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North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Llinos Medi: MP on her first year representing Ynys Môn
In the 12 months that have passed since her election, she has repeatedly urged the Government for clarity on its plans for a new nuclear power station on the island at Wylfa, requested emergency government support after the Port of Holyhead's closure due to storm damage, called for devolution of the Crown Estate in Wales, voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, and made her debut appearance on BBC's Question Time. Reporter Matthew Chandler met Ms Medi last week to reflect on her first year in Parliament. LM: It's quite amazing how quickly the year has gone. I would say in this last week or so, I've started to feel like I've got my head around the building, the expectations of me in the chamber, and of the mechanisms of this place. But it's about how you strike the balance, because I am here to represent my constituents, and when the workload is so heavy here, and you're not in your constituency enough, that isn't good, either. Sometimes, constituents contact me wanting to meet with me, and I've got to push them back a few weeks. I'm uncomfortable about that, especially when they're about serious matters. I still feel new here, and I think I'll still feel new for the next three years. Llinos Medi (first from left) with her Plaid Cymru colleagues in Westminster (Image: Submitted) LM: It's totally dependent on the workload here. The last three weeks, I've been in London much more than on the island. I've had to make decisions to go home midweek to meet some constituents who had serious matters that I needed to speak to them about. So, it's been quite challenging to get the balance right. Sometimes, you make the decision to stay in London, and then you're in the chamber for four hours and are not called to speak, so you've not been able to contribute. Being on Ynys Môn is really important, because I need to be able to be in touch with the people on the island. LM: I would say the amount of emails and casework we get at the moment shows that we are accessible. We have had lots of good outcomes through our casework for individuals on the island. We have surgeries, and have tried to arrange them in small rural villages, as well - not just the towns - so that people there feel they're accessible to them, too. Also, the fact that I live on the island, I know the people there, I've brought up my children there, I've spent 43 years there… hopefully, that increases accessibility, as well. LM: There was one piece of casework where the outcome on someone's quality of life was dramatic. She worked for a charity and had asked for support for some work she was doing. I was at an event, and this individual came up to me and just gave me a massive hug. I had to hold back tears, because I knew my team and I were able to have a dramatic impact on somebody's future. There have been other instances; somebody came to me and thanked me for helping with his benefits - his words were: 'I've been trying for 10 months, and you've sorted it in 10 days.' There are other stories, where you meet people for whom the system just hasn't worked. They're trying so, so hard to succeed in life, but every barrier has been put in front of them, and the state hasn't supported them. Obviously, I have empathy for them. Sometimes, people have just said to me: 'It's so nice that you understand how I feel.' One person said: 'You've given me the strength to be able to just battle through for a few more weeks. It isn't about social media, or having pictures taken, it's about having that direct impact on someone's quality of life. It's a team approach. I've got an amazing team on the island; my staff are very experienced, so I'm really, really lucky. Having that knowledge of what's going on in your constituency impacts what you say and do here in London, and definitely motivates you more. It's always the most vulnerable who usually don't have a voice. I want to make sure they feel they have somewhere to turn to, and someone who can support them. LM: Definitely. We all understand that the spend is increasing, and that we need to manage that. I totally get that. But you don't take away a lifeline and expect people to just be able to manage. That's ridiculous. Plaid Cymru have opposed Labour's welfare plans from the start, as we could see the dramatic impact they would have on our communities. Poverty exists in our communities, and disabled people feel its effects worse than anyone else. We know poverty is worse in Wales, and is 10 per cent higher among disabled people than in England. Some people use Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to plug the gap for housing allowance, so what you might have is more homeless people - so the state will be paying for homelessness. They are trying to make out that they're going to make these savings, but in reality, it will cost more in the end. They're talking about getting people into work, but there's no clear plan about how they're going to help the employers to give those jobs. I just find it really short-sighted. It just looks like sums on a paper, without any work done on the impact and the additional costs. It's giving with one hand and taking away with the other. It's not just for people out of work, either. Some people use their PIP to pay for public transport to get to work. We asked for a Welsh impact assessment because of the deprivation in Wales. Especially in areas like ours, where maybe some of the jobs are just seasonal work, it isn't as easy as they make out. LM: Devolving the Crown Estate would just give us parity with Scotland. It gives you an extra lever on how you want to spend. By 2029, child poverty will be at nearly 35 per cent in Wales. One country in the UK where it's coming down is Scotland - it'll be 19 per cent by 2029. We've seen Wales' natural resources being drained from our communities, and the profits going with it… the only thing that we're asking for is that we have the profits in our hands, to be able to spend them in a way that will benefit our communities, and poverty is one of them for us that could have a dramatic impact. Child poverty is just one example of what you could do with that. It is a problem for us all, because where children are in poverty, their educational outcomes are lower, so it becomes a long-term issue. The government has tried to say that devolution of the Crown Estate would fragment the market. My amendment was for a two-year transition, anyway, and Scotland hasn't seen any fragmentation of the market. This is a very weak argument. What they do know is that Wales will be producing a lot of energy, but they want the profits to go back to the treasury. LM: I'd say that's quite challenging, because you've still got that same narrative there. I was speaking to a young person last weekend who had lost his job, and his initial thought was: 'Oh gosh, I'm going to have to move away.' But when he started looking, he got a job instantly (on Ynys Môn). LM: I did - it was because of this narrative. I think we've told our young people to think in that way. We need to make sure that everything is aligned on the island for our young people. You will still hear me going on about Wylfa. I'm on the nuclear energy All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and the small modular reactors APPG, and I'm vice-chair of the marine energy APPG because of Morlais (tidal energy project). I'm still in contact with the local authority, Stena Line and the Freeport, and am constantly in contact with Menai Science Park (M-SParc). LM: The decision on Sizewell C (a £14.2billion Suffolk nuclear plant given the go-ahead by the government in early June) is a positive step forward, because this government has shown they are in support of new nuclear, and have made financial decisions to show that support. What I'm still doing now is pushing the government to give us a clear indication on what they think is going to happen at the site so that we can prepare ourselves. If Wylfa comes, I want to make sure that we as an island, and also North Wales, maximise the benefits of the development. To do that, we need to work together and plan ahead. The skills side is one thing, the supply chain is another. How do we make sure that local businesses can get into the supply chain, and can benefit and thrive? They can offer apprenticeships and grow as businesses, as well. We just need that clear indication from the government that they will develop on Wylfa, and then we need a timeframe. As it is, people are disheartened. LM: I do now. The last question I asked Ed Miliband (secretary of state for energy security and net zero), I felt his response was much warmer towards me. The energy minister (Graham Stuart) has said himself in the chamber that I've raised this several times, so they definitely have heard me. I think I've been heard, but what we want is the government to understand the importance of giving us that clear indication, so we can plan ahead and can fully benefit from Wylfa when the decision is made. LM: I now have an office on the island which we struggled to get, and hopefully, it'll be opening soon. We've got a phone line, and our email system, but it's not an exaggeration to say we have thousands of emails. We try our best to be accessible. LM: I still feel, when I'm in that chamber representing Ynys Môn, that I've been given an amazing job to speak on behalf of its people. What I've got the most pride in is my accent. When I'm stood there, I think about the young children of Ynys Môn hearing their accent in that chamber. That's we why have democracy; so that we're represented by people from our communities.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I was fined despite paying for an NHS prescription
Last Christmas I was prescribed antibiotics for a post-operative infection. The pharmacy assistant insisted, despite my questioning, that I was exempt from prescription charges. Two weeks later I returned with another prescription, and was told that they had made a mistake and I was liable for charges after all. I paid the outstanding fee on the spot. I have since received a letter from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) stating that I will be fined for non-payment of the original prescription. I have provided evidence of payment, and my pharmacist has written to it confirming the error, but the NHSBSA says both are inadmissible. Reviewers reporting a similar experience on Trustpilot compare NHSBSA's intransigence to the Post Office's behaviour during the Horizon scandal, and I have to agree. LM, Leamington Spa The number of blameless people fined by the NHSBSA for non-payment is a scandal that I exposed and have covered repeatedly. They include new mothers and cancer patients who are entitled to free prescriptions but who, due to an oversight by medical staff, were not registered for an exemption certificate. The NHSBSA, which checks patient exemptions on behalf of the NHS, insisted that, because you didn't pay the charge on the day you collected the prescription, you were liable for a fine, which is five times the prescription fee plus the original charge. It reversed at speed when I got in touch and, hours later, informed you that you were in the clear. Its statement implies it repented its intransigence unprompted. 'Following investigation, we recognise that, in this case, the patient realised the error and acted quickly to correct the issue before receiving an inquiry letter from the NHSBSA. We have therefore been able to close the case and remove the penalty charge in this instance,' it says. We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions. Sign in to access your portfolio
AU Financial Review
08-06-2025
- Automotive
- AU Financial Review
Get ready to geek out over the ‘coolest people-mover' on the market
The luxury people mover isn't particularly new as a concept. Lexus, for example has a seven-seater LM van, and a four-seater executive express version. But a people mover that fits into the luxury, performance and all-electric categories certainly is. I'm talking about the new Zeekr 009 which, at a smidgeon under $140K before considering on-road costs, is also the dearest Chinese vehicle we've tested.
CBC
07-06-2025
- CBC
Dead woman's police statement not admissible in trial of alleged serial rapist
The evidence of a Calgary woman who told police she'd been kidnapped, drugged and sexually assaulted by an alleged serial rapist can not be considered at his trial because she died in tragic circumstances and can't be cross-examined. Richard Mantha is on trial, facing 20 charges related to allegations he sexually assaulted seven women, most of whom were vulnerable sex-trade workers at the time. One of those women, whom CBC News is calling LM in order to comply with a publication ban, died in a tragic accident in December. CBC News is not publishing details of her death because they would identify the woman, whose identity remains protected by a publication ban. On Friday, Justice Judith Shriar ruled the alleged victim's statement to police is not admissible because of concerns over its reliability. LM told police she'd spoken with other women on the street about the case. Because of her death, defence lawyer Justin Dean wouldn't get the chance to question her about the unsworn statement. Last month, prosecutor Dominique Mathurin played a video-taped statement LM gave to police, who were investigating Mantha at the time. In the video, LM told Staff Sgt. Shelby Stewart that, in April 2022, she was dumped on the side of the road after escaping an RV inside a quonset hut east of the city. 'The second girl' She was picked up by an RCMP officer who told LM that she was "the second girl that happened to" in the last week. The officer did not take the woman to a detachment for a statement. Instead, he dropped her off at a CTrain station in Calgary. About a year later, Mantha was being investigated by Calgary police and, in the course of that investigation, Stewart learned of LM's interaction with the RCMP. LM told Stewart that a man, whom the Crown alleges was Mantha, picked her up and offered her a ride to a CTrain station. It was raining and LM said yes. The man gave LM a Sprite, which she told police caused her to black out. LM fought off attacker LM told the officer that she woke up in an RV naked, except for her bra. She said she fought the man off and threatened to stab him. LM said she found her knife and demanded he drive her back to where he'd picked her up. As they left the RV, LM said she realized the vehicle was inside a quonset. Court has already heard evidence that Mantha was living in an RV inside a quonset on a property east of the city near Langdon. Once on the road, LM said the man shoved her out of the truck and left her on the side of the road. When asked to point out the location of the quonset on a map, LM identified Mantha's rental property as the place she'd been taken. The case is back for trial continuation in July.
CBC
22-05-2025
- CBC
'I didn't think anyone cared': Court hears from 5th alleged victim of serial rapist
Social Sharing WARNING: Court proceedings include allegations of sexual assault and might affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone who's been affected. When a Calgary police detective sat down to interview a woman one year after she said she was kidnapped, drugged and sexually assaulted, the victim told the officer: "I didn't think anybody cared." The woman is one of the alleged victims of accused serial rapist Richard Mantha. CBC News is calling the woman LM in order to comply with a publication ban. In April 2022, after being dumped on the side of the road following her escape from an RV inside a Quonset hut where she'd woken up naked, LM was picked up by an RCMP officer. The officer told her she was the "second girl that happened to" in a week. But instead of taking her statement, the officer dropped LM off at a CTrain station in Calgary. "It was like he didn't seem like he really cared," LM said. LM is one of seven women the Crown alleges was victimized by Mantha, who is on trial facing 20 charges, including sexual assault with a weapon, administering a noxious substance and kidnapping. In March 2023, LM was interviewed by Staff Staff Sgt. Shelby Stewart about the April 2022 incident. LM died before trial In December, she died in a tragic accident in Calgary. For that reason, LM's videotaped interview with police was played in court on Wednesday. LM told Stewart that she was waiting for a bus in Forest Lawn when a man — who the Crown alleges was Mantha — began circling in a pickup truck, eventually stopping to ask if she wanted a ride. It was raining and LM said she asked for a ride to the Franklin CTrain Station. When she got in the car, the man asked if she was thirsty and offered her a Sprite. "It looked like it hadn't been opened," she said. 'A gun on the table' LM took a couple of big gulps. "That was all I remember … I was out," said LM. "I thought … he must have put something in it." LM said the man seemed surprised she'd woken up. She said she was naked except for her bra. The man from the truck was holding a vibrator. He was smiling. "I started to freak out," LM told Stewart. "He had a gun on the table and he told me to shut up or he was gonna shoot me in the face." 'I kicked him' But LM believed it was an airsoft gun and she began to fight for her escape. "I kicked him as hard as I could in the chest, and I did actually have a weapon on me then and I told him, 'I'm well known on the streets.'" She told her attacker, "I'm not scared to just start stabbing you." LM found her knife and said the man allowed her to get dressed. She demanded he drive her back to where she'd been picked up. As they left the recreational vehicle, LM realized she'd been driven into a Quonset hut. 'What he would have done' As they pulled out of the Quonset, LM began looking around, trying to study her surroundings. She believes the man caught her looking around. LM told Stewart that the man undid her seatbelt, opened the passenger door and shoved her out of the truck. "I think he tried to run over me but I rolled," she told the officer. LM began walking toward the community of Langdon, about 15 kilometres east of Calgary. Eventually a woman pulled over and called RCMP. After the officer dropped her off in Calgary, LM said she saw the same man in Forest Lawn. She was scared. "All I was thinking about was what he would have done if I hadn't waked up." 'We think we know who it is' LM was then able to point out on a map where she'd been taken that day in April 2022. The location was on Vale View Road. It was the same location on the same road where Mantha had been renting a Quonset from an acreage owner. LM was curious about why Calgary police were talking to her now? And how did they find her? "How did you guys find out about it," she asked Stewart. 'It took a lot of courage' The officer explained that she and her partner had begun looking at files with similarities. They got her name through RCMP. "We think we know who he is," she told LM. "We're working really hard to make sure no other girls get hurt.… I want you to know that. I know that it took a lot of courage." Mantha was arrested and charged 10 days later. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911. For support in your area, you can look for crisis lines and local services via the .
