Author: Rhys Gregory

Wales’ First Minister has congratulated Andy Burnham after he became the UK’s new prime minister, replacing Sir Keir Starmer following his election as Labour leader last week. Burnham becomes the country’s fourth prime minister in five years and the seventh since 2016. Reacting to the appointment, First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth said he hoped the change in leadership would provide an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the Welsh and UK Governments. He said: “I congratulate Andy Burnham on his appointment as Prime Minister, which presents an opportunity to redefine the relationship between the Welsh and UK Governments. “I know…

Wales is set to transform the way it thinks about food, with the announcement of the National Food Strategy for Wales and the appointment of a Chair and future expert group to drive its development. The Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability made the announcement today – 21 July – at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, setting out plans for a transformational whole-system approach to link-up food policy, spanning production, processing, retail as well as how the food we produce factors into health, education, public procurement and the circular economy. Simon Wright, who has over 30 years’ experience in the Welsh hospitality sector, has been appointed to chair the Expert Working Group that will advise the Welsh Government on the strategy’s development. Wright, owner of Wright’s Food…

Welsh families will benefit from more comfortable and energy-efficient homes as the Welsh Government invests £17 million in home energy upgrades, cutting household energy bills and tackling fuel poverty across Wales. The investment comes after a review of the existing Warm Homes programme, completed as part of the Welsh Government’s First 100 Days commitments, identified opportunities to go further and faster on improving home energy efficiency. Three programmes are to benefit. The Optimised Retrofit Programme receives £8 million to retrofit social housing with energy efficiency measures. A further £5 million goes to the Nest scheme, which supports eligible households in the private sector. The remaining £4 million…

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is continuing to tackle a significant wildfire in the Blaenavon area, with smoke from the blaze visible from up to 10 miles away. The fire service has issued an update to reassure residents after receiving a large number of calls from concerned members of the public, particularly in the Abergavenny area where the smoke plume has been clearly visible. Firefighters remain at the scene working to bring the incident under control. In a statement, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews are continuing to deal with a significant wildfire in the Blaenavon area,…

Members of an organised crime group have been jailed for the large-scale supply of cocaine and cannabis across North Wales. The seven gang members appeared at Mold Crown Court on 20 July for sentencing. An eighth member was previously sentenced on 9 June. Cumulatively, they were jailed for a combined total of 28 years. A series of arrests were made in November and December 2025 following a detailed investigation into an organised crime group operating in the Gwynedd and Anglesey areas. Assigned the name ‘Operation Macondo’, the long-running investigation was undertaken over an eight-month period. On 10 November, a vehicle…

Hiring new team members can be exciting. It essentially means that your business is expanding. It also means that new ideas are coming in. However, if a new employee starts work, there is one important step that should never be skipped. We are talking about a clearly written contract. After all, a well-written agreement ensures that both sides are clear about expectations. Nonetheless, if you are unsure about what to include, speak with contract of employment solicitors. By doing so, you can avoid common mistakes and protect your business.  Explaining Job Role & Responsibilities Every employee must know exactly why…

Project EDWARD riders will take centre stage at the Royal Welsh Show at 4pm on Tuesday, July 21, riding into the President’s Parade in a high-profile call for safer driving around horses. The escorted procession into the main ring is expected to be a standout moment of this year’s show, bringing together emergency services, industry partners and the equestrian community to highlight a simple but critical message: pass horses slowly and with care. The ride will be led into Builth Wells by South Wales Police Mounted Section, alongside Dyfed-Powys Police motorcyclists and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service,…

Wales Netball and Dragons have announced a new 12-month partnership with technology specialist Configur, which becomes the Official Innovation Partner for both the national governing body and Wales’ only Netball Super League team. The agreement marks Configur’s first partnership in women’s sport, making it a landmark moment for the company and a proud milestone for Wales Netball as it accelerates delivery of its Ymladd 2030 strategy. As Official Innovation Partner, Configur will give Wales Netball and the Dragons a single, intelligent platform to run their commercial operations, bringing sponsorship, hospitality and partnership information together in one place. Through configurable dashboards,…

Welsh businesses saw some welcome release from cost pressures in June, with the rate of input price inflation easing for the first time in February and the decline in business activity moderating, according to the NatWest Welsh Cymru Growth Tracker. Although firms continue to face weak demand and economic uncertainty, the latest data suggests the worst of the recent slowdown in output cooled. The headline Wales Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the area’s manufacturing and service sectors – posted 47.4 in June, up from 45.8 in May.…

Flotek Group, the multi-award-winning UK managed technology partner, has acquired Essex-based Clear Telecom, an established technology provider with over 23 years’ experience supporting SMEs across the region. Founded in 2003, Clear Telecom has built long-standing customer relationships through its delivery of IT, communications, connectivity, and related technology services. Its services include IT support, hosted VoIP, SIP trunks, Microsoft Teams telephony, business phone systems, mobile, broadband, and leased lines. The acquisition strengthens Flotek’s managed IT presence across Essex and London, while providing Clear Telecom’s existing customers with access to an expanded range of managed IT, Microsoft cloud, cyber security, and communications services. Clear Telecom will continue…