Gareth Beer MS

15/09/2026

Addressing Eye Care Waiting Times in Carmarthenshire

In today's Senedd session, I raised urgent concerns regarding the long waiting times and last-minute cancellations for cataract operations affecting constituents in Carmarthenshire.

Despite recent investments, including higher-cost private provision and new ministerial roles, many patients are still left waiting, risking avoidable sight loss. I asked the First Minister what long-term strategy the Welsh Government will take to:

Train more eye surgeons and expand service capacity to meet the growing demands of an aging population.

Protect vulnerable patients, including those with glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or those requiring regular eye injections to prevent blindness.

Our health service must provide timely, sustainable care to prevent avoidable sight loss.

15/09/2026

Plaid Cymru’s constitutional debate is a distraction from real issues. 100 days in, NHS waiting lists are longer, and frontline services are under growing pressure. Independent reports confirm what common sense tells us: the numbers for independence simply do not add up.

Instead of asking for more powers, more politicians, and more public-sector waste, Cardiff Bay needs to use its existing powers to deliver on core priorities:
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✅ Clear the backlog on routine procedures like cataract operations
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✅ Retain and support locally trained nurses
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✅ Cut civil service waste and scrap unnecessary quangos
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✅ Scrap blanket 20mph limits and back local businesses
Wales doesn't need political posturing or alliances with Sinn Féin. Wales needs unity, stability, and Reform. Read more on my blog:

Plaid Cymru are back at it again, digging up the dead-in-the-water independence debate. Why? Because it serves as a convenient smokescreen to distract the Welsh public from the clear failings of th…

14/09/2026

When the Labour government in Cardiff Bay forced its default 20mph speed limit across Wales, drivers were promised two things: safer streets and a dramatic reduction in road casualties. We were told that anyone questioning this top-down mandate was simply standing in the way of progress.

Yet here we are, looking at the latest data reported by the Telegraph, and the harsh reality is laid bare for everyone to see. Despite millions of pounds of public money spent changing road signs, slowing down emergency response times, disrupting local logistics, and frustrating everyday commuters, the policy is failing to deliver on its core promise.

As I travel around Carmarthenshire talking to local residents, tradespeople, and business owners, the message is overwhelmingly clear: people are fed up with being treated like cash cows and bad citizens by a government that thinks it knows better than the people who actually drive these roads every day.

When the Labour government in Cardiff Bay forced its default 20mph speed limit across Wales, drivers were promised two things: safer streets and a dramatic reduction in road casualties. We were tol…

14/09/2026

THE 20mph Experiment is Failing Sir Gaerfyrddin

The latest statistics in the Telegraph confirm what motorists across Sir Gaerfyrddin deal with every day. Blanket 20mph limits haven't made our roads safer, they've just made them more dangerous, volatile, and frustrating.

Think about what's actually happening on our streets:
Drivers glued to speedometers: Instead of watching the road for hazards, drivers are staring at their dashboards, terrified of being slapped with a fine or sent off to a speed awareness "struggle session."

Loss of personal responsibility: Pedestrians step into the road with heads buried in smartphones, operating on the false assumption that a speed sign is a magic shield. Whatever happened to traditional road safety and "Stop, Look, and Listen"?

Soaring road rage: Artificial traffic delays on main routes are pushing hardworking commuters and delivery drivers to breaking point.

At Reform UK Wales, our stance is simple and common-sense:
1. Scrap the default 20mph mandate on main roads.
2. Keep 20mph where it belongs, outside our schools, hospitals, and high-risk residential streets.
3. Bring back proper road safety education for young people.
4. Fix our roads by using sign-changing money to fill potholes!

It's time to stop treating drivers like cash cows and start trusting local people again.

Do you agree? Share this post and let me know your thoughts below!

14/09/2026

Well explained 👇

The reality is that the Barnett formula, which provides 80% of the Welsh Government's funding, benefits Wales substantially in comparison to the alternative 'needs-based' model.

Cai Parry-Jones MS video explains the scale of this benefit.

12/09/2026

Today I’ve had the pleasure of attending the Llandyfaelog Agricultural Show here at the Carmarthen Showground.

It’s been a fantastic day, especially with tropical drizzle, with plenty to see and enjoy, from the livestock and agricultural displays to the local businesses, stalls and community activities.

More importantly, it’s been great to chat with farmers, stall holders, local businesses and so many members of the community, hearing about the work they do and what these shows mean to them.

These smaller community agricultural shows are incredibly important. They bring people together, support local businesses and celebrate the farming and rural communities that are such an important part of our area.

A huge thank you to all the organisers and volunteers for putting on such a great show, and to all the stall holders, farmers and members of the community who made today so enjoyable.

Diolch yn fawr, and congratulations on a brilliant show! 🐑🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👏

Llandyfaelog Agricultural and Horticultural Show
Reform Carmarthenshire / Sir Gâr
Reform UK Wales
Sarah Edwards MS
Carmelo Colasanto MS
Reform UK Carmarthen

11/09/2026

An absolute pleasure for myself, Carmelo & Cllr B**r to be invited to find out what the warm, welcoming, passionate and hard working team at Carmarthenshire Citizens Advice do.

First port of call, an amazing website, that has all the modern links for many of life’s challenges, including utilising a new AI tool.

Take a look…

https://www.carmarthenshire-ca.org.uk

Needless to say they operate all over Carmarthenshire, from Llanelli to Ammanford to Carmarthen town centre.

Issues affecting many, many people these days is the ever spiralling cost of energy, electric, gas, heating oil (wow) putting huge pressure on everyone’s budgets.

Air source heat pumps, are often misunderstood, how they’re used, and obviously not for everyone and every house.

Likewise, the ever-increasing council tax, the cost of borrowing, cost of food, basically the cost of living is putting individuals and families under a lot of pressure.

The team cannot sort every problem, but they’ll certainly try, give a lot of advice, sign-post, prioritise (especially important with debt they were saying) and do their very best, I’m sure.

Another thing that was mentioned and of course it's true. 'Don’t put your head in the sand, many things are time-sensitive, deal with challenges as soon as possible.'

Diolch to Suzanne and her great team, for the invite, it was an insightful few hours for all of us.

Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Gareth, Carmelo & Michelle.

10/09/2026

Patients across West Wales face 24+ month waits for cataract surgery following pauses in outsourced referrals like SpaMedica.

With core capacity delivering ~40 procedures against a weekly demand of ~70, short-term funding fixes aren't working.

All 7 Welsh health boards are currently under government escalation or special measures—proving this is a systemic crisis.

We need a recurrent service strategy, investment in surgical training, and permanent capacity for NHS Wales. 🧵👇Read more on my blog. https://garethbeerms.com/blog/short-term-band-aids-wont-cure-nhs-wales-why-we-need-permanent-strategy-for-cataract-care/

For hundreds of patients across West Wales, waiting for routine cataract surgery isn’t just a minor delay, it represents a daily loss of independence and quality of l…

10/09/2026

RABI’s Emergency Drought Grant is opening to farmers in Wales from Monday 14th September.

The fund will provide fixed £2,000 grants to eligible farm owners and tenant farmers facing significant personal or household financial pressure as a result of the drought conditions we saw over the summer.

The Wales phase will run from 14–18th September and covers all Welsh counties, although eligibility will depend on the farm being in an area officially designated as being in drought. Funding is limited and applications may close early.

If you think you may be eligible, I’d encourage you to check the criteria now and have your supporting documents ready 🔗➡️ https://rabi.org.uk/drought-support/