FIRST minister Mark Drakeford has accused the UK Government of throwing “sand in the eyes” of the public after it was confirmed that Westminster would try to repeal an act banning the use of agency workers to cover striking staff.
Talking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the first minister was asked about plans from the Westminster government to repeal the 2017 Trade Union Wales Act, which forbids the use of agencies to temporarily fill the vacancies left by workers who are on strike.
The legislation was passed to protect the rights of workers in devolved areas like health and education.
Mr Drakeford barely disguised his anger over the fact that the plans were revealed “without a word of discussion” with the Welsh Government.
“It speaks volumes of the disrespectful agenda that this Westminster government has towards devolution and of course we will resist it”, he said.
On the principal of replacing rail workers with agency staff, Mr Drakeford saidL “It’s nonsense. The idea that you’ll find an agency worker capable of driving a train, of operating a signal box. These are hugely safety critical roles. This is just a piece of nonsense”.
He then went on to attack the Conservative government more generally, saying: “It’s sand in people’s eyes. Where was that government last week when it ought to have been around the table helping to resolve this difficulty? Why wasn’t it there speaking up on behalf of the travelling public and funding a solution?
“We’ve got a government that’s absent on the job – it doesn’t engage where it ought to engage, and it indulges in makebelieve sorts of policies… to disguise their own abject failures”.
The latest UK Government attack on workers’ rights and devolution – appalling, cynical and undemocratic from a party that doesn’t understand the first thing about social partnership. And it will be resisted. https://t.co/eANtoGS1Fq
Numerous Members of the Senedd have objected to the move, including Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds who said: “This latest move by the UK Government is a disgrace. This is just the latest episode in a sustained assault by the Conservative Party on the democratic legitimacy of the Senedd and devolved lawmaking.
“The fact they are overriding our Parliament to try and trample on workers’ rights only makes it all the more disturbing.”
This article originally appeared on our sister site The National.
LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners (“Quinbrook”), a specialist investment manager focused on renewables, storage and grid support infrastructure has acquired the exclusive development rights for one of the UK’s largest battery storage projects to date.
The planned 230MW / 460MWh Battery Energy Storage System (“BESS”), will be located at the site of the former Uskmouth coal fired power station in south Wales (“Project Uskmouth”) and will seek to utilise existing power transmission infrastructure and provide a new lease of life to the area. Uskmouth was acquired from Simec Atlantis Energy Limited (“SAE”). Quinbrook has partnered with Energy Optimisation Solutions Limited (“EOS”) in the origination and development of Project Uskmouth, which represents a major anchoring project in the planned re-development and regeneration of the Uskmouth site into a Sustainable Energy Park that will support innovative future industry. Quinbrook considers these types of regeneration projects as key to making meaningful contributions to delivery of the Government’s Levelling Up ambitions.
Quinbrook affiliate Private Energy Partners Limited (“PEP”) and EOS are jointly undertaking the design and development phases of Project Uskmouth with PEP leading equipment procurement, construction and operational management. Habitat Energy, one of the major battery storage optimisers in the UK market owned by Quinbrook, will be engaged to optimise the Uskmouth assets when completed and operational. The development includes a modification of the existing grid connection agreement and a planning application, the latter to be determined by Newport City Council. Construction is envisaged to take up to 18 months, with the project expected to become operational towards the end of 2024. Quinbrook’s policy is to prioritise the use of local contractors and specialists during construction works and where possible, the project will utilise the existing railway access for logistics requirements in order to minimise local impacts from construction activities.
Rory Quinlan, co-founder and Managing Partner of Quinbrook commented, “The UK’s ‘Net Zero’ transformation is an unprecedented investment opportunity for Quinbrook with a diverse array of attractive thematics. Our ‘whole of system’ investment philosophy puts the emphasis on addressing critical infrastructure needs and enablers for a stable transition to a decarbonised power system. If the UK power system is to meet its 2030 renewables targets (of 95% decarbonised power generation), battery storage will need to increase significantly to address urgent stability and flexibility requirements. Almost 10% of UK grid capacity is expected to be provided by battery storage by 2030, representing an estimated GBP 20 billion1 of new capital investment. Project Uskmouth is a timely example of how specialist energy infrastructure investors like Quinbrook can identify new opportunities of substantial scale and positive impact arising from the energy transition.”
Keith Gains, Senior Director of Quinbrook added, “Our ability to identify and build durable relationships with project development partners such as EOS, help us continue to execute innovative strategies within the UK’s energy transition landscape. Investments in projects such as Uskmouth, supported by industry innovators like Habitat Energy, reinforce Quinbrook’s strategic moves into the supply of critical flexible capacity, storage and grid support infrastructure that enables more variable and weather-dependent renewables to be safely accommodated on the UK power grid.”
About Quinbrook
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners (http://www.quinbrook.com) is a specialist investment manager focused exclusively on renewables, storage and grid support infrastructure and operational asset management in the US, UK and Australia. Quinbrook is led and managed by a senior team of power industry professionals who have collectively invested c. USD 8.2 billion equity in energy infrastructure assets since the early 1990s, representing a total enterprise value of c. USD 28.7 billion or 19.5 GW of power supply capacity. Quinbrook has completed a diverse range of direct investments in both utility and distributed scale onshore wind and solar power, battery storage, reserve peaking capacity, biomass, fugitive methane recovery, hydro and flexible energy management solutions in the US, UK and Australia.
About Energy Optimisation Solutions Limited
EOS is a leading developer and operator of renewable projects in the UK. EOS develops projects across all renewable asset classes and has a development pipeline of c.1 GW.
— Welsh Rugby Union 🏉 (@WelshRugbyUnion) June 28, 2022
And Wales have lost all 10 previous games they have played against the reigning world champions on South African soil.
But Nienaber said: “Wales have been training together for a few weeks now and we have no doubt that they will give everything against us on Saturday.
“They are an experienced squad and they have top-class players in their ranks, with some of them having represented the British and Irish Lions last year, so we are expecting a hard grind of a Test.
“They have physical forwards and backs that spark something from nothing, so we need to deliver a quality performance in order to get our season off to a strong start.”
Leicester number eight Jasper Wiese will start for South Africa against Wales (Mike Egerton/PA)
Leicester number eight Jasper Wiese will start for South Africa at Loftus Versfeld.
The Tigers forward, who scored a try when Leicester beat Gallagher Premiership final opponents Saracens on June 18, features in a powerful Springboks side skippered by Siya Kolisi.
Kolisi is among nine players that started South Africa’s 23-18 victory over Wales in Cardiff last November.
The former Sale pair of scrum-half Faf de Klerk and lock Lood de Jager also start, while Nienaber has opted for six forwards and just two backs among his replacements.
“We have a talented group of players, and we believe the match-day squad we selected ticks the boxes in terms of what we would like to achieve in the opening Test against Wales,” Nienaber added.
“We have a plan for the season in terms of giving some of the young players a chance to show what they can do at international level, while at the same time taking stock of the seasoned campaigners and where they are in terms of their rugby.
“Unfortunately, with such a big squad there will always be a few unlucky players, but it is a fine balancing act to ensure we win Tests, build squad depth and transform as a team in the way we play.”
Francois Carlo Mey says the key to unlocking a resolute Georgia defence was to play around them, not through them.
Italy went behind twice in the opening quarter of the game, before five tries, including a stunning score from Dewi Passarella, gave them a 36-19 victory in Treviso.
And Carlo Mey believes it took some time for his team to find the rhythm and creative nous required to overcome a physical Georgia side in their Six Nations Under-20 Summer Series opener.
Italy’s start to the game was a particular source of frustration for Carlo Mey, as Nika Sutidze muscled his way over inside 90 seconds for the Lelos.
“The game ended well but we started a bit slowly,” said Carlo Mey.
“We lost the first impact in the match but then we slowly started to realise how we needed to approach the game.
“From there it was a physical match and we started to outplay them on the outside but they were very tough physically.”
The response was not immediate either, as Paata Galdava added a second for the visitors. It was only then that Italy started to execute their game plan, according to Carlo Mey.
“We were a bit discouraged when they scored, but then we started to work harder and for their forwards it was very tiring,” he explained.
“We then understood where we needed to play, on the outside and not just going face to face with them because they were very physical.
“One-on-one they are one of the best teams because they have a very good physique.
“But we understood what we needed to do and we executed it, not every time, but when we didn’t make any unforced errors, we went well.
Clermont-bound Carlo Mey believes the Italian support was a factor in the turnaround in their performance, and hopes it is something they can feed off in their upcoming fixtures against Scotland and Wales.
“It’s very nice to have my family and friends here, it’s not far for them to come,” said Carlo Mey.
“The national anthem always give you chills and pumps us up every time.
“I think with even more support maybe the other teams will be discouraged and we can start better.”
Carlo Mey has particularly happy memories of Italy’s remaining opponents in Pool B, having scored against both Scotland and Wales in the Under-20s Six Nations earlier this year.
The 18-year-old played down the significance of those earlier wins however, and believes that his side will have to raise their game if they are to secure top spot in their group.
He said: “We know it’s going to be a tough game because they always play at the maximum and we need to play game-by-game and give our everything every time.”
Georgia will turn their Six Nations Under-20 Summer Series campaign around with a win against Wales, according to scrum-half Konstantine Iashvili.
Their tournament began with a spirited defeat against Italy on Saturday, having led twice in the first half before the Azzurini completed a 36-19 comeback victory.
Iashvili was impressed by the way his team competed and believes the level of physicality and intensity on show bodes well for the rest of the Summer Series in Treviso.
“It was tough, Italy has a great team,” he said.
“We could win, I think, in the last minutes but we made some easy mistakes, and they are a great international team so they used our mistakes and made some great counter attacks.
“So it was hard, but I do think it was possible to win. We are so frustrated, we could (win) but we didn’t.
“We lost this game I think, and they didn’t win it.”
The Junior Lelos had earlier made a stunning start, with hooker Nika Sutidze powering over inside 90 seconds at the Stadio Di Monigo.
Second-row Paata Galdava then finished off a fantastic team move for Georgia’s second, but roared on by a feverish home crowd, Italy fought back and showed why they are so revered at U20 level, with five well-worked scores of their own.
“We started well but they came back very strongly and it was very hard,” said Iashvili.
“In the attacks and the contact areas I don’t think we lost.
“I think we will win the next match against Wales. But they are a great team too so we hope we will that match.”
Fitness could be a decisive factor against Byron Hayward’s side. Wales were able to rotate their starting fifteen heavily having wrapped up victory over Scotland long before the final whistle.
Georgia meanwhile, fought until the last whistle against the tournament hosts, and it remains to be seen what impact that has on a squad with minimal match practice.
“We played in South Africa against older teams and we lost by some very big scores,” said Iashvili, discussing his team’s preparation for the Summer Series.
“So it was really the first international game in a long time,” said Iashvili.
The No.9 believes the squad coped well with an intimidating atmosphere and showed great maturity to start so well.
Having been refamiliarized with the cut and thrust of international rugby, he is backing them to raise their game for their remaining Pool B fixtures, against Wales on Thursday and Scotland on July 6th.
“It was a great experience,” said Iashvili.
“For some of our players their first international tournament, some have just been in U18s.
“It was a very good experience and we will progress very well.”
THE line-up for the long-awaited return of one of Newport’s most popular events has been revealed.
The free family festival arranged by Newport Live and The Riverfront will take over the city centre for two days, starting on Saturday, July 23, with street theatre, busking, arts and crafts, performances, and more.
Among the groups and performers appearing this year are:
Showgirl Able Mabel;
Gary and Pel with their Honeymoon Balloon;
Roo’d – giant kangaroos on bouncing stilts;
Theatr Iolo, with Hoof – a show following three little deer who make an unexpected discovery when they stumble across an old, abandoned theatre in the woods;
Falconry Dismay – an anarchic show featuring the performances of three performers dressed as birds of prey;
Great Insect Games – two gym junkie grasshoppers invite audiences to take part in some hare-brained events;
Hippochondriac – featuring part-animal and part-mechanical Hieronymus the hippo, who’s feeling a bit under the weather;
Hijinx Theatre with Grumpy Unicorns;
Flossy and Boo with How to Defeat Monsters (and Get Away With it);
Taking Flight Theatre Co, with The Curious Case of Aberlliw.
There will be many more performances and fun surprises across the city in a range of zones over the weekend including at The Riverfront itself, along the river walkway to the University of South Wales building, in John Frost Square, in Usk Plaza and along Commercial Street.
The Big Splash 2022 is sponsored and funded by a range of organisations including the Arts Council Wales, Newport City Council, Newport Now BID, Friars Walk, Le Pub, University of South Wales, Articulture, Loyal Free, Newport Bus and Alacrity Foundation.
Cameron Murray is forced off for an HIA after HUGE hit from Murray Taulagi left New South Wales star bloodied – but Queensland rival is NOT placed on report
There’s no shortage of intensity in State of Origin but Murray Taulagi appeared to go overboard with a huge hit that forced Cameron Murray off for an HIA in Perth.
New South Wales made a ferocious start to Game II at Optus Stadium, in desperate need of victory to keep their Origin hopes alive after losing the series opener in Sydney.
And with Queensland attempting to keep their fierce rivals at bay, Taulagi tried to go toe-to-toe with Murray but left his rival in need of medical assistance after clipping him in the head.
Cameron Murray was forced off for an HIA after being left bloodied during Origin II
The Souths lock was seen bleeding from the ear after the heavy hit early on Sunday night
Despite Murray going off for an HIA, Murray Tualagi was not placed on report for the big hit
The Souths lock was bloodied as a result of the hit and needed to go off the pitch for an HIA, but fans were stunned when referee Ashley Klein did not place Taulagi on report.
Nine later reported that Murray passed his head injury assessment and he sported a headband to patch up his bleeding ear.
Murray eventually returned to the field and was able to continue, while Taulagi could still be charged by the match review committee.
Australian students in New South Wales (NSW) will soon be allowed to study as many vocational subjects as they like and still receive a tertiary ranking score, as teachers prepare a statewide strike over pay.
Under the HSC overhaul, the category A and category B system for Vocational Education and Training subjects will be abolished.
Currently students wanting to receive an ATAR can only study one category B course – such as business services, construction or hospitality – that contribute to their score.
But the scrapping of the categories will mean they can take up as may as they like and still get an ATAR, as long as they complete English as a mandatory subject.
Other reforms include piloting more HSC exams online from 2025, introducing learner profiles to showcase a student’s extra-curricular achievements and clearer course overviews for Year 10 pupils selecting HSC subjects.
NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell says the HSC has not had a major review in 25 years and the reforms will bring it into the 21st century.
“In today’s economy we all need analytical, communication and collaboration skills to succeed, regardless of whether we are working as a retail manager, plumber, scientific researcher or politician,” she said on Sunday.
“We must start valuing vocational and academic pathways equally, and recognise all students need the skills to thrive in modern workplaces.”
The changes come as teachers and principals report mass learning disruptions in NSW public schools due to worsening teacher shortages, according to data revealed by the state teachers union.
Internal Department of Education documents show 1906 permanent teaching positions were vacant last month, up 67 percent from the same time last year, NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos says.
“We have children across NSW missing out every single day because of the teacher shortages, including those in Year 12, which is the most vital year of their schooling,” he said.
NSW public and Catholic school teachers plan to strike across the state on Thursday in a push for a better pay deal amid rising inflation.
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A 28-year-old man has been arrested following an incident in Swansea on Saturday, June 25 when people were evacuated from their homes as a “precaution”. On Saturday afternoon, the police force announced it was dealing with an incident in the Morriston area.
It issued a statement on social media, just after 1:30pm, which said: “South Wales Police is currently in attendance at an address in Clyndu Street, Morriston, and dealing with an on-going incident. A number of neighbouring addresses have been evacuated as a precaution.”
The force added that people were being asked to avoid the area while officers dealt with the incident. But it has now been announced that the incident is over and a man from Morristion has been arrested for making threats. No one was injured.
On Twitter, Superintendent Eve Davis said: “The incident on Clyndu Street, Morriston has concluded. The police cordon has now been lifted.
“A number of neighbouring addresses were evacuated in the interest of public safety. No one has been injured. A 28-year-old man from Morriston was arrested for making threats. Local residents are thanked for their cooperation during this incident.”
The Prime Minister has insisted he will not undergo a “psychological transformation” as pressure piles on his leadership in the wake of the Tories’ double by-election defeat.
Boris Johnson said he must “humbly and sincerely” accept any criticism he receives in his job, but he argued every Government gets “buffeted” by bad by-election results mid-term.
He claimed voters are tired of hearing about what he is “alleged to have done wrong”, and called instead for a focus on “what we’re doing for them”.
It comes as the loss of two crunch by-elections in Yorkshire and Devon and Oliver Dowden’s sudden resignation as Tory chairman have threatened to pitch the PM’s leadership into a fresh crisis.
Oliver Dowden resigned as Tory chairman in the wake of the by-election defeats (James Manning/PA)
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today on Saturday, Mr Johnson said his role is to look at exactly what happened and “think which criticisms really matter”.
Put to him that Mr Dowden had said as he resigned that business could not continue as usual, the PM said: “If you’re saying you want me to undergo some sort of psychological transformation, I think that our listeners would know that is not going to happen.
“What you can do, and what the Government should do, and what I want to do, is to get on with changing and reforming and improving our systems and our economy.”
Despite some early speculation in the wake of the by-election results in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton, Mr Dowden was the sole Cabinet minister to tender his resignation.
That has not stopped Tory rebels reportedly using the defeats as the springboard for the latest attempted heave against the Prime Minister, with the Times suggesting opponents of Mr Johnson are planning a takeover of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers in a bid to change the rules to allow another confidence vote on his leadership.
Boris Johnson is in Rwanda but criticism of his leadership from opponents and party grandees is continuing back in the UK (Dan Kitwood/PA)
Mr Johnson told Today the only argument of “substance” for a change of direction he has heard from his critics is for the UK to return to the EU single market.
“I would say to them, you know, with great respect – and I love all these people – but don’t forget that the only actual argument that I’ve heard some of my critics make of substance about the change of direction they’d like to see is for us to go back into the EU single market,” he said.
“That’s literally the only manifesto point that I’ve seen.”
On what lessons he will take from the by-election results, he said: “I draw the conclusion the voters are heartily sick of hearing about me and the things I’m alleged to have done wrong.
“What they want to hear is what we’re doing for them. And what I’m setting out for you, or trying to set out, is the ambitions we have (for) the country.”
Mr Johnson suggested he would stand down as Prime Minister if it was put to him he had to “abandon the Ukrainian cause”.
But he later denied saying this was the only principle that would trigger his resignation.
“I didn’t say that – you asked me for an example of a matter of principle, I came up with one,” he said.
The departure of Mr Dowden may also prompt a reshuffle in the Prime Minister’s top team, with reports that Priti Patel could be asked to leave her Home Secretary role to become party chair.
The Liberal Democrats said Mr Johnson’s comments show “this leopard has no intention of changing his spots”.
The Prime Minister also told Sky News by-elections can allow people the “safety valve” of letting off at governments.
Asked on Saturday about his prior comments that he expects voters to beat him up, he said: “Well, I was speaking metaphorically and what I mean is that when you’re the leader of a country, in good times and in bad, you have to think about the criticisms that you get.”
He added: “What I’m saying is politics is about allowing people to have the democratic safety valve of letting off at governments, such as in by-elections. But then the job of a leader is to say, well, what is the criticism that really matters here?
“And I think back to what I was saying, I think it’s, for a long time people were hearing not enough about the things that really matter.”
In the by-election in Tiverton and Honiton, Devon, a dramatic swing of almost 30% from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats saw Richard Foord secure a majority of 6,144.
In Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Simon Lightwood was elected with a majority of 4,925 on a swing of 12.7% from the Tories to Labour.