Hiraeth - Welsh Politics Hiraeth - Welsh Politics

The last month has been a very difficult one for politics and policy optimists, with an apparently unrelenting series of bad news stories at local, national, and union level. Your Hiraeth hosts try and navigate the news and pick out some of the most interesting stories from a Welsh perspective.

Among other things we cover:
Simmering tensions behind the scenes as Welsh Labour gear up for a union-wide General Election: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/discontent-grows-towards-mark-drakeford-28157637
Ongoing pushback on Senedd reform: https://nation.cymru/opinion/is-there-any-point-in-having-more-senedd-members-if-were-lumbered-with-the-closed-list-voting-system
Autumn Statement: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-63662266
Daran Millar MS to stand for Westminster seat: https://nation.cymru/news/darren-millar-selected-as-tory-general-election-candidate-for-clwyd-north/
Further nudges in the area of devolving media regulation to Wales: https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-government-urged-to-set-up-shadow-broadcasting-authority/

And in an attempt to lighten the tone, we finish with another of our infamous wagers, please let us know who you think is right and who is wide of the mark!

Your hosts:
Matthew Hexter: https://twitter.com/hexter101
Ceri Davies: https://twitter.com/ceritheviking
Richard Martin: https://twitter.com/mimosacymru

At present, we're running an Advent calendar of our pods over on our Ex-Twitter page, there are some great ones popping up in the feed, check it out: https://twitter.com/HiraethPod

If you're enjoying the pod, please leave us a rating or review on your podcast app or on YouTube and, if you are able to do so, please consider supporting us from just £3/month: http://www.patreon.com/hiraethpod

Barely a week has passed in 2023 without a bad news story about water. Whether it has been flooding, leakage, company debt, failing infrastructure, pollution at sea, or pollution in rivers, it's basically been bad news the whole way.

With all that in mind, a deep dive into Welsh water might not seem like the most appealing prospect but that's exactly what we are going to do with this podcast. Our expert panel discuss the news stories and the industrial reality of the trials and tribulations of operating in this challenging sector and how the balance of regulation, public opinion, and financing operations interact.

Our Panel:
Harriet Alvis: https://twitter.com/harrietalvis
Chief Executive Officer, West Wales Rivers Trust: https://twitter.com/WestWalesRT
Prof. Steve Ormerod: https://twitter.com/SteveOrmerod
Professor of Ecology at Cardiff University and Deputy Chairman of Natural Resources Wales
Lorna Davis: https://twitter.com/waterbore1
Co founder and Director of SUDSPlanter Ltd: https://twitter.com/SuDSPlanter

As always, follow us on our X-Twitter page for all the latest: https://twitter.com/HiraethPod

If you're enjoying the pod, please leave us a rating or review on your podcast app or on YouTube and, if you are able to do so, please consider supporting us from just £3/month: http://www.patreon.com/hiraethpod

There is something different about this week's pod. We're delighted to hand over the reigns to a guest panel to mark the recent women's takeover of the Senedd, organised by the Women's Equality Network Wales.

So this week we discuss that women's takeover of the national parliament and many of the issues raised, including questions of access, representation, and the sad passing of Prof. Terry Rees, who did so much to advance the position of women in education and leadership.

We also cover some of the recent news from a Welsh perspective, including ongoing public finance difficulties, the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, Sir Keir Starmer's visit to a Cardiff Mosque, the ongoing tragedies in Israel & Gaza, and more.

You can find our panel on X/Twitter here:
Sarah Rees, Head of Oxfam Cymru: https://twitter.com/sarahrees500
Evelyn James of WEN (Women's Equality Network) Wales: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelyn-james-legaladviser/
Liz Silversmith, political commentator: https://twitter.com/lizsilversmith

Obituary for Prof. Terry Rees: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/oct/25/dame-teresa-rees-obituary
WEN Wales: https://wenwales.org.uk

You can find us @HiraethPod on most social networks and find the latest on our X-Twitter page: https://twitter.com/HiraethPod

If you're enjoying the pod, please leave us a rating or review on your podcast app or on YouTube and, if you are able to do so, please consider supporting us from just £3/month: http://www.patreon.com/hiraethpod

As one of the new intake of Welsh parliamentarians who were elected in the 2021 election, Sam Rowlands MS represents a new generation of Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd and combines his role as regional MS for North Wales with a shadow ministerial brief of local government and the role of policy director for the party.

In our first interview with Sam, we discuss everything from the importance of local government, Senedd reform and regional representation, trying to enact members’ bills in the Senedd, and the consequences of nearly 25 years of continuous Labour-led governments.

Given Sam’s remit representing a sprawling constituency stretching from the broder to the sea in the North, we also discuss the ongoing issues at the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board which appears to be struggling with strategy, delivery, and culture that has led it to be in Special Measures again.

You can find Sam on X/Twitter here: https://twitter.com/SamRowlands_

You can find us @HiraethPod on most social networks and find the latest on our X-Twitter page: https://twitter.com/HiraethPod

If you're enjoying the pod, please leave us a rating or review on your podcast app or on YouTube and, if you are able to do so, please consider supporting us from just £3/month: http://www.patreon.com/hiraethpod

For some it’s a sign of Wales leading the way on the international stage, making us the first country in the world to legislate to consider the wellbeing of future generations at all tiers of government. For others it can be seen as a well-intentioned idea that has yet to really deliver or challenge the status quo. As the term of first incumbent of the role, Sophie Howe, has finished and her successor appointed, the office Future Generations Commissioner is starting a new era.

Is this a difficult second album or is it an opportunity to take the delivery and implementation of this innovative legislation to a new level? We discuss with our guests:

Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner 2.0: https://twitter.com/derekwalker_https://twitter.com/derekwalker_
Arpana Chunilal, member of the Future Generations Academy and forestry advisor at Natural Resources Wales: https://twitter.com/Arpana_Lili
The Office of the Future Generations Commissioner: https://twitter.com/futuregencymru


You can find us @HiraethPod on most social networks and find the latest on our X-Twitter page: https://twitter.com/HiraethPod

If you're enjoying the pod, please leave us a rating or review on your podcast app or on YouTube and, if you are able to do so, please consider supporting us from just £3/month: http://www.patreon.com/hiraethpod

We are a month into a new political season like no other. There has been an enormously popular petition against legislation that previously appeared to have wide cross-party support, and resultantly Wales may now be more visible than ever in the next UK-wide election. It has also challenged the concept of democratic legitimacy in our representative democracy as the minister responsible found himself in the unusual position of facing a vote of no confidence because he *had* delivered on a manifesto commitment.

The launchpads for that very election are the party conferences, which are up and running while the union parliament is in recess. What will this mean for Wales? We discuss this and much more with our special guests, the current and former heads of Oxfam Cymru, Sarah Rees and Stephen Brooks.

Our guests:

Sarah Rees, Head of Oxfam Cymru
https://twitter.com/OxfamCymru

Stephen Brooks, policy, strategy, and communications consultant
https://twitter.com/stephenbrooksUK

You can find us @HiraethPod on most social networks and find the latest on our X-Twitter page: https://twitter.com/HiraethPod

If you're enjoying the pod, please leave us a rating or review on your podcast app or on YouTube and, if you are able to do so, please consider supporting us from just £3/month: http://www.patreon.com/hiraethpod