(Title Image: BBC Wales)
Labour candidate victim of politically-motivated rape
The Labour Westminster candidate for Aberconwy, Emily Owen, revealed she had been raped for politically-motivated reasons in 2018 after being drugged.
Ms Owen decided not to report it to the police and only decided to make the information public after struggles over several months. In May 2017, she said she had received sexually suggestive messages and said the media’s reporting of it made matters worse.
Rise in assaults on paramedics
According to the latest figures, the number of attacks against paramedics in Wales rose from 70 incidents during April-June 2017 to 100 incidents in April-June 2019.
Swansea paramedic, Jon Johnson, told BBC Wales: “We have training to calm the situation but people under the influence of alcohol, drugs or who have mental health issues are unpredictable.”
The law in EnglandandWales changed in 2018 and 12 people have since been jailed for assaulting paramedics, though the Unison union called for tougher sentencing.
People’s Vote rally held in Newport
A rally supporting a second referendum on Brexit was held in Newport on 13th September attended by an estimated 450 people.
Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price AM (Plaid, Carms. E. & Dinefwr) said party politics had to be put aside for the common good, while Labour’s Owen Smith MP said: “Our government admitting to the threat of food shortages of medical shortages, admitting they may even need to call in the army – the only way to resolve this crisis is told hold a People’s Vote.”
Brexit Party campaigns to “bring back Montgomeryshire”
A Brexit Party candidate has thrown their support behind a campaign to hold a referendum on re-constituting the former county of Montgomeryshire, which makes up the northern third of Powys.
The county was originally abolished in 1974 and the Montgomeryshire District Council was abolished and absorbed into the Powys unitary authority in 1996.
Oliver Lewis said, “It simply cannot make sense to have issues decided by people so far away.” However, the Conservatives accused him of “naval-gazing”.
Tory AMs seeks Westminster seats
Two senior Conservative AM, Darren Millar AM (Con, Clwyd West) and Janet Finch-Saunders AM (Con, Aberconwy) announced their intention to seek selection to run in their respective Westminster parliamentary seats at the next UK General Election.
David Jones MP and Guto Bebb MP have announced their intention to stand down at the next election, triggering a selection process.
If they’re selected and subsequently elected as MPs, under the terms of the Government of Wales Act 2006, both would be automatically disqualified if they don’t resign the Senedd seats within 8 days of being elected as an MP.