sand. The work now is on the lines that follow.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, the Samaritans can be contacted free at any time on 116 123.

Kirstie Logan-Townshend is the founder of Kirstie Logan Communications, a Swansea-based strategic communications consultancy. If you would like to submit an OpEd for consideration by Swansea Bay News, please email [email protected].

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SOCIAL MEDIA BANNED: Under-16s to be blocked from popular apps — here’s what it means for Welsh teens

Weeks before Westminster made its move, Swansea had already made up its mind.

When the local MP asked, eight in 10 people who answered his survey backed some kind of limit on children using social media. A packed public meeting at the Guildhall said much the same.

On Monday, the UK Government caught up with them.

Children under 16 will be banned from social media apps including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and X, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced.

The rules should become law before Christmas and take effect in spring 2027. Messaging apps like WhatsApp won’t be included.

It is one of the biggest changes to childhood in a generation — and for families across Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot, it has been a long time coming.

A debate that started here months ago

This has been a live issue across the area since the spring.

Back in May, Swansea West MP Torsten Bell held an “emergency” public meeting at the Guildhall after the subject filled his postbag more than any other this year.

The room was standing-room only. Parents spoke of children glued to screens for hours. Teachers described what they see in the classroom every day. Charity workers laid out the growing evidence on children’s mental health.

Afterwards, Bell surveyed his constituents and found 80% backed some form of age limit. “Swansea’s voice has been heard loud and clear,” he said, “and Swansea backs a ban.”

Local MPs had already been pushing in the same direction. Tonia Antoniazzi and Henry Tufnell were among more than 60 Labour MPs who had called for a ban before the government acted.

What actually changes

So what does the ban mean in practice?

From spring 2027, social media companies won’t be allowed to let under-16s use their apps at all. Accounts already held by younger teenagers will be switched off or paused.

A child won’t be able to get around it with a parent’s permission — the ban applies either way.

There’s a second part to it. On gaming sites and other services, under-16s will be stopped from livestreaming themselves — broadcasting live video — and from being contacted by strangers. The government says these are the features that put children most at risk.

For 16 and 17-year-olds, those same restrictions will be switched on automatically, though they can choose to turn them off.

And so-called AI “companion” chatbots — apps designed to act like a virtual boyfriend or girlfriend — will be locked to over-18s.

What stays the same

This is not a ban on being online.

Children will still be able to message friends and family on apps like WhatsApp. They’ll still watch videos, play games, read the news and use school and learning sites.

The government has promised a short list of exceptions covering things like educational tools, shopping and music apps.

What teenagers themselves think

The young people who’ll actually be affected aren’t all convinced.

When BBC Wales visited Morriston Comprehensive in Swansea last month, pupils pushed back.

Ruby, 14, said it was easy for older people to want rid of social media because they grew up without it — but her generation hadn’t.

Indy, 13, said that growing up now, social media felt “vital”. Their classmate Alex, also 13, thought a ban was too harsh, arguing the responsibility should be shared between children, parents and the apps themselves.

It’s a feeling the government’s own research backed up. Across the UK, children were far more likely to want certain features restricted than to want apps banned outright — and only around three in 10 supported a full ban.

A city that’s already worried — but not united

Back at that Guildhall meeting, the mood in the room captured the national split in miniature.

There were parents who wanted action now, certain that social media was harming their children. There were others who doubted a ban could ever really be enforced — and worried it might just push young people somewhere worse.

The worries aren’t hard to understand. According to the Children’s Commissioner for Wales and the regulator Ofcom, one in five children in Wales spends more than seven hours a day looking at a screen. Most children aged three to five already have their own social media profile.

And the harm isn’t abstract. In March, a school warned pupils they could face expulsion over abusive TikTok posts that caused real distress.

Will it actually work?

That’s the question hanging over everything — and it’s the one the Swansea meeting kept coming back to.

To make the ban work, apps will have to get much better at checking how old their users really are. That could mean scanning a face to estimate someone’s age, asking for ID, or working it out from how an account behaves. The regulator Ofcom has been told to report back on the best way to do it by October.

Most adults shouldn’t have to do anything, the government says — but some will be asked to prove they’re over 16.

The doubters point to Australia, which brought in an almost identical ban in December. Six months on, 70% of parents there told officials their children were still on the banned apps, and not a single fine has been issued.

The experts are cautious too. Prof Amy Orben, of the University of Cambridge, said a ban was unlikely to make a big difference to children’s wellbeing in the short term, pointing to Australia, where most young people are still online.

A ban could still change attitudes over time, she said — but called it an admission that efforts to make social media safe had failed, adding that she felt “a deep sense of disappointment” about it.

Others were blunter. Prof David Ellis, of the University of Bath, said the ban was “based on worry, not evidence” and risked pushing teenagers towards less safe corners of the internet while letting the social media firms “off the hook”.

The numbers behind the headline

The government’s big claim is that nine in 10 parents support a ban. That figure is worth a second look.

It comes from parents who chose to respond to the consultation — people already motivated enough to take part. In the government’s own representative survey, the figure was lower, at around three-quarters.

And children, as the Morriston pupils showed, are far more divided. The point worth holding onto is that the people the ban is built to protect are often the least sure about it.

The Welsh questions

Closer to home, the ban throws up a few knots that don’t quite apply across the border.

In Wales, 16 and 17-year-olds can already vote in Senedd and council elections — old enough, in other words, to help pick a government. Yet under these plans they’d have spent their younger teens shut out of the very apps where a lot of that debate now happens.

There’s a question of who’s in charge, too. The internet is governed from Westminster, so the ban itself isn’t a decision for Cardiff. But schools and children’s services are run by the Welsh Government — and that’s where a ban actually plays out, day to day.

Wales has already gone its own way once. When England moved to make schools phone-free, First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth ruled out a Wales-wide ban and left it to each school to decide.

The Welsh Government said it was “committed to doing all we can to protect children and young people from the harmful impacts of social media”, and would wait to see the outcome of the consultation.

The thing the apps give that’s easy to forget

There’s one more Welsh wrinkle, and it came from children themselves.

When researchers asked young people across the UK what they’d miss, Welsh children pointed to two things in particular: keeping in touch with friends in the countryside, where everyone lives far apart, and having somewhere to practise the Welsh language.

For a teenager in a village in rural Carmarthenshire, an app isn’t just a time-sink. It can be the difference between feeling part of things and feeling cut off — exactly the balance the government says it’s trying to get right.

What happens now

For families, the short answer is: nothing yet.

The government says parents and children don’t need to do anything before the changes land in 2027. More detail is promised in July, including possible overnight “curfews” on apps and limits on the endless scrolling that keeps children glued to their phones.

There may be an upside to all the uncertainty. Dr Catherine Sebastian, of the health charity Wellcome, said nobody yet knew how the ban would affect teenagers’ mental health — so Wellcome will fund studies across the country to find out, working with young people themselves to design them.

Whether the ban protects children or simply pushes the determined ones somewhere harder to see is the question now hanging over all of it. It’s the same question a Swansea Guildhall full of parents and teachers was asking back in May — and the answer still isn’t in.

If you’re worried about a child in your life, support is available through Childline on 0800 1111.

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PENSIONS: Swansea West MP unveils crackdown on scams that cost savers thousands

New measures to protect pension savers from fraud have been announced by Swansea West MP Torsten Bell, in his role as the UK Government’s Pensions Minister.

The plans aim to stop fraudsters tricking savers into transferring their retirement pots into bogus schemes — a con that often leaves victims with no way to recover their money.

Bell, who is the Labour MP for Swansea West and Minister for Pensions at the Department for Work and Pensions, said scams could “rip away not just people’s savings, but the retirement they are looking forward to”.

The proposals focus on a type of pension known as a Small Self-Administered Scheme, or SSAS — a kind of workplace pension typically used by small businesses, which the government says is increasingly being misused by fraudsters.

Under the plans, where there is no clear link between a saver and the scheme they are transferring into, a new warning flag would be triggered — allowing the transfer to be stopped before the money is lost.

The government says the average loss to victims of this type of fraud has risen to £38,400 per person.

“This government is determined to stay one step ahead of criminals who seek to exploit savers,” Bell said.

“Too often we see fraudsters trying to trick workers into transferring their savings into bogus pensions. We are stepping in to automatically block transfers where the warning signs are flashing red.”

Pensions are a matter reserved to the UK Government, meaning the rules would apply across Wales and the rest of the country.

The announcement is the first step in what the government describes as a wider programme to tackle pension fraud, with further measures — including possible new legislation — being developed this year.

The work is being carried out with the Pension Scams Action Group, a body led by The Pensions Regulator that brings together the DWP, law enforcement and the pensions industry.

Gaucho Rasmussen, an executive director at The Pensions Regulator, said on behalf of the group that “fraud wrecks lives”, and described the proposed safeguard as “an important step forward in protecting savers”.

The proposals also seek views on cutting red tape that has slowed down legitimate transfers, to make the process simpler for savers who are not at risk.

A consultation on the changes is now open, giving pension scheme trustees, members, administrators and industry professionals the chance to have their say.

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SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘Swansea backs a ban’ says MP Torsten Bell as survey finds strong local support for child age limits

A Swansea MP says there is strong local support for restricting children’s use of social media, as a UK Government consultation on the issue draws to a close.

Torsten Bell, the MP for Swansea West, said he had found an “overwhelming consensus for action” among constituents after months of meetings, correspondence and an online survey.

He said the issue had generated more letters to his office than any other in 2026.

Of those who responded to his survey, 80% backed some degree of age restriction on social media use. Two-thirds of respondents were parents and a fifth were teachers, with more than 130 people taking part in the online survey.

The findings cap a campaign that has run for months. Bell first called an “emergency” public meeting back in April, saying the topic was already topping his postbag.

That meeting, held at Swansea’s Guildhall last month, drew a packed room of parents, teachers and residents, who heard from an expert panel and shared their own experiences.

At that meeting, residents raised concerns about the time children spend on screens and the impact on their mental wellbeing — though some also questioned whether age restrictions could realistically be enforced.

Mr Bell said: “It’s been fantastic to see so much engagement from parents and community members across Swansea West.”

“I’d like to thank everyone who wrote to me, turned up to the meeting at the Guildhall, or took the survey on my website for their thoughtful and considered contribution to this debate. Swansea’s voice has been heard loud and clear, and Swansea backs a ban.”

He added: “I will make sure that voice is heard as the consultation ends and the time for action is here, because nothing is more important than the safety and future of our children.”

The UK Government consultation, which includes proposals to restrict social media use for under-16s, opened earlier this year, when Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith also urged parents and children across the area to take part.

The debate has been building across the region for months. Earlier this year, figures released to mark Safer Internet Day suggested half of parents had never spoken to their children about harmful online content, even as most 11-year-olds owned a smartphone.

The pressures are already being felt in local schools. In March, a school warned pupils they could face expulsion over abusive TikTok posts that caused “significant distress.”

The question of how to protect children online has also reached the Welsh Government, which recently ruled out a Wales-wide ban on mobile phones in schools, leaving the decision to individual schools.

With the consultation now closing, attention turns to how far the UK Government will go in regulating children’s access to social media — and whether the strength of feeling Mr Bell describes in Swansea is matched across the country.

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SCHOOL PHONES: First Minister rules out Wales-wide ban as Plaid Cymru leaves decision to individual schools — with Swansea parents already debating the issue

There will be no Wales-wide ban on mobile phones in schools — with First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth saying his new Plaid Cymru Welsh Government will instead “empower schools” to make their own decisions on whether and how to restrict phone use during the school day.

The position, set out by the First Minister at the Urdd Eisteddfod on Anglesey on Tuesday and first reported by BBC Wales, marks a clear divergence from England — where the UK Government is preparing to pass a law requiring schools to be free of smartphones throughout the school day.

Decision rests with individual schools and governing bodies

In Wales, the decision to ban or restrict mobile phones for pupils remains a matter for individual schools and their governing bodies. The Welsh Government will not require schools to act, and there is no suggestion that direction will change.

That means parents in Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire may find different phone rules at different schools — with some local schools and headteachers already having moved to restrict or ban phones, and others taking different approaches.

The First Minister told BBC Wales he wanted his government to “facilitate schools to take the decisions that they feel are right to protect children and young people.”

“I don’t think of it in terms of a ban, I think about it as action on a number of different fronts,” Mr ap Iorwerth said.

“We will empower schools and school leaders to make decisions that they feel is right for pupils. Many schools and school leaders have already taken those measures.”

Plaid manifesto promise

Plaid Cymru’s manifesto for the May 2026 Senedd election had committed to “empower local authorities to promote students’ safety, learning and wellbeing through restricting the use of smartphones in schools for under-16s” — working with councils and school leaders to deliver this “in a practical and proportionate way, with appropriate exemptions where necessary.”

Tuesday’s comments confirm that the route Plaid will take is empowerment of schools rather than legal compulsion — leaving the decision firmly with local headteachers and governing bodies.

Action on social media “needs to be taken”

The First Minister was speaking as a UK Government consultation on the impact of social media on children under 16 closes — with UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall pledging new measures for under-16s in England by the end of 2026.

While ruling out a phone ban in schools, Mr ap Iorwerth said action on under-16s’ use of social media “needs to be taken” and signalled the Welsh Government would follow the evidence in deciding how to respond.

“The evidence is getting stronger and stronger,” he said. “When you have evidence suggesting to you that the use of social media by children and young people can be as harmful as smoking tobacco, you take that very, very seriously.

“I am clear that action needs to be taken. It’s important though that it’s evidence based.”

Live issue in Swansea

The First Minister’s comments come amid intense local debate over children’s social media use in Swansea, where last month a packed public meeting heard parents, teachers and residents share concerns about technology and children.

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell, who convened the meeting at the city’s Guildhall, told attendees the issue had generated more letters to his office than any other policy issue this year.

Mr Bell himself posted on Facebook on Tuesday afternoon — within an hour of the First Minister’s comments at the Urdd Eisteddfod — urging Swansea constituents to use the final day of the UK Government consultation to “have your say” on protecting children online.

“Children’s use of social media is the top issue constituents in Swansea have written to me about this year so far,” he wrote. “Today is the last opportunity to tell the UK Government what you think should be done to protect kids growing up in the online world.” He included a link to his constituency survey at torstenbell.org/social-media-debate.

The Welsh Government’s position therefore lands in a constituency where parental concern about children, phones and social media has already been articulated publicly — and where there is no single, consistent approach from local schools.

Welsh Conservatives: ‘Plaid must go further’

The First Minister’s position has drawn criticism from the Welsh Conservatives, who say Plaid Cymru must commit to stronger action to protect children in Wales.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Education, Families and Constitution Sam Rowlands MS said experts continue to warn about the harms of social media for children, with some comparing its impact to smoking.

“While the UK Government is acting on the damages that social media causes, the First Minister in Wales is dithering on restricting social media for under-16s and has ruled out a Wales-wide ban on mobile phones in schools,” Mr Rowlands said.

“The Welsh Conservatives say Plaid Cymru must go further and commit to stronger action to protect under-16s in Wales.”

What it means for parents in south-west Wales

For families in Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire, the practical effect of the First Minister’s position is that nothing changes from a Welsh Government level — with phone policy continuing to vary school by school.

Some local schools have already introduced “no phones during the school day” policies or banned mobile devices from classrooms entirely. Others allow phones to be carried on the basis they remain switched off or out of sight. Parents wanting to know the position at their child’s school will need to ask the school directly.

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SWANSEA: ‘Technology has transformed childhood in ways we’re only beginning to understand’ — packed public meeting hears parents’ fears about social media and their kids

It is the issue that has filled Torsten Bell’s postbag more than any other this year — and when he opened up a public meeting on children’s social media use in Swansea this week, it was standing room only.

Parents spoke of children glued to screens for hours on end. Teachers described what they see on the frontline every day. Charity leaders raised the mounting evidence on mental health. And beneath it all ran a question that nobody has yet managed to answer satisfactorily: if the government bans under-16s from social media, can it actually be enforced?

The meeting, held on Thursday 14 May, was organised by the Swansea West MP to feed local voices into the UK Government’s Online Safety Act consultation on protecting children online — including proposals to restrict social media use for under-16s. Bell had called the meeting in April after his office was inundated with correspondence from constituents worried about the issue.

The consultation — launched by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology — is examining a range of potential measures. These include requiring social media platforms to do far more to verify the ages of users, potential restrictions on under-16s accessing platforms entirely, and tougher rules on how AI chatbots and gaming platforms interact with children.

Residents at Thursday’s meeting heard first from a panel of expert speakers — researchers, campaigners and people who deal with the consequences of children’s social media use in their work every day.

The data presented at the meeting made for uncomfortable reading. According to the Children’s Commissioner for Wales and Ofcom, one in five children in Wales spends more than seven hours a day on a screen — and most children aged between three and five already have their own social media profile.

The audience then shared their own experiences, and the room was not of one mind. There were parents who want action now, convinced that social media is damaging their children’s wellbeing and mental health. There were others who questioned whether an age limit could be meaningfully policed — and whether it might drive young people further underground online rather than protecting them.

Bell said the quality of the debate had struck him. “This public debate showed just how deeply people in Swansea care about this issue,” he said. “Parents, teachers and young people themselves all recognise that technology has transformed childhood in ways we are only beginning to understand.”

He added that the issue felt personal as well as political. “Many of us do already know how much we’d have missed out on as a teenager if the time and attention sink of social media had got in the way,” he said.

The concerns raised in Swansea are not new — and not unique to the city. A Bridgend school warned last year that pupils could face expulsion over abusive TikTok posts. Research published on Safer Internet Day found that half of parents had never spoken to their children about harmful online content. And more than 60 Labour MPs have now backed calls for a ban — among them local MPs Tonia Antoniazzi and Henry Tufnell.

The political pressure on the government to act is growing. Australia introduced a full ban on social media for under-16s last year, becoming the first country in the world to do so, and the move sparked intense debate in Westminster about whether the UK should follow suit.

But critics of an outright ban — including some who spoke at Thursday’s meeting — argue that determined teenagers will simply find workarounds, and that the real answer lies in better platform regulation and education rather than blanket restrictions that may prove unenforceable.

What is not in dispute is the scale of the problem. The Llanelli MP’s office has described parents being shocked to discover their children had secret online identities — building up lives in apps their parents had never heard of, talking to strangers, and consuming content far removed from what they had been allowed to access at home.

Bell urged everyone who could not make Thursday’s meeting to respond to the consultation directly before the deadline. “The experiences and differing views everyone shared will be fed directly into the Government’s consultation,” he said.

“For anyone that couldn’t make it along, there is still time to have your voice heard — please do fill in the survey on my website and ensure the UK Government has heard your views before decisions about further action are taken,” he added.

The consultation closes on 26 May. Responses can be submitted via Torsten Bell’s website at torsten-bell.com.

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SWANSEA: MP calls emergency public meeting on social media ban for under-16s — and says the issue tops his postbag

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell has called an emergency public meeting to discuss whether children under 16 should be banned from social media, as the UK Government’s landmark consultation on protecting young people online enters its final weeks.

The meeting will be held from 7pm to 8.30pm on Thursday 14 May at Swansea’s Guildhall, and is open to parents, children and community members from across the city. Those wishing to attend have been asked to reserve a seat by emailing [email protected] with their name and postcode, as significant interest is expected.

The event will be one of the last opportunities for people in Swansea to feed into the national debate before the UK Government’s consultation closes on Friday 26 May. Attendees can expect to hear from community leaders, campaigners and teachers, and will have the chance to share their own experiences and concerns about children’s online safety.

The social media ban debate has generated more correspondence to Bell’s office than any other policy issue since the start of 2026, with nearly a quarter of all policy-related letters and emails focusing on the subject — a striking measure of how deeply the issue is resonating with families across Swansea West.

Bell said: “As a father to young children, I am deeply concerned about the impact of social media and delighted that the UK Government is taking the issue so seriously. Many of us know how much we’d have missed out on as a teenager if the time and attention sink of social media had got in the way.”

He added: “No issue is more important than the safety of our children. As the consensus grows that more needs to be done, I’m hosting this meeting to make sure people in Swansea have their voice heard and are at the forefront of shaping what happens next.”

The Government’s consultation — which has dedicated versions for young people and for parents and carers — is exploring a range of potential measures beyond an outright ban. These include whether platforms should be forced to switch off addictive features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, and whether mandatory overnight curfews on social media use could help children get better sleep.

The idea of an Australia-style ban on under-16s using social media has attracted growing cross-party support at Westminster. As Swansea Bay News has previously reported, more than 60 Labour MPs — including Gower’s Tonia Antoniazzi and Mid and South Pembrokeshire’s Henry Tufnell — have already backed calls for such a ban.

In Llanelli, Dame Nia Griffith has urged families to respond to the consultation, saying she would personally support a ban but that any legislation would need to be carefully thought through and enforceable. She described the issue as one of the defining challenges facing parents today.

The concerns are not abstract. In Bridgend, one school warned pupils could face expulsion over abusive TikTok posts. And experts have cautioned that many parents remain completely unaware of the hidden meanings behind popular emojis routinely used by young people to discuss drugs, self-harm and other sensitive topics in plain sight.

Research published on Safer Internet Day earlier this year found that half of parents in Britain had never had a single conversation with their child about harmful online content — even though most 11-year-olds now own a smartphone. The findings helped galvanise support for tougher government action.

The consultation is exploring not just whether to ban under-16s from social media entirely, but a broader package of protections. Among the measures under consideration are requirements for platforms to make safety settings more prominent, limits on the data companies can collect from young users, and stronger age verification requirements.

Whether any measures ultimately become law will depend in part on the responses gathered during the consultation period — which is why Bell’s meeting at the Guildhall on 14 May represents a genuine opportunity for Swansea residents to influence the outcome, not just observe it.

For Bell, who has spoken openly about his concerns as a parent, the issue cuts through the usual political divides. The volume of correspondence his office has received suggests many of his constituents feel the same way — and that the question of when, and whether, to hand a child a smartphone has become one of the most contested parenting decisions of the current generation.

The UK Government’s consultation is open to all at gov.uk and closes on 26 May. Those wishing to attend Bell’s Guildhall meeting on 14 May should email [email protected] with their name and postcode to reserve a place.

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Tories slam pension mandation powers as Labour refuse to back down

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OPINION: Torsten Bell MP — Britain must stay out of the Iran conflict while protecting households from the fallout

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the editorial position of Swansea Bay News.

Torsten Bell MP:

We’re all worried about the conflict in Iran – what it means for the world, for the UK, and for households here in Swansea. This is a war we did not start and the UK Government’s approach is the right one: stopping the UK being drawn into the conflict abroad while supporting households and firms at home. We’re doing what is right for Britain, not what keeps Donald Trump happy.

Were Nigel Farage or Kemi Badenoch in power Britain would now be at war, participating in a conflict with no clear objectives. At the start of this conflict, Reform and the Conservatives called enthusiastically for Britain to get involved alongside Donald Trump, without a thought for the consequences across Wales for the cost of heating homes and filling up cars.

The contrast with the Prime Minister’s calm-headed leadership couldn’t be plainer. The UK Government didn’t support offensive military action because we are not in the business of trying to deliver regime change from the air. We are pushing for urgent de-escalation, using every diplomatic avenue available to re-open vital trade routes. And we’re working now on how we can support households with what lies ahead.

More widely, the crisis underlines why the Government’s domestic economic strategy – helping make sure people are more resilient for when these crises happen – is so important. The first measures of the Employment Rights Act, a historic expansion in rights and protections for working people, are coming into force. This month, for the first time in history, there will be sick pay for low earners, so they won’t have to work when they’re ill. New dads will get the right to spend time with their kids from day 1 at a job. In future we will ban exploitative zero-hour contracts and end the situation where people can have their shifts cancelled at the last minute, without notice or pay.

Incomes, not just rights, are being boosted. As of this month, people working full-time on the National Living Wage will be £900 better off. Thousands of people across Swansea – working in supermarkets, care homes, on building sites – will benefit. As Pensions Minister, I’m raising the state pension by up to £575 a year to support older people. And we’re taking £150 off household energy bills – cushioning households against the challenges ahead.

We all know we face real and serious challenges as a country. But recognising success when it happens is a vital part of how we face up to them. And it’s a reminder that choices – that politics – makes a real difference to working people. Opposition parties fought to block all these changes and were ready to leap to war without a second’s thought for the impact here. The Tories have turned against the minimum wage. Reform have said they’ll scrap these new workers’ rights. Labour, the party of working people, will keep fighting to make sure they don’t get a chance to.

Do you have a view on the issues affecting Swansea and the surrounding area? Swansea Bay News welcomes opinion pieces from politicians, community figures and members of the public. Get in touch at [email protected].

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£20m boost for Swansea Civic Centre days after MP’s call for action

In an opinion piece published by Swansea Bay News on Sunday, Mr Bell said reviving the Civic Centre should be the city’s “next big regeneration step” — and urged momentum behind the proposals.

Now, that push appears to have paid off.

The funding follows months of campaigning by the MP and is being described as a key step towards turning recently unveiled plans for the Civic Centre into reality — although it will still need to go through further checks, including due diligence and approval of a final business case, before it is formally released.

Those plans — drawn up with Swansea Council and development partners Urban Splash — would see the site transformed into a mixed-use destination, featuring cafes, bars, shops, workspaces and leisure space, alongside around 140 apartments and 15 commercial units.

Headline attractions include proposals for a saltwater lido and a new aquarium, with the latter designed as a “next generation” visitor experience combining live marine exhibits with cutting-edge digital technology.

The attraction is also expected to work closely with Swansea University’s marine experts, with a strong focus on education and conservation.

Swansea Bay News has charted the rapid progress of the scheme in recent weeks, from the release of the first artist impressions to cabinet backing and strong public interest during consultation.

But until now, a central question has remained: how the transformation would actually be funded.

The £20 million investment from the UK Government begins to answer that — and is expected to help unlock the next phase of the project as it moves beyond consultation, with a planning application anticipated later this year.

For decades, the Civic Centre has served as a base for council services, but with departments now relocating — including to the new Y Storfa hub — attention has quickly turned to the future of the prominent seafront complex.

Torsten Bell, MP for Swansea West said securing “major investment” in what he describes as an “iconic Swansea landmark” has been a “personal priority”.

Mr Bell said: “With £20m funding from the UK Labour Government, this is another big step forward for the city.

“With its prime spot overlooking the splendid curve of our beach, the building is crying out for a new lease of life. And that is exactly what we are going to give it, as we keep investing in Swansea’s future, not just remembering its past.

“Great progress has been made with the opening of Y Storfa and regeneration of the Palace Theatre. Works to improve Castle Gardens and open new offices from the Kingsway to St David’s are also underway. The momentum is real – it’s vital we harness it.”

He added that the Civic Centre funding is part of a wider package of UK Government investment in Swansea, including a further £20 million through the Pride in Place scheme, as well as commitments to rail improvements and the proposed Swansea Bay Metro.

Cllr Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said the funding represented a major vote of confidence in the city’s wider regeneration plans.

He said: “We want to see the Civic Centre transformed into a high-quality landmark destination for living, working and enjoying, with new homes, independent businesses and leisure spaces that benefit local people while attracting more visitors to Swansea.”

He added that the waterfront site offered “one of the most spectacular locations in the UK” and said the investment would help the project move forward more quickly.

Jo Stevens, Secretary of State for Wales, said the funding would help unlock the full potential of the site.

She said: “This investment will help deliver ambitious plans for the Civic Centre and transform this part of the city, making the most of its spectacular location and strengthening Swansea as a destination for visitors.”

The redevelopment also forms part of a broader wave of regeneration across the city, linking the waterfront site with ongoing changes in the city centre and beyond.

If delivered, the scheme could provide a significant boost to the local economy, with estimates suggesting it could generate around £17 million a year and support more than 300 jobs across hospitality, retail, leisure and building management, alongside additional roles linked to the proposed aquarium.

While key details — including timelines for construction and how the scheme will be delivered — are still to be confirmed, a planning application is expected later this year as proposals continue to be developed.

The funding itself remains subject to final approvals, but the announcement marks the clearest sign yet that the recently revealed plans are now moving from ambition towards delivery.

And coming just days after the issue was put firmly back in the spotlight, it suggests momentum around Swansea’s Civic Centre is building fast.

Opinion | Torsten Bell MP: Reviving Swansea’s Civic Centre must be the city’s next big regeneration step

Torsten Bell is the Labour MP for Swansea West. The views expressed in this article are his own.

As progress revitalising Swansea gathers pace, the exciting plans to give the Civic Centre a new lease of life must now be turned into action. The key to doing so is unlocking the cash required – and it’s a personal priority for me as Swansea West MP that we secure it.   

Swansea has been capturing imaginations long before the descriptions of Dylan Thomas made us famous for our ugly-lovely sprawl. And over the past few years, major progress has been made breathing new life a city steeped in industrial and cultural heritage.   

Historic landmarks like the Palace Theatre and Albert Hall have been restored, and new landmarks like the Arena and Y Storfa have joined them. Work on Castle Gardens is underway, and a £20 million investment by the UK Government will see communities north of the train station – home to ten thousand and passed through by thousands more each day – revitalised.    

Redeveloping the Civic Centre is clearly the next major task, now that services like the library have been moved to Y Storfa. With its prime spot overlooking the splendid curve of our beach, the building is crying out for a new lease of life.   

That’s more than just wishful thinking. I’ve been working with Swansea Council and its development partner Urban Splash on the vision for the Civic Centre’s renewal. Exciting new artist impressions illustrate the potential if plans for 600 new homes – along with new cafes, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities – are realised.   

One key barrier remains: securing the funding to turn these plans into action. As Swansea West’s MP, this challenge is a personal priority for me. Doubling down on efforts to regenerate Swansea, that the Labour council has done a great job of driving, has never been more important.   

If we want things to keep moving in the right direction, now is the time to act. Giving the Civic Centre a new lease of life would not just protect an important part of our past. It would help build the Swansea of the future. That is a prize worth fighting for and I’ll be doing more than my share of the fighting. 

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‘BE STRAIGHT WITH FANS’: Swansea MP challenges WRU bosses in crisis talks over Ospreys future

The row over the future of Welsh rugby has intensified after Swansea West MP Torsten Bell held crisis talks with bosses from the Welsh Rugby Union amid growing anger among supporters.

The meeting took place in Swansea on Friday, just hours after new evidence emerged suggesting the WRU expected plans involving the proposed sale of Cardiff Rugby to the Ospreys’ owners Y11 Sports & Media would ultimately bring about the end of the Ospreys as a professional team.

Bell criticised the WRU leadership for what he described as misleading fans about the consequences of the controversial deal.

The dispute centres on the future structure of the professional game in Wales, with the governing body exploring changes that could reduce the number of men’s professional clubs.

Earlier this week, WRU chief executive Abi Tierney said that the potential purchase of Cardiff Rugby by Y11 did not automatically mean the end of the Ospreys.

However, notes from a January meeting with Swansea Council, recently published by the authority, suggested the governing body expected the deal to leave no future for the Ospreys as a professional region.

The publication of those minutes has sparked a political and sporting storm across Wales.

Bell said he had challenged WRU officials directly during the meeting.

He also warned the governing body not to repeat claims that the Cardiff takeover would not pre-empt the legally required open competition for future professional club licences.

The MP further questioned the WRU’s insistence that its plans had been shaped by widespread consultation with supporters.

Supporters’ groups linked to three of Wales’ four professional teams have already launched a petition opposing the proposals, while critics say the governing body has moved rapidly towards structural change despite backing a four-team model less than a year ago.

With an Extraordinary General Meeting of WRU members approaching, Bell urged rugby chiefs to rethink their approach.

“Today I met the WRU’s leadership. I urged them to do two things: reset their plans and be straight with fans,” he said.

“You can’t say in public that no decision has been made about the Ospreys’ future, when the truth is their plans would see the club disappear in 2027.

“Almost nobody supports what they’re doing, and absolutely no-one supports how they are doing it.”

Swansea Bay News previously revealed “smoking gun” minutes from a meeting between the WRU and Swansea Council which suggested the future of the Ospreys could be at risk.

The escalating confrontation between politicians, supporters and rugby authorities has deepened the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Ospreys and the wider structure of professional rugby in Wales.

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Rugby clubs formally call WRU Emergency General Meeting as MPs and council leader back vote of no confidence in chair

The requisition notice was submitted to the WRU on Sunday morning, marking a dramatic escalation in the battle over plans to reduce the number of professional Welsh regions from four to three – a move that could see the Ospreys forced out of professional rugby.

The EGM, which will be held after the conclusion of the men’s Six Nations next month, is expected to centre on a motion of no confidence in Collier-Keywood, who was appointed chair in 2023. The WRU now has 21 days to acknowledge and schedule the meeting.

Torsten Bell, Labour MP for Swansea West, said the EGM was “totally right” and urged all clubs to attend and vote for a change of leadership.

“The WRU are trying to shrink Welsh rugby and end professional rugby in Wales’s second city,” he said. “If this isn’t an emergency, I don’t know what is.”

Political pressure mounts

The move has won backing from across Swansea’s political establishment, with Carolyn Harris, Labour MP for Swansea East, saying grassroots clubs “are the foundation of Welsh rugby” and their voices “matter”.

Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart revealed the main business of the EGM will be the removal of the WRU chair via a vote of no confidence, and urged clubs to “stop the WRU in their tracks, elect new leaders, and come together to form a new plan for a brighter more ambitious future for Welsh Rugby”.

Stewart, who hit out at the WRU with a “shame on you” message after thousands of seats lay empty for Wales’ defeat, said: “For weeks supporters, players and communities have been asking the WRU to put a stop to their chaotic plans. The WRU have arrogantly continued, ignoring pleas to change course.”

Last week, Swansea Council moved to seek an injunction to prevent the WRU agreeing a deal with Y11 – the current Ospreys owners – to purchase Cardiff Rugby. The council has also asked the Competition and Markets Authority to intervene.

Threshold met after Central Glamorgan letter

The EGM was triggered after the threshold of 10% of the WRU’s 283 community clubs putting in a request was met. This followed a letter from Central Glamorgan urging all clubs to express a desire in calling an EGM, amid widespread dismay over the WRU’s plans.

The move marks the latest sign of widespread anger towards the WRU, following their chaotic attempts to reduce the number of professional clubs in Wales and to force the Ospreys out of the professional game without due process. Earlier this week, a business revolt saw former Principality COO mobilize an independent group to challenge WRU leadership.

It emerged that the WRU had lined up Y11 as the preferred bidders to purchase Cardiff Rugby, a move that would effectively end professional rugby in Swansea and consolidate ownership in the hands of the Ospreys’ current owners.

8,000 signatures and packed Brangwyn Hall

A joint petition from the Ospreys, Cardiff and Dragons supporters’ clubs has garnered more than 8,000 signatures to date, and recently over 500 fans packed into Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall to stand up for the Ospreys.

Torsten Bell said:

“For weeks supporters, players and communities have been asking the WRU to put a stop to their chaotic plans. But there are no signs they are listening. Grassroot clubs have now concluded that the only way to ensure the WRU changes course is to change the leadership. I agree.”

He added:

“I urge all clubs to attend the EGM, vote for a change of leadership and bring this chaos to an end.”

‘Transparency and clarity essential’

Carolyn Harris said the EGM “reflects the depth of feeling across our region about the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Ospreys and professional regional rugby in Neath and Swansea”.

She added:

“Grassroots clubs are the foundation of Welsh rugby. Their voices matter, and it is right that they are heard. At a time like this, transparency, clarity and proper engagement are essential. Our players, supporters and communities deserve nothing less.”

Rob Stewart said:

“While an injunction will prevent a deal being signed, an EGM gives the clubs the chance to make real and immediate change in the leadership and direction of the WRU.”

He added:

“The clubs can stop the WRU in their tracks, elect new leaders, and come together to form a new plan for a brighter more ambitious future for Welsh Rugby. They have my 100% support for this action.”

What happens next?

The WRU now has 21 days to acknowledge the requisition notice and schedule the EGM. The meeting is expected to take place after the conclusion of the Six Nations, which ends on March 15.

The vote of no confidence in Collier-Keywood is likely to have huge ramifications for the WRU’s proposals to cut the number of Welsh regions to three. If successful, it could force a complete rethink of the union’s strategy and potentially save professional rugby in Swansea.

The crisis has seen interventions from Ospreys legends, actor Michael Sheen, former Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones, and MPs who accused the WRU of a “stitch-up”.

The EGM will give member clubs across Wales the opportunity to debate and vote on motions to change the WRU’s leadership and direction.

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MPs accuse WRU of “stitch‑up” as political pressure intensifies over Ospreys’ future

The row has deepened over the past fortnight as the WRU presses ahead with plans linked to the proposed sale of Cardiff Rugby to Y11 — a move that has left the Ospreys facing uncertainty beyond next season and triggered a wave of criticism from players, supporters and local leaders.

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell said he had held fresh meetings with both the WRU and Y11 in the past 48 hours and claimed it was now “clear” that the union was attempting to use Cardiff’s financial collapse to sideline the Ospreys from any future regional structure.

Torsten Bell said:

“It’s now clear that the WRU are trying to use Cardiff going bust to try to force the Ospreys out of professional rugby. They promised an open transparent process to decide which clubs would continue – but are trying to deliver a behind‑closed‑doors stitch‑up to prevent the Ospreys even being able to compete in that process.”

He said support was growing for an Extraordinary General Meeting of the WRU, warning that confidence in the union’s leadership was collapsing.

Torsten Bell said:

“Demand for an EGM is building as people see the chaos being driven by those who are meant to be stewarding our national game. It’s hard to see a way forward now that doesn’t involve a change in leadership at the WRU.”

His intervention follows weeks of mounting frustration across Welsh rugby. Ospreys players have already issued an ultimatum demanding clarity, while Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart has said legal options are being examined if the region is forced out.

Now Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris has added further pressure, calling the situation “deeply troubling” and urging the WRU to halt the process immediately.

Carolyn Harris said:

“It is deeply troubling that proposals are being advanced which would put the future of the Ospreys at risk, particularly when so much work has been done locally to support their move to St Helen’s and secure a sustainable future for top‑flight rugby in Swansea.”

She said supporters and players deserved transparency, not decisions “imposed without proper justification”.

Carolyn Harris said:

“The WRU should pause this process now. Decisions of this scale must be fair, transparent and clearly in the best interests of Welsh rugby as a whole. Supporters, players and communities deserve clarity and reassurance.”

The WRU has faced repeated criticism in recent weeks after senior executives were grilled by MPs in a stop‑start committee hearing that offered little detail on the Ospreys’ future. Ospreys coaches and players have also described meetings with union bosses as confusing and uninformative.

With political pressure now intensifying from both of Swansea’s MPs, the WRU is facing renewed calls to explain how the regional game will operate beyond next season — and whether the Ospreys will be allowed to remain part of it.

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Council leader responds to WRU’s exclusivity deal

Cllr Stewart issued the statement after the Welsh Rugby Union confirmed it had entered a “period of exclusivity” with an unnamed preferred bidder to explore a potential takeover of the Cardiff region.

The WRU has not named the bidder, but the move has prompted questions about whether Y11 — the owners of the Ospreys — are involved. Swansea Bay News reported earlier that Y11 were believed by multiple sources to be the WRU’s preferred bidder, raising concerns about the Ospreys’ long‑term future in Swansea.

Cllr Stewart said the council was now seeking “urgent clarification” from Y11 about their intentions.

“We remain 100% committed to the Ospreys returning to St Helen’s”

In his statement, Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said the authority “remains 100% committed to supporting the Ospreys returning to St Helen’s as Swansea’s regional rugby base”.

He said Swansea, as Wales’ second‑largest city with “the most successful region and a long‑established grassroots rugby base”, must retain regional rugby.

Cllr Stewart said the council was “actively exploring every option, including legal avenues” to safeguard the Ospreys’ future in Swansea. He did not specify what legal steps were being considered.

Criticism of WRU handling

Cllr Stewart said the WRU’s “ongoing lack of clarity” and “failure to provide meaningful detail” had “unsettled and alienated rugby supporters across Wales”.

He said the union’s approach had created uncertainty that was “damaging the game”, adding that players were already leaving Wales because they “cannot rely on a stable future here”.

He said the council was seeking answers from Y11 about “any involvement in the bid process” and their intentions for the Ospreys.

MP: WRU behaviour “disgraceful”

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell also issued a strongly worded statement, saying the Ospreys “have the strongest track record of any region in the game” and that supporters “should never be treated by the WRU in the way we have seen in recent days”.

He described the WRU’s actions as “disgraceful from start to finish” and said the union would need to justify its decision‑making when facing questions in Parliament.

Mr Bell said legal advice was being taken on “next steps” and confirmed he was writing to Y11 to request a meeting to clarify their intentions.

He said rugby “matters in Swansea” not only for supporters but also for the redevelopment of St Helen’s and the wider grassroots game.

Sports park plans continue

Cllr Stewart said the council’s wider ambition to create a state‑of‑the‑art sports park — incorporating the Wales National Pool, rugby and cricket — was “unaffected” by the WRU’s regional rugby plans.

He said the council would continue working with sports bodies, academic partners and investors to progress the project.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Future of Ospreys under threat as club owner believed to be WRU’s preferred bidder for Cardiff
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£2 bus fare cap ‘would slash Swansea commuting costs by a third’

Single bus fares in Swansea could be capped at £2 from 2027 under a new Welsh Labour pledge, in a move the party claims would cut commuting costs by around a third for many regular bus users.

The cap would apply across Wales from April 2027 if Welsh Labour leads the next Welsh Government, and would cover everyone aged 22 to 59. Under‑21s already benefit from a £1 cap on single fares, while over‑60s get free bus travel across Wales under existing schemes.

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell, who says he has long campaigned on cost‑of‑living issues, said the plan would make a “big difference” to people who rely on buses every day.

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell said:

“Bus travel is too expensive for too many people. Capping fares at £2 would make a big difference to thousands of Swansea residents who rely on buses every day. It builds on wider work to bring down bills and tackle the cost of living.”

100 new bus routes across Wales

Welsh Labour says it would also introduce more than 100 new bus routes across Wales between 2027 and 2030. The routes would prioritise links to jobs, hospitals, train stations and key services, but the public would also be asked to suggest where new services should run.

The party says the plans are made possible by the current Welsh Labour Government’s Bus Services Bill, which will bring buses back into public control and allow local communities more say over routes and timetables.

Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, said:

“We’re ending the fragmented bus system Wales has been stuck with for decades. Buses should be run for people, not profit. Cheaper fares and more routes will mean passengers get services that actually go where they need them to go — to jobs, hospitals, town centres and key services.”

Cost‑of‑living backdrop

The pledge comes after the UK Labour Government announced a package of measures at the Autumn Budget, including £150 off the average energy bill and more support for almost 70,000 children across Wales.

Torsten Bell said the £2 cap would sit alongside those measures as part of a wider push to reduce everyday costs.

Swansea angle: ‘Saving money on every journey’

Locally, Swansea already funds free bus travel at certain times of the year, particularly during holiday periods and key events, to encourage people into the city centre and support households with rising costs.

Council leader Rob Stewart, who is also standing as a Senedd candidate, said the proposed £2 cap would build on that approach and deliver year‑round savings.

Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart said:

“A £2 cap would mean affordable, reliable and more frequent bus services for Swansea. We already fund free bus travel at certain times of the year, and a fixed low‑cost fare all year round would save residents money on every journey.”

He said the combination of cheaper fares and new routes could help more people access work, education and services without needing a car.

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Swansea MP warns of “lost generation” as 565 young people stuck on benefits

Call to action

Torsten Bell, MP for Swansea West, has sounded the alarm over figures showing 565 young people aged 16–24 in his constituency are currently claiming unemployment‑related benefits.

He is urging parents, colleges, employers and young people themselves to take part in a national inquiry into why so many are out of work or training. The investigation, led by former Cabinet minister Alan Milburn, aims to spark a “movement” to tackle what ministers describe as a crisis of wasted potential.

Government drive

The inquiry comes as the UK Government launches a £1.5 billion push to get young people “earning or learning.” Ministers say the package will open up thousands of new opportunities.

At the heart of the plan is a Youth Guarantee, designed to ensure no young person is left behind. It promises hundreds of thousands of places in work or training, alongside up to 50,000 new apprenticeships.

Communities will also see the arrival of Youth Hubs — centres offering CV advice, skills training, mental health support, housing guidance and careers coaching. For those furthest from the jobs market, a new Jobs Guarantee will provide six months of fully subsidised employment for 18–21‑year‑olds who are long‑term unemployed on Universal Credit.

Voices from Westminster

Mr Bell said:

“Too many in Swansea West are being held back, with 565 young people currently stuck on benefits. Labour has a plan to get Britain working, and this Youth Guarantee will make sure no young person is left behind.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden added:

“Too many young people are being denied the opportunity to reach their full potential, and it is a crisis we cannot ignore. That’s why I’ve asked Alan Milburn to help us build a system that supports them not just to find a job, but to build a better future — because when young people succeed, Britain succeeds.”

How to take part

The Call for Evidence is open until 30 January 2026. Submissions can be sent to: [email protected].

Officials say they want to hear from anyone with experience of the issue — from young people themselves to parents, teachers, football coaches and community leaders.

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Big tech boost as Amazon‑owned Veeqo opens new Swansea HQ at 71/72 Kingsway

Landmark opening in the city centre

The new HQ was officially opened on Friday 5 December, with Pension Minister and Swansea West MP Torsten Bell cutting the ribbon alongside civic leaders and Veeqo staff.

Bell described Veeqo as “a true Welsh success story” and said the company’s commitment to apprentices and interns showed how global investment could deliver for local communities.

The building, developed by Swansea Council and part‑funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal, is designed to attract tech, digital and creative companies. Veeqo is now one of its anchor tenants.

From start‑up to global player

Founded in Swansea in 2013 by Matt Warren, Veeqo provides free shipping and inventory management software used by more than 100,000 businesses worldwide.

Since being acquired by Amazon in 2021, the company has trebled its workforce to more than 200, with half now based at the new Kingsway site.

Warren told Swansea Bay News the expanded office “enables us to continue building services which make it easier for entrepreneurs and businesses to sell around the world,” adding that he was proud to see highly skilled tech jobs created in Wales.

Amazon’s investment

Amazon has already invested £60 million in Swansea since 2022 and says it will commit a further £100 million through to 2032, taking total investment past £150 million.

John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon, said the new HQ represented “our long‑term commitment to Wales” and pointed to Veeqo’s growth from 60 to over 200 staff as evidence of Welsh talent and ambition.

Civic and government reaction

Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy Rebecca Evans MS said the expansion “creates high‑quality jobs and opportunities for our young people, whilst supporting businesses across Wales and beyond.”

Swansea Council Leader Cllr Rob Stewart called the HQ “tremendous news for Swansea,” describing Veeqo as “a business born here, grown here, and now thriving internationally under Amazon.” He said the Kingsway development could eventually house up to 600 workers, boosting footfall and supporting city centre traders.

Wider impact

The Kingsway scheme is part of a wider push to attract tech and creative industries to Swansea. Beyond jobs and investment, Veeqo and Amazon also support local initiatives including coding workshops, women’s tech meetups, and the Cwtch Mawr Multibank in Swansea, which has provided more than 800,000 products to families in need.

https://youtu.be/VkfCyQgb6HA

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Swansea leaders slam WRU’s three‑club plan as “not fit for purpose”

“Rugby deserves respect”

In a strongly worded response to the WRU’s press conference, the pair said the union had “fallen well short” of showing respect to communities outside Cardiff.

Their statement read:

“Rugby is central to our communities, from the professional game right down to the grassroots. It deserves respect from those responsible for overseeing it. The Welsh Rugby Union has fallen well short of showing that respect today.

Respect would mean understanding that rugby matters west of Cardiff, not least in Swansea. Respect would mean ending the uncertainty facing clubs, fans and players – not setting up years more of it as they have done today.

The WRU’s plans are not fit for purpose, and if any members of the WRU board don’t understand that, then neither are they.”

Scarlets and Ospreys at risk

The WRU has confirmed its new model will see just three professional men’s clubs: one in the east, one in the capital, and one in the west. That secures the Dragons and a Cardiff‑based side, but leaves the Scarlets and Ospreys in direct competition for the single West Wales licence.

WRU chair Richard Collier‑Keywood has denied the union is “putting two teams against each other”, but admitted a merger would be the “ideal solution”.

Both the Ospreys and Scarlets have since issued statements defending their records and stressing their importance to West Wales rugby.

Political pressure grows

The intervention from Bell and Stewart adds political weight to the backlash already building in West Wales. Their comments underline the wider concern that the WRU’s restructuring risks alienating communities beyond Cardiff and undermining the heritage of professional rugby in Swansea and Llanelli.

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Maybe we in the #degrowth community are getting somewhere.
On @BBCRadio4 'Today' programme #TorstenBell of the #ResolutionFoundation, unprompted said something like "we need to put calls for no growth to bed". Argument was the need for public investment. He didn't elaborate but assumption was growth of whole economy is needed so the good bits can grow.
See the flaw?
A year ago there wouldn't have been a mention of degrowth thinking.
Keep plugging away folks!

Maybe we in the #degrowth community are getting somewhere.
On @BBCRadio4 'Today' programme #TorstenBell of the #ResolutionFoundation, unprompted said something like "we need to put calls for no growth to bed". Argument was the need for public investment. He didn't elaborate but assumption was growth of whole economy is needed so the good bits can grow.
See the flaw?
A year ago there wouldn't have been a mention of degrowth thinking.
Keep plugging away folks!

Maybe we in the #degrowth community are getting somewhere.
On @BBCRadio4 'Today' programme #TorstenBell of the #ResolutionFoundation, unprompted said something like "we need to put calls for no growth to bed". Argument was the need for public investment. He didn't elaborate but assumption was growth of whole economy is needed so the good bits can grow.
See the flaw?
A year ago there wouldn't have been a mention of degrowth thinking.
Keep plugging away folks!

Maybe we in the #degrowth community are getting somewhere.
On @BBCRadio4 'Today' programme #TorstenBell of the #ResolutionFoundation, unprompted said something like "we need to put calls for no growth to bed". Argument was the need for public investment. He didn't elaborate but assumption was growth of whole economy is needed so the good bits can grow.
See the flaw?
A year ago there wouldn't have been a mention of degrowth thinking.
Keep plugging away folks!

HS2, Raac, potholes: the symptoms of a lack of investment are everywhere
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/01/hs2-raac-potholes-the-symptoms-of-a-lack-of-investment-are-everywhere?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
#TorstenBell