Connahs Quay Labour

20/04/2026

Reform UK councillors in Flintshire should be challenged directly on this. Silence is not good enough.

A report by UNISON Cymru Wales sets out what happened when Reform’s Welsh leader, Dan Thomas, held power in Barnet Council. It is not a success story. It is a warning. Please read the report by clicking the link below:

https://cymru-wales.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/sites/9/2026/04/Barnet-report-final.pdf?fbclid=IwdGRleARSsWFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeJblgu1Y2xGzvJOfdoQk9TvOIfRbQHNdk0TtQEhLDT36YBVS5cj6ol49ZF1s_aem_M8R2BWQpJ3e1UkXbfMQ4zg

💸𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 £𝟐𝟐𝟗 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬.

😓𝐖𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬.

✂️𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭.

🤯𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝.

😳𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

That is their record.

So when Reform UK councillors in Flintshire ask for trust, people are entitled to ask what exactly they are offering. Because this is the track record attached to their party.

You cannot present yourselves as champions of value for money while standing behind a model that saw costs rise dramatically. You cannot claim to speak for local people while defending decisions that reduced transparency and accountability.

This goes beyond political disagreement. It is about judgement.

Do Reform councillors think this is acceptable? Do they support this approach to running public services? Or are they willing to say clearly that this is not the direction Flintshire should ever take?

If they refuse to answer or deflect, people can draw their own conclusions.

Our communities deserves serious leadership. Not slogans. Not posturing. And not a repeat of a failed approach that put ideology ahead of communities.

Labour will continue to stand for strong, accountable public services that are run for people, not profit. We will not take risks with essential services based on a record like this.

18/04/2026

16/04/2026

Cllr Richardson’s explanation titled “Clarity” on CQ Group simply does not stack up.

He claims that “politics” has been the problem, yet his answer is to join a political party. That is not stepping away from politics, it is embracing it. You cannot blame politics for holding things back and then willingly sign up to more of it.

He points to disagreements and confusion within an Independent grouping as justification, but internal differences are not a reason to abandon independence altogether and align with a national party. That leap exposes this for what it is, a political choice, not a necessity.

He also says nothing will change for residents. That is plainly wrong. The moment you take on a party label, you are no longer just an independent voice for your ward, you are part of a wider political project with its own agenda and direction. That changes how decisions are made and how they should be judged.

Most striking of all is his repeated claim to stand for “people before politics”. That claim is now impossible to take seriously. You do not put people before politics by joining a political party. You do it by remaining independent and accountable only to your residents, which is exactly how he was elected.

His argument boils down to a false choice, that he either had to walk away or join a party. That is simply not true. He could have continued as an independent, just as he said he believed in. He chose not to.

This is not about how busy he has been or what casework he highlights. It is about consistency and honesty with the people who elected him. He asked voters to trust him as an independent voice, and he has now chosen a very different path.

Residents are right to question that decision, they deserve straight answers, not contradictions and the ability to reply (which you’re unable to do as he turned comments off!!).

16/04/2026

In response to recent reports by Deeside.com regarding a councillor from Connah’s Quay joining Reform UK, we want to be absolutely clear about our position.

Members of our group on Connah's Quay Town Council have, over a sustained period, worked collaboratively and constructively with the Independent group in the best interests of local residents. That approach has always been rooted in putting the community first, regardless of political alignment.

This development will not diminish the constructive and positive working relationships we continue to have with other Independent councillors, which remain essential to delivering for our community.

However, Cllr Richardson’s decision to join Reform UK represents a serious and concerning shift. Reform UK has built a reputation for saying one thing to voters and doing another. It talks about standing up for local communities, yet repeatedly promotes policies that would strip back funding and weaken the very public services local authorities like Flintshire County Council and towns like Connah’s Quay rely on.

It claims to support accountability, yet too often resorts to simplistic slogans instead of offering credible, workable solutions.

Cllr Richardson has repeatedly claimed to stand for “people before politics”. His decision to join Reform UK makes that claim increasingly difficult to take seriously. You cannot put people first while aligning yourself with a party defined by division, empty slogans, and political posturing.

This is not just a change of political badge. It is a move towards a style of politics that thrives on division, trades in easy answers, and avoids the responsibility that comes with real decision making.

As a result, while we will continue to act professionally, we will be watching Cllr Richardson’s actions extremely closely and holding him firmly to account. That means challenging decisions that do not stand up to scrutiny and calling out inaction where it fails residents.

There will be no benefit of the doubt here. The people of Connah’s Quay and beyond deserve serious representation, not political posturing.

Our focus remains on delivering for residents and upholding transparency, accountability, and strong leadership across the council.

01/04/2026

The Welsh Government has published its Quality Statement for Mental Health

01/04/2026

“Mr Clatworthy will continue to serve as an independent councillor on Bridgend County Borough Council.”

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/third-reform-candidate-quits-before-33694032

So is it vote Independent, you get Reform?
Teal Tories can’t be trusted.

Owain Clatworthy has become the third candidate to quit the party in less than a week. He pointed to 'poor internal decision making, a lack of discipline and serious concerns around candidate selection'

15/01/2026

We are delighted to announce a strategic three-year partnership with the Comisiynydd Heddlu a Throsedd Gogledd Cymru / PCC North Wales, which will help us expand our Street Dragons programme across the region.

Find out more about the partnership 👇

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/374n775f

🔴⚪

15/01/2026

15/01/2026

Latest column from PCC Andy Dunbobbin

15/01/2026

⚠️You could be entitled to more support with the cost of living!

Since 2020, more than £10.5M has been put back into people's pockets to help with bills, daily expenses and debt.

Just one call will tell you all you need to know about what you're entitled to and how to get it.

☎️Call Advice Line Cymru for free on 0800 702 2020

15/01/2026

A Welsh Labour Government will deliver a £2 cap on bus fares if re-elected! 🚌🌹

Our manifesto will also include plans to introduce 100 new bus routes across the country, prioritising connecting people to jobs and key services, such as hospitals and train stations.