We’re used to Westminster ignoring Wales. But there are plenty of times when Westminster seems to go out of its way to deliberately do a number on Wales, too. All of the examples below have one thing in common: What was good for Wales was found to be politically inconvenient […]
Year: 2017
Whatever the UK Government claims, we still don’t have real control over Wales’ water
Simon Thomas, Plaid Cymru AM for Mid and West Wales Water is an emotive subject in Wales. And for good reason. The development of water resources in our country for the benefit of English conurbations is a central factor behind the rise of Plaid Cymru and of Welsh nationalism. The […]
2017 was the year that groupthink silenced free speech at the Assembly
Neil McEvoy, AM for South Wales Central The National Assembly went into recess this week, ending an explosive year for me personally and the Assembly as an institution. One suspension as a Councillor and two suspensions from the Plaid Cymru group later and I’m an independent Plaid AM. My crimes were […]
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Review
Ifan Morgan Jones Much has been made of the links between Wales and Star Wars, including the Millennium Falcon being built in Pembroke Dock for Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi director Richard Marquand’s Cardiff roots. Despite this I was momentarily thrown by seeing S4C stalwart Mike Lewis […]
Wales needs control of taxes so that we can forge our own economic future
Steffan Lewis, Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales East The government has published the first ever rates for the Land Transactions Tax, the replacement for Stamp Duty which is the tax on buying homes. I am reliably informed that these are first distinct taxes to be levied by a Welsh […]
Labour has betrayed Wales’ youth on Assembly reform
Rhydian Elis Fitter , Plaid Ifanc Most of Wales woke up on Tuesday thinking of the freezing temperatures, panicking about Christmas shopping, or generally dreading their journey to work. However, in a small corner of Cardiff Bay, a panel of experts was presenting their findings to a not unimpressive (for […]
I’ve felt included and welcomed in Wales – regardless of my language and race
Radha Nair-Roberts I recently read Oruj Defoite’s complaint on WalesOnline about feeling excluded in Wales because of race and language with disbelief and consternation. I was puzzled and dismayed because her experiences were in no way related to mine, following my arrival to live in Wales, at the age of 30 […]
STV could be the radical change Welsh democracy needs
Ifan Morgan Jones It’s the recommendation that the Welsh Assembly needs 20 to 40 new members to scrutinise legislation which will grab the headlines today. But what caught my eye in the expert panel report requested by the Assembly Commission was that the legislature should move to a STV voting […]
5 good things about Brexit for Wales
There’s no denying that Brexit is going to be very tough for Wales. At present 68% of the exports made by Welsh workers go to EU member countries outside the UK. Some of Wales’ biggest industries could also lose out. Manufacturing and tourism will suffer, as so will our universities […]
Wales is trapped in a war between two factions that don’t care about our nation
Benjiman L. Angwin We in Wales need to remove ourselves from the fight between Labour and the Conservatives that is ongoing in England. This archaic, 20th century Left/Right war has been going on for over a century and is utterly without merit for us. Wales taking a side in this […]