The man who could well have found himself as Labour leader shocked everyone when he said he was quitting politics. For the first time, he details why

Despite most other people in the Senedd buildings being able to tell you to the day, if not the minute, when the Senedd term finishes, Jeremy Miles says he is anything but. As Wales’ health minister he says it’s not about seeing out the last few weeks because actually improving the NHS is exactly what Labour needs, what Wales needs, any day of any year.

But, he will admit he is starting to look at life plans after May 7, when he will stand down as an elected politician in Wales and the job he has held for 18 months will go to someone else, potentially, probably, someone outside the Labour party.

The last time we spoke at length for an interview, Jeremy Miles was adamant he would be standing for election again, despite all the drama and stress that he’d gone through in his attempt to become First Minister of Wales in the months before. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.

Defeated by Vaughan Gething, the man who beat him, lasted just months before he was ousted after questions over donations received in his campaign.

Then, when in summer 2024, Eluned Morgan put her name forward to replace him she did so unopposed. Jeremy Miles didn’t enter another one-on-one battle.

In spring 2025, he said he wanted to be returned to the Senedd as the member for the new Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd constituency and was widely expected to be one of a relative handful of incumbent Labour MSs who wanted to be in a new-look Senedd from 2026.

But fast forward a few months, in the dying days of summer, I remember getting a message telling me he was about to announce he was withdrawing and would actually be standing down.

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Shortly afterwards, his statement explained more: “I have had the opportunity to reflect and have come to the conclusion that the end of this Senedd term is the right time for me to stand down, to seek a different challenge – one which may allow me more time to better balance work with my commitments to the people in my life.”

It’s taken till now for diaries to align, and dust to settle for him to explain more.

What changed, is my first question, when we meet with just a handful of weeks of this, the sixth Senedd left.

“We spoke last springtime, didn’t we, and you asked me if I was standing, and I said absolutely I was standing,” the 54-year-old recalls.

“What happened, was the Senedd went on recess, you go back to the constituency and you reflect about things and it felt to me as though I’d had almost 10 years in the government…I got into a cabinet, the year after I got elected, really quickly, and it’s been, I think, an incredible 10 years, in terms of what it has meant I have been able to do, but it’s also been a very challenging 10 years in many other ways, both in terms of the politics, but also in terms of the world around us, so Brexit, Covid in particular, but also other things.

“And I suppose I reflected over the summer and thought now is probably a sensible time, whilst I was still at least comparatively young to do one more thing, one more opportunity to do something in my life,” he says.

It has, he says, nothing to do with Labour’s then dwindling polling numbers – numbers which have got considerably worse since he made his decision.

“No, not at all,” he states. “It’s obviously a challenging context in which to be standing down from the Senedd and that makes me feel sad.

“However, our task now is to make sure we put everything on the field to get the best possible outcome at the next election and I’m absolutely playing my full part in that.”

You can’t talk about his time in politics without referencing that leadership loss. It was bitterly felt by him, and his team. His face, as he left the result announcement showed just how much it had meant to him.

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His team called out, at the time, some of Vaughan Gething’s tactics, and when that £200,000 donation emerged, they watched as his leadership floundered. Jeremy Miles was one of four cabinet members who quit, en masse, and delivered the final blow to Mr Gething’s position. Hours after that he quit as Welsh leader and First Minister.

The divisions in the party then were entrenched, and they do remain to this day, some have never forgiven what happened in those weeks. The group, while publicly at least unified, has never fully recovered. There are still people from both sides of the campaign who cannot, and do not speak.

“I think I was pleased that I stood to be leader. I felt I would have done, I hope, a good job,” he says.

“I had things I felt very strongly about that I wanted to do, I felt that I had fresh ideas about how we could do things better in the future. and obviously I didn’t become leader, but I was genuinely heartened by the campaign that we ran, which I thought was full of vision and full of integrity.

“I was also really pleased to get the level of support that I had, obviously, I would have liked to have had more support,” he smiles. “It told me that huge numbers of people in the party wanted to embrace a fresh way of doing things,” he adds.

Does he replay the leadership campaign still?

“No, I don’t,” he says. “Genuinely.”

“I know in a sense I would say this, wouldn’t I? But I’ve always felt very deeply, really it’s important to reflect on what happens and what you learn from it and what you could have done differently and what could have been better.

“All of that is very important, obviously, as in any job but essentially, once I’ve done that, I’ve always been good at looking forward and I think that’s why when the leadership became vacant later in the year I was able to look forward at that point.

“Obviously, I was thinking at that time about whether I should stand again but having reflected about the months that have gone before and what I’ve just said to you, I actually don’t find it that challenging to look forward.”

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If he had been elected leader, would he still be standing down from politics now? “No, absolutely not,” he says without hesitation.

“I think if you are the leader of the party, you lead the party into the election. I think there’s an absolute responsibility on you to do that. So I think that it will be a different scenario. But in a sense that wasn’t part of the reason, but it will obviously be a different scenario,” he says.

“My task is to be sure that we do absolutely every single thing that we can to improve the performance of the health service. That is my my sole focus.

“Sometimes asked when I’m doing the monthly statistics about the numbers of people waiting and how long they’re waiting, I’m asked by journalists if because I’m standing down am I taking foot off the accelerator.

“I think, I hope at least, we can see that isn’t happening, because things are improving.

“There’s a long way to go till it’s back to exactly what we want obviously but things are getting better. So that’s my task. My task is to make sure that gets into the best possible place by the time I stop being a health minister.”

Health is the thing the Eluned Morgan administration has put the most resource and energy into, but the very nature of health is while he will quote the number of people off waiting lists, or the extra cataract operations, opposition politicians will pull another figure to show they haven’t done enough.

“We set very stringent targets and we are doing really well at hitting them.

“We’ve seen for the seventh month in a row, you know, the waiting list come down. I’m absolutely confident that pattern is continuing and we’ll see the same with the longest waits as well.

“We’ve got 40,000 cataracts being done this year and the expectation most years is that we manage to do 17,000, but there will always be something.

“The two decisions I made early on as health minister were firstly, was it my role to be the political voice of the NHS or was it my role, to be, the political voice of public and patients, seeking the best possible NHS?

“I made a very clear decision at the start that the latter was my responsibility and that has meant whenever there have been challenges or whenever there’ve been opportunities to help shape things I’ve had a very clear rule of thumb to apply to that,

“The second thing I decided early on was that it was not about the data.

“Obviously the data has to be going in the right direction and actually I’ve put more and more data into the public domain than we have in the past and I’m continuing to do that, but really people will not decide on whether Welsh Labour run the NHS well in the last 18 months or whether I was a good health minister not based on whether we’ve removed 10,000, 20,000 or 30,000 from the waiting list this particular month, they will decide that based on whether they feel they’re getting the care and the service that they need and their family and friends are.

“It’s definitely getting better, there’s absolutely no two ways about that.

“People are definitely being seen faster, more people are being seen faster on the things that matter most to them.

“People are being called in for outpatient appointments, on Sunday evenings on a Thursday late afternoon when they otherwise wouldn’t be, and I think that tells people that we have a system which is operating differently and pulling all the stops out,

“People expect that, obviously they should, they deserve it. But the practical effect of that is people feeling, actually, I’m seeing all this in the news, but actually I did get my hip done faster, so that’s positive.

“I don’t mean to sound pious about it, but for me it has never been about the election. It’s about getting people the care that they need faster.”

After 10 years around the table where big decisions were made, from being in Brussels for Brexit, the days of Covid press conferences, and now the health brief, is there sadness, relief, or excitement about what’s to come, I ask.

“I’m excited about what will happen next.

“I’m essentially somebody who looks forward and I’m essentially an optimist so I don’t have any particular plans yet but I’m optimistic.

“The reason I’m standing down is because I want to be able to do one other thing for the next 10 years I guess before I start thinking about retirement which doesn’t feel so far away.

“I still have a vast amount of energy and ideas about doing things.

“Before I was a member of the Senedd, I spent 20 years actually in legal practise and in the commercial sector, I’ve done a range of roles in government which I really couldn’t have imagined having had the opportunity to do really, both in terms of being the law officer, education, the Welsh language, briefly the economy department and now health and social care.

“That’s genuinely touched most aspects of government. People will always say this, but it’s genuinely true, it’s been an incredible privilege to do that.

“It has been very tough for quite a lot of it, but that’s the nature of the job,” he says.

He referenced the personal sacrifices political office brings, something he agrees with.

“Family doesn’t get the attention they deserve. Friendships don’t.

“You don’t see your friends as often as you want to.

“People say to me, what are your hobbies? And you sort of sometimes bluntly have to scratch your head and think, ‘oh, that used to be a hobby and I still do a bit of it’.

“But I’ve never felt, firstly, that you get any sympathy for it. Secondly, I don’t think you should because it’s a choice that you make.

“Politics isn’t a career. No careers are predictable anymore are they, but there’s no pattern to it.

“We know in our Senedd that elections come at fixed points, so there’s at least that level of predictability to it, which isn’t the case in Westminster, but if you’re in government you can lose your responsibilities in your role overnight or be switched into a new role if you are fortunate to be.

“Some roles are more demanding perhaps than others. I think I’ve done quite a range of quite demanding roles.

“However I’ve been fortunate genuinely because I’ve found them all in different ways fulfilling and I loved being education and Welsh language minister, I felt that it was playing to many of my strengths and what brought me into politics in the first place.”

I remember him denying suggestions he had initially refused the health job, but he does admit in this interview he “felt differently” about health compared to any of his other government jobs.

“I probably felt a little differently about health because people talk so much about how difficult it is, how challenging it is, for good reason.

“I probably had less of an instinctive feel for some of the main issues but I decided early on that my task, since I was only likely to have them all for 18 months was to focus absolutely relentlessly on quite a small number of things because that’s the only way really that you can make a difference quickly.

“I think that is happening, which I’m really very pleased about.

“Obviously I want things to go faster and you know better all the time. I’ve felt that in all the jobs that I’ve had but I’ve focused in on a comparatively small number of priorities and I feel I’ve driven those hard, in partnership with a lot of other people.”

A loyal Labour member, the Neath MS is someone who is privy to the data the party holds ahead of May’s election, he is well aware of the problems and challenges they face.

Does he worry about what the new Senedd will look like after May?

“We don’t know what the result is yet. I’m not a commentator on the election and my job, along with my colleagues, is to fight hard and support the candidates who are standing. The main way I can do that is make sure that the health service is delivering for people to work.

“What I want to see, as you would expect me to say, is a Labour-led government after the next election, and I will do absolutely everything I can between now and the election to make sure that that is a reality.

“If we don’t have that, then as we know from previous Senedd’s, and it will certainly be true in the next Senedd, what the electoral system we have encourages people to work with each other, and, I feel very strongly there is still a progressive majority in Welsh politics, and it’ll be the responsibility of parties in the Senedd to work together to find a government which can deliver on that commitment to people in Wales.

“I think the worst possible outcome for Wales would be, we see people speculating about a Reform government or a Reform Conservative government.

“The worst possible outcome for people in Wales is that.

“We saw Plaid Cymru ditch their green pledges. We are constantly, as Labour ministers, being criticised in the chamber that we’re not spending enough on this, that and the other.

“If you add up all of Plaid’s spending pledges, you’d need twice the Welsh government’s budget to meet them.

“Now, I understand that parties going into election make promises, but the challenge, I think, is, if you have a party which is making wild promises which cannot be delivered with no sense of reality that leads to cynicism in politics,” he says.

“That cynicism will lead to an increase in support for Reform.

“It is incumbent on us to be straightforward with the public about what the choices are that have to be made and to deliver those choices once we’ve committed to them.

“I actually think that part of the reason we have done well as a Welsh Labour government in the time of devolution is for each election we’ve been able to say ‘all the things we said we would do, we’ve done’.

“I know it sounds a very straightforward thing, and it is, and it should be a straightforward thing in a sense to be able to say that but firstly, it’s difficult to deliver and secondly, I think that’s quite a powerful message for the public because they say, well, ‘these are people who’ve kept their word’.

I put it to him there seems, this time, to be a move away from that for Labour, that seems to be wearing off resulting in a feeling, in poll projections, which seem almost insurmountable.

“I’m not saying that’s sufficient for ever,” he says. “It definitely is not, and frankly nor should it be.

“It’s also about what you’re promising and how you engage with the public in terms of their priorities.

“I’ve been really clear when we last spoke, you were asking me about the months ahead and what that looked for politics, and I was saying to you, ‘Look, the only way the Labour Party will continue to succeed in the way that we have is by standing true to what Keir Starmer says by the way, which is country first, party second, which I completely agree with.

“It’s that standing up for Wales, that voters in Wales have an absolute confidence that when there are choices to be made, the choice which Welsh Labour will make is one which is in the interests of Welsh people, even when that’s difficult or inconvenient,” he says.

Has Labour stood up for people?

“Absolutely,” he says.

But he cannot be immune to those people on the doorsteps, their members, who are fed up.

“Clearly, when you’ve been in government for a long time, fighting the next election is always the hardest election to fight. That’s been the case for every election that we’ve fought. It’s definitely the truth for this election.

“Not a single one of us is under any illusions about how hard it is when you’re out campaigning but that’s not specific to Labour, by the way.

“I think people are genuinely more disillusioned with politics broadly.

“I think the challenge that you have as a government that’s been in for a long time, when for a lot of that time recently we’ve had a government of a different colour in Westminster, is that the public understandably aren’t making a distinction between the two.

“From my point of view as the health secretary, what I would absolutely say is, at the point when the demand on the NHS was increasing most, that was the time when the kind of investment you want to be able to make in the NHS in the new hospitals, in the new technology, in new facilities, all those things which we need, was the time when the capital investment coming from Westminster to Wales was at its lowest.

“Those two things came together.

“Now, when I’m knocking a door explaining that to people obviously that’s challenging as a message to convey. It is however the truth.

“So that’s why it’s important for us to be able to make progress on the NHS, because we are then able to say, despite that backdrop, we’re still improving,” he says.

In response to whether people are listening to them, he says: “I know that from my local patch, it feels very different on the doorstep from the polls.

“I’m not naive, obviously it’s challenging and it’s more challenging than it’s been in the past, which is why we’re all working so hard.

“I’ve always felt it’s really important to be straightforward with people. I don’t say honest because everyone’s being honest, but it’s complex to make sure we can get public services to where we want them to be, whoever is the government in the new Senedd isn’t going to find a different context, it’ll be the same set of challenges.

“All I can say as health minister when you’re looking for ways to improve the service, we all want more resources, we want more time, we are all want less demand.

“None of those things are going to be different over the course of the next few years and so the choices that incoming government, whichever its complexion have, are not likely to be very different from the choices which a Labour government have in this Senedd”.

Whatever this election throws up, someone new will become health minister, so what’s his advice for them?

“I think that the challenge for any health minister is distinguishing between the things which you can have an effect on by setting clear targets, providing the funding, putting in place the performance management, describing a vision of where you want to go, being prepared to make choices which prioritise some things and not others.

“You have to be able to do that. As a Health Minister, if you want to try and support the system to move forward.

“You are not in direct control of the day-to-day operations of the health service and in something which is so complex as the health service, inevitably things happen every single day, which will end up as a question for me in the floor of the Senedd, as it absolutely should be, which is not something which I as a minister could ever expect to have direct control over.

“Being very clear about which side of the line things are on is really important as a minister.

“I think that will be one of the main things that I would recommend to whoever is my successor and also fundamentally, the health service isn’t a big machine where levers can be pulled and outcomes can be delivered.

“It’s tens of thousands of people. Going into work every day, making different choices, feeling good about the day, feeling less good about day, feeling tired, feeling energetic, feeling well-supported, feeling unsupported, feeling all the things that colour the days that you and I have.

“The health service is the outcome of that.

“It’s more of an organism than a machine, really, and so making sure that you try and motivate people and encourage people as well as setting those targets and having clear expectations about how they’re delivered, that is really important.”

As he looks forward to his new chapter, is there sadness too, I ask him.

“Yes, hugely. It’s been an enormous part of your life,” he says.

“It has brought political opportunities to make, I hope and I feel, a big difference in the areas that I’ve been able to have and there aren’t that many roles in life which give you the breadth of potential impact, if you like, or the long-term nature of that impact.

“That’s one of the challenges looking forward. I want the next 10 years really to be as impactful in my life as the last 10 have offered the opportunity for me to be.

“There obviously aren’t that many roles that provide that opportunity really but I guess you know mixing the work that I did before being in the Senedd and the work I’ve done as a minister there might be something in the future I’ve no idea.”

As for him, personally, there is a new job to find, and free time that he hasn’t had in quite some time. So, what’s first on his list when he’s handed in his pass and no longer has spreadsheets landing in his inbox about waiting times.

“The thing I think that I’ve tried to do for a long time which has definitely been a victim of the last 10 years, but to be honest, I was a victim of frankly all the jobs I did before that as well, so it’s really more about my personality and my failure to achieve a work-life balance for many decades probably, is learning Spanish.

“So I try and visit Spain whenever I can and I speak a bit of Spanish, but not well enough.

“So I’m hoping I’ll have the opportunity to go to Spain for a period to learn Spanish, which would be great.

“I think that would be a good way of having a break from my current world, but also would give me time to think about what’s next.”

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The dress also has pockets to add some practicality to the piece.

As the weather starts to warm up a bit and we head into the spring and summer seasons, you might be thinking about packing your winter wardrobe away. If you want to refresh your wardrobe a little, you might be heading out shopping soon to pick up some new pieces.

Tesco’s clothing brand F&F has just released the F&F Contrast Panel Sleeveless Midi Dress in Neutral that could be ideal for the warmer seasons. The dress features a fitted bodice and a flowing skirt, creating a “striking contrast,” and is a “stylish pick” for summer.

The top has a “flattering scoop neckline” with the skirt adding “some volume” for an on-trend look, and comes with pockets for a more practical edge. The dress is currently priced at £25 and can be styled with sandals for on holiday or with trainers for a daytime look.

The dress was posted in a video to the Tesco F&F Instagram page, which currently has 886K followers, alongside other items for the new season. The post was captioned: “Spring is in the air. Which is your favourite look @lisa_nellie_dottiexx. #FandFClothing #StyleItOut.”

Fans of the clothing brand have already started to share their opinions on the summery dress. One commenter said: “I’ve got dress 3, it’s absolutely lovely. The fit, the quality,” and another said: “Feel like I need the last dress for my holidays.”

If you want to get your hands on the dress or any other piece, you can go to the Tesco F&F website to browse all of its clothes. You can also go in-person to a Tesco store with a clothing department.

If this dress is not quite what you are looking for, you might like the alternative options Boden has. There is this Nell Kimono Midi Jersey Dress that would be easy to throw on while on holiday or this Ivy Linen Midi Dress, which would be good if you need something to wear to the office.

New Look also has plenty of dresses in stock to choose from. There is this Cream Polka Dot Chiffon Tiered Maxi Dress, which you can also get in black, or this Cream Faux Button Milkmaid Midi Dress that comes in a huge range of colours.

Her family are trying to raise the money so she can get treatment in Germany

An artist from Ely is currently trying to raise £250,000 for multiple life-saving operations after her condition deteriorated while undergoing medical assessments in Germany for a rare chronic illness. Emma Taylor, 31, lives with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), a rare and complex connective tissue disorder that affects multiple systems in the body.

Emma had been struggling to get diagnosed in the UK after her situation had been “deteriorating”. Bridget Taylor, Emma’s mum, said: “We were really drawing blanks in the UK and there didn’t seem to be much more help for us, which sadly seems to be the situation with hEDS patients. We couldn’t get scans in the UK because at the time, she’d had a couple of seizures. They couldn’t help her in case she had another seizure, so we were in this crazy catch-22 situation.”

Mrs Taylor found there was a place in Germany that could get the scans to determine how to help Emma. When she was in a good position to travel, they went to Germany on February 23 before Emma’s situation rapidly declined.

Mrs Taylor continued: “On arrival, she was fine. The next day, she was having multiple seizures. They managed to stabilise her condition enough to do the scans and found out she has multiple vascular compressions, which basically compromise the blood flow within the body and then the actual organ function.”

Due to her condition, Emma’s joints and limbs often pop in and out and she can no longer hold up her head on her own. Emma also struggles with walking, tyres easily, and can’t eat very much.

Mrs Taylor has described the experience as “quite overwhelming”. She said: “I think anyone will understand this if they are a mother. If your daughter’s life is threatened or compromised to this extent, you will do anything to try and save them and make life better.

“At the moment, I’m not really processing it. I don’t think it’s something I’ll be able to process until I get home. Currently, it’s a matter of staying strong for Emma and getting her through the surgeries because we are stranded here and can’t get her home in the situation she’s in now.”

Emma is now waiting to have “numerous operations” to help stabilise her situation with her family trying to raise the money to afford the pioneering treatments. Mrs Taylor said the donations they have already received have been “so uplifting”.

She continued: “I can’t believe people are getting behind us. It’s amazing and it’s keeping us going, particularly Emma. When you see names popping up like people from school, workplaces, and even people we don’t know, you just can’t believe how much kindness and generosity there is out there.

“We desperately need money to raise the money. It’s potentially going to cost something like £250,000. It’s a lot of surgery and care. So we need to raise as much money as possible to help us. So we’re so indebted to people.”

Emma is an artist who makes sculptures out of books and is particularly interested in nature. She had created a book that contains images of her work in it and has opened up about her feelings and struggles with hEDS, which is available online for people to buy and will go towards the surgery costs.

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There is also a series of small book sculptures she has made that can be bought through the Woolff Gallery. Mrs Taylor described her daughter as “the sweetest person” who “absolutely lives for art”.

She said: “It makes you want to cry. It is just so cruel, this horrible chronic illness, because she really is the sweetest person and she never complains. She loves making. Art is everything to her and that’s one of the challenges at the moment. She’s struggling to carry on with her work because of the instability in her shoulders.”

Emma is set to start surgery next week and it will be carried out “bit by bit” according to the money the family is able to raise. They are hoping the surgeries will give Emma the “opportunity to have some kind of life”.

Mrs Taylor added: “Emma’s never going to be perfect in her health. No one is when they’ve got such a severe case of hEDS. But it means that she’ll be able to carry on doing art, which is what she lives for. She’ll be able to get out and about because, at the moment, she’s spending the majority of the time at home lying on her bed just as she is here. So, it’s not practical. You can’t carry on in that situation.”

You can donate to Emma’s GoFundMe page here. You can also find Emma’s work including her book on her website.

A woman was arrested on Sunday afternoon after allegedly firing multiple shots toward Rihanna’s Beverly Hills home, with the singer at home at the time but unharmed

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Rihanna’s Beverly Hills residence was the target of a shooting, according to reports

A woman has been detained after reportedly firing multiple shots from her vehicle towards the singer’s home, as per TMZ.

The outlet reports that a law enforcement source informed them that the suspect, described as a female around 30 years old, drove up near the Los Angeles property and fired several shots in the direction of the house, though the motive behind the incident remains unclear, reports the Mirror..

The source also confirmed that Rihanna, 38, was at home during the shooting but is unscathed. It’s uncertain whether her partner A$AP Rocky and their three young children, RZA, three, Riot, two, and five-month-old Rocki, were present.

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In the aftermath of the incident, photographs surfaced showing yellow tape cordoning off Rihanna’s property as two men, seemingly security personnel, stood outside next to a white vehicle.

The LA Times cites Police Sgt. Jonathan de Vera, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department, stating that no injuries were reported in the incident.

The publication also reports that the LAPD radio dispatch for the incident indicated that “approximately 10 shots” were fired at the property from a vehicle positioned across the street from the residence’s gate. The vehicle, a white Tesla, then sped off south on Coldwater Canyon Drive, according to the dispatch audio.

The reason behind the shooting remains unclear. Authorities are now endeavouring to establish the motive.

The chart-topper bought the £14 million five-bedroom house in 2021. It is situated on a secluded cul-de-sac in the mountains on a 21,958-square-foot plot.

The Mirror has contacted Rihanna’s representatives and the Beverly Hills Police Department for comment but has yet to receive a response.

A number of supporters were injured during the shameful scenes at Ibrox after the full time whistle.

Dramatic footage of a supporter being kicked to the ground has emerged following the shameful scenes at Ibrox.

Supporters of both Rangers and Celtic invaded the pitch after the Scottish Cup quarter-final tie as disgraceful clashes unfolded leaving police and stewards injured.

Several arrests have been made and Police Scotland are investigating. Footage shared on social media has shown how some of the ugly scenes unfolded with one supporter kicking another in head in a shocking assault.

In the image, a supporter in a light coloured top runs towards a supporter clad in black before jumping and stretching out a leg to kick their victim.

The first support appears to catch the second on the head before the they fall to the ground.

In a damning statement, Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen slammed the “extreme hostility and violence” which officers faced after the final whistle at the Old Firm cup game.

Investigations are already underway and police have said they will work with both clubs and the Scottish Football Association as they track down the people responsible.

After a goalless 120 minutes, Celtic won 4-2 on penalties to reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.

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The Monday letters page tries to predict what will be announced on Mario Day, as one reader has some ideas for how Ubisoft could revive Prince Of Persia.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Next gen distraction
Interesting to see the new Xbox boss is going all out already with the Project Helix idea. I realise they haven’t shown anything yet but I don’t see how they can get way from the fact that it’s going to be super expensive. That’s the only detail they’ve given so far and it’s kind of one you can’t get way from.

I’m going to say that right now, considering everything that’s going on in the world, and the certainty that things are only going to get more expensive in the short term, nobody is in the mood for spending hundreds and hundreds of pounds on a next gen Xbox.

If I were them I’d just give up all hope of making consoles and concentrate on being a third party publisher. They’ve got plenty of big names, many of which have not been treated well in recent years, and I actually think being distracted by Project Helix could be a big problem for them.

Microsoft want a comeback for Xbox but I just think it’s too late. They’ve messed up too many times and I think the Xbox One was their last real chance, which the failure of the Xbox Series X – which wasn’t a bad console – kind of proves.
Winston

Resident gamer
RE: Resident Evil Requiem attracting older gamers. I think we’ve known for a while now that the audience for single-player games is skewing older but there’s two alternatives here and one of them is not a bad thing at all. Either only old people like ‘proper’ games and when they die off there is no audience left (which is obviously bad) or people just get into traditional games as they get older, which is fine.

You’re not likely to be too interested in fishing or gardening or loads of other things when you’re a teenager but that doesn’t mean you won’t get into them later. Video games have long ago stopped being a thing that only young kids like and there’s now different types for all kinds of different people, at different points in their life.

Your taste in music changes over the years so maybe your taste in games does too. I know mine has, although when I was a teenager you didn’t have nearly the variety in gaming you do today.
Scooter

Lucky number seven
Nintendo has got to be trolling us with the Directs now. Six in 2026 and not one of them is a proper one or has announced anything of any real interest? I checked the list from last year and there’s already nearly more this year than the whole of 2025, and we’ve only just started March!

Please, Nintendo, just put us all out of our miseries and do something. Or at least don’t call a new trailer for a movie, and two minutes of blather from some Hollywood mouthpieces, a Direct. It’s not a Direct, none of the things you’ve had this year so far have been, as far as I’m concerned. It’s put up or shut up at this point.
Korbie

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Yearly schedule
I’m not sure I remember Nintendo announcing or releasing anything in particular on MAR10 Day before. It’s usually just sales and merch and littler things like that. A Mario Kart World update would be interesting, but that only means Nintendo is getting even more unpredictable.

Even with another not-Direct announced I still think there’s a good chance of the big one this month. Unless… the Switch 2 reveal was in April so maybe they’re going to make that an annual thing? That could be their main time for unveiling things now. It’s only a guess but I think we’ve got to realise that as weird as unpredictable as Nintendo seems to us, to them what they’re doing always makes perfect sense.
Zeiss

Prince’s Creed
The thing I don’t understand about the Prince Of Persia reboot and bringing it back, is how is it supposed to be different to Assassin’s Creed? Assassin’s Creed evolved out of an unreleased Prince Of Persia game and I don’t know how different a new game would be, except probably having no stealth.

It could be done though, if you put the emphasis on sword-fighting and platforming. That would make it more like the original games and also different from Assassin’s Creed. I’d also make it more light-hearted and try and make the characters likeable rather than ‘badass’. This is what people liked about Sands Of Time but I don’t think Ubisoft really understands that, especially after that Metroidvania spin-off, where everyone was angry again for no reason.

But I’ve got to be honest, if I was a money guy at Ubisoft, and I knew the company was on the rocks, it’s not something I’d be pushing for in a hurry. Whatever chance Prince Of Persia had for a revival I think it’s gone now.
Stennar

Out of stock
Pokémon Pokopia wasn’t initially a game that was on my radar. However, I’ve got a few games to trade in and have been tempted after the rave reviews, and it seems to be popping up on my social media feeds.

After some back and forth I thought I’d take the plunge. But I simply cannot find it in stock anywhere. Argos, Smyths, and Currys are all sold out. Likewise, ShopTo and Amazon. Even CeX don’t have any copies.

Recently, I tried and failed to get the Resident Evil Generation Pack and resigned to getting Requiem as a standalone. And getting Assassin’s Creed Shadows also provided slightly tricky.

It seemed an odd choice for a Nintendo exclusive to be a Game Card title to begin with and then to produce seemingly limited physical copies feels like a slightly underhanded and sneaky way of pushing consumers towards digital only.

Personally, I’m loathe to buy any digital-only title at full price, especially when I’m somewhat on the fence already.
matc7884

GC: In this case, it just seems to be unexpected demand, as it’s also sold out in the US in a very similar manner. However, as we type this it is in stock at Argos, Amazon, and ShopTo.

Gamer Boi
I recently game across a great song that I am sure everyone here will like and enjoy having a listen to. I came across this song which was posted and linked by Sarah Wingfield, who is also a gamer and disability advocate who does phenomenal work.

Here’s the link to her video which links the song and song title and I recommend everyone show her their love and support.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)

The motherlode
I’m in the process of moving house, big change as I’ve lived in south west London all my life, but we have decided to relocate to Cornwall (I work from home these days, so not tied to an area other than for family reasons). As a result my wife and I have been clearing stuff from the loft for the last few days.

Thought readers might like to see some of what was up there.

PlayStation 1, 2, and 3, GameCube, N64, Xbox (first one), Wii U, Nintendo DSes, PS Vita, Atari Lynx, Switch 1 and 2, Xbox Series X, Sega Dreamcast, Game & Watch. I have a lightgun for the Dreamcast, multiple controllers for each…. oh, and loads of games. Maybe a couple of hundred (e.g. Shenmue, Power Stone, GoldenEye 007, Grand Turismo, Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, Klax, etc.).

It’s put a massive smile on my face while wading through junk we’ve hoarded for no real reason…. Equally sad that I got rid of things like my imported Japanese Super Famicom a fair while ago (although maybe a family member has that, I’ll have to ask them).

I’ll be taking it all with me of course and might try and set up a gaming space in the new house. Wish me luck.
Birdmanrob

Inbox also-rans
It’s a shame there’s never really be a definitive Star Trek game. There are a bunch of good ones but no great ones, I would say. Bridge Commander is probably my favourite but it was only combat based with not much else.
Kaon

Just want to add another recommendation for Minishoot’ Adventures. Zelda in a spaceship does sum it up pretty well and while that’s an odd idea I’m really enjoying it.
Johnson

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MORE: Games Inbox: Is Pokémon Pokopia really worth getting?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will Resident Evil Requiem get a Mercenaries mode?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is it worth buying a PS5 in 2026?

Andrew and Margaret Chesney were the last people to work at the historic location off the Royal Mile, which has been preserved as a popular tourist attraction.

The “hardworking” final residents of a historic Edinburgh alleyway have been honoured with a marker for their graves, almost a century after they died. Andrew and Margaret Chesney were the last people to work on Mary King’s Close, a historic location off the Royal Mile which has been preserved as a popular tourist attraction.

The Chesneys were buried in an unmarked grave, but research has revealed the location of the burial site. Those who run the tourist attraction, The Real Mary King’s Close, have now unveiled a grave marker for them.

Andrew Chesney was a sawmaker who had a family business in the area, operating beneath the Royal Mile for years. The central thoroughfare of Edinburgh is surrounded by very narrow alleyways – known as closes – which were densely populated.

Chesney and Son Sawmakers was one of the last businesses to operate on the close before commercial activity ceased at the start of the 20th century. The Chesneys moved to the south of Edinburgh later in their lives.

Andrew died in 1906 aged 74 and Margaret died in 1918 aged 88. Members of the team at the tourist attraction carried out research to identify where they were buried, tracing them to Morningside Cemetery.

They share a burial plot with nephew Andrew Marshall, who died in 1892 aged 19. Characters portraying the Chesneys feature as part of The Real Mary King’s Close’s tours.

The team, who were supported by local historian Robbie MacRae, hope the new grave marker will restore a sense of dignity and remembrance to their final resting place.

Paul Nixon, general manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said: “The Chesneys were hardworking Edinburgh residents whose lives are woven into the story we share with visitors every day.

“Recognising their final resting place felt important. It connects our historical interpretation with the real people behind it and ensures they are honoured not only at the close, but also within the wider story of the city.

“We take great pride in preserving Edinburgh’s social history, and placing this marker was a respectful and meaningful way to continue that work.”

Ashleigh More, one of the researchers involved, said: “We talk about the Chesneys every day on our tours and it didn’t sit right with me that they were in an unmarked grave.

“It’s nice to know I’ve been part of keeping their memory alive. A quiet little family that were everyday members of the close, but no less a part of our history.”

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York Magistrate’s Court’s £300 fines handed down to each offender compared to penalties of £600 and £1,000 from York Council were among cases highlighted by the Local Government Association (LGA).

Cllr Arooj Shah, the LGA’s Neighbourhoods Committee chair, said they and others showed the current system was failing to deter offenders, with changes needed to make punishments fit the crime.

City of York Council’s communities lead Pauline Stuchfield said people who did not pay penalties would be prosecuted, named, get a criminal record and face costs and surcharges on top of fines.

A Government spokesperson said they were giving councils the tools to tackle waste crime, closing legal loopholes exploited by offenders and bringing in tougher powers to enforce laws.

It comes as the LGA called for a sentencing guidelines review after figures showing court fines handed to offenders were often less than penalties given out by councils.

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LGA analysis of the latest data showed the average court fine of £539 was £87 lower than the £626 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) councils were issuing for the same offence.

Councils can issue FPNs of up to £1,000 to offenders which are discounted to £500 if paid off early.

Cases highlighted by the LGA included 28-year-old Jake Calam who was fined earlier this year after pleading guilty to dumping waste on a footpath from July 2024 to July 2025.

Lianne Hodkinson, 43, admitted to paying an unlicensed waste remover she found online who took her rubbish and dumped it on land off Clifton Road Park, in Rawcliffe.

York Magistrates Court fined both offenders £300 each and ordered Calam, of Foxwood Lane, to pay a £120 victim surcharge and £750 in prosecution costs.

Hodkinson, formerly of Riverside Gardens, Nether Poppleton, was also ordered to pay a £120 victim surcharge and £600 in costs.

The LGA said court sentences were now out of step with the real impact fly-tipping is having on communities.

The Local Government Association has called for tougher penalties to tackle fly-tipping (Image: Contributed)

The body, which represents local authorities, added it was undermining deterrence, weakening enforcement and leaving councils out of pocket for pursuing time-consuming and costly prosecutions.

Cases taken to court often require lengthy investigations and have to meet high evidence thresholds which takes up a large amount of time for council staff.

Fly-tipping costs councils more than £19.3 million-a-year to clean up, with 1.26 million cases recorded in England in the year up to March 2025.

The LGA’s Neighbourhood Committee Chair Cllr Shah said changes were needed so penalties reflect the harm caused by fly-tipping and enforcement work.

Cllr Shah said: “Fly-tipping is criminal activity that blights communities and costs taxpayers millions of pounds every year.

“Sentencing guidelines must be reviewed so that the punishment fits the crime.”

York Council’s Communities Director Ms Stuchfield said Calam and Hodskinson had to pay £1,170 and £1,020 respectively after being prosecuted.

The director said: “As these cases show, we will take action against people who illegally dump waste.

“Our average FPN is £1,000 and is reduced to £500 if paid within 10 days.

“When it is paid, the matter is closed, when it is not paid, the person risks being taken to court.

“We encourage people to pay any fines as soon as they are incurred and to dispose of waste legally.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said their new guidance including on-the-spot littering fines of up to £500 would help councils tackle waste crime.

The spokesperson said: “We are giving authorities the tools they need to fight back against waste crime.

“Digital waste tracking will close the loopholes criminals exploit, drones are catching offenders in the act, and councils have the power to crush their vans, making it more and more difficult for criminals to hide.”

A Sentencing Council spokesperson said they would be happy to consider any evidence regarding the effective operation of its guidelines.

Mr Swinney also said: “I think the SNP government responded to the concerns of members of the public by the establishment of a public inquiry which was preceded also by individual case reviews of the circumstances and the treatment of individuals and then in the here and now, where issues arise, where there are problems, the Scottish government, through NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is addressing those issues.”