Walescast

Plaid Cymru's biggest challenge in government so far may be securing enough support in Cardiff Bay to get its Budget over the line. With negotiations continuing between Plaid ministers and opposition parties, tensions are continuing to emerge. Welsh Labour has warned it will not back the Budget if cuts are made to the flagship early years programme it introduced while in government.On this episode of Walescast, former civil servant Des Clifford joins Fliss to discuss why both sides need to stay at the negotiating table and what is at stake if an agreement can't be reached. Dr Steffan Evans from the Bevan Foundation also explains new research into Flying Start and whether it is the best vehicle for providing childcare on a universal basis.

It's been a difficult week for Reform UK Wales. Dan Thomas, who led the party during their successful Senedd election campaign, has stepped down as Welsh leader after being arrested for assault. The party has also been hit by a defection, with one of its members leaving to join Plaid Cymru.On this episode of Walescast, we speak to Sarah Cooper-Lesadd about her decision to switch parties and what prompted the move. We also hear from WalesOnline's Political Editor Ruth Mosalski, who joins the podcast to help digest a busy and eventful return to the Senedd.

For the first time since devolution began, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all led by first ministers who support leaving the United Kingdom. Following a press conference with the three leaders, Fliss and James discuss the signing of an agreement, which argues that no Westminster government has the right to "block democracy". James reports from the event and speaks to STV's Political Editor Colin Mackay about the political landscape in Scotland and what this moment could mean for the independence movement. The podcast also hears from BBC Northern Ireland Political Reporter Brendan Hughes, who offers insight into the picture in Northern Ireland.

Fliss studies the latest PISA results that show Wales has fallen further behind other UK nations, as well as taking a look back at the Reform party conference.

Fliss and James are in Newborough, on Anglesey, to meet Reform UK's Welsh Deputy Leader. Joining her at the Pritchard Jones Institute they chat about her upbringing, career, Welsh identity and political journey. She also reveals the band she was in growing up and her time at the BRIT School for performing arts. Throughout August, Walescast has been travelling across the country to speak to politicians from a different political parties.

We have come to the end of Plaid Cymru's 100 Day Plan. But, what have they achieved in that time? Fliss catches up with BBC Wales' Political Editor Gareth Lewis to find out what's gone well and the issues that have arisen for the new Government. We listen to Gareth's interview with the Minister for Effectiveness and the Constitution as well as hearing from leaders of the opposition.

James is in Ynysangharad Park, overlooking the National Lido of Wales, to chat with Heledd Fychan MS. Recently appointed Minister for Culture and Sport in the new Plaid Cymru Government, she also serves as the party's Trefnydd and Chief Whip. In this wide-ranging interview, James and Heledd discuss Plaid Cymru's historic election victory, her own political journey, the current state of sport and culture in Wales, and the challenges and opportunities facing her party in government. Throughout August, Walescast is travelling across Wales to speak to politicians from different parties.

Fliss and James meet the new Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates MS at the John Summers Clock Tower on the former Shotton Steelworks site. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss his upbringing, career, experiences with mental health and the challenging period ahead for Welsh Labour. Throughout August, Walescast is travelling across Wales to speak to politicians from across the political spectrum.

Fliss and James are joined by three BBC political correspondents from Wales and Westminster. They discuss Burnham's first week as PM, what's been said about Wales and some familiar faces at the heart of his new cabinet. They also discuss an issue with the Welsh Government's Supplementary Budget plans.

The Royal Welsh is back, and James is joined by a variety of guests at the showground to discuss what a Plaid Cymru government means for rural affairs and Welsh farming. The conversation also turns to Westminster, where a new Prime Minister has taken office, and what these political changes could mean for agriculture and Welsh politics.This episode was recorded on 21 July 2026.

Ken Skates has been confirmed as the new permanent leader of Welsh Labour, inheriting a party facing significant challenges after its disappointing Senedd election performance. As he steps into the role, he'll become the public face of one of Wales's opposition parties, with the task of rebuilding support and restoring confidence in Welsh Labour. Former journalist and ex-Chief of Staff to the Welsh Government, Jo Kiernan, joins us to assess the scale of the challenge ahead and what Skates must do to turn the party's fortunes around. We also hear from our Political Editor Gareth Lewis, who looks ahead to Andy Burnham taking the reins after Keir Starmer's final week as Prime Minister. Can Burnham reset relations between Wales and Westminster, and what might his leadership mean for the future of Welsh politics and for the Labour party here?

Plaid Cymru's plans for additional spending have been voted down in the Senedd after Labour refused to back proposed budget changes. Fliss and James are joined by Dr Ed Poole of the Wales Governance Centre and BBC Wales Political Editor Gareth Lewis to unpack the political fallout and examine the numbers in the budget. They also speak to Luke Sibieta from the Institute for Fiscal Studies about Additional Learning Needs funding, a key issue that contributed to the Welsh Government's defeat.

James speaks to First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth after his government fails to win the vote on their extra spending plans. He also catches up with Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates whose party refused to support changes to the budget. These interviews were on Radio Wales Breakfast on the 15th of July. You can catch up with that and Walescast's analysis on BBC Sounds.

Huw Pill is one of just nine members of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, the group responsible for setting UK interest rates – decisions that influence everything from mortgage costs to inflation.Born and raised in Cardiff, Huw is now the Bank of England's Chief Economist and Executive Director for Monetary Analysis and Research. In this episode, Fliss and James speak to him about his Welsh roots, his journey from Cardiff to one of the most influential economic roles in the country, and his views on the challenges and opportunities facing both the UK and Welsh economies.

Nigel Farage has resigned as an MP, triggering a by-election he says he'll contest. Fliss and James are joined by Political Editor Gareth Lewis to unpack the dramatic move, how it came about and the reaction from Reform UK in Wales.They also discuss plans for a new economic development agency, which the Welsh Government hopes will help boost productivity and drive economic growth. Former minister Andrew Davies explains why he scrapped the previous Welsh Development Agency in 2006 and what lessons can be learned from its demise.Plus, how should governments tackle complex policy challenges? Andy Regan, Head of Nesta Cymru, joins the podcast to discuss what works best when it comes to delivering ambitious reforms, including in areas such as childcare.

In his first major speech since launching his bid to replace Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham focused on devolving power from Westminster. But what could it all mean for Wales? Greater Manchester, and the transformation Burnham says he's helped deliver there, was a focus of the speech. Fliss and guests examine the key ingredients behind the city's success and ask whether this can be replicated elsewhere in the UK, specifically in Wales.

Felicity Evans and Gareth Lewis speak to the Welsh Government's Finance Minister Elin Jones, and David Phillips from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, about the supplementary budget.

It's been ten years since the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU. James is in Ebbw Vale to reflect on the day. The town is part of the Blaenau Gwent where 62% of the population voted for Brexit, compared to an average of 52.5% across Wales. James talks to people about how they voted at the time and their thoughts on the decision ten years later.

Former First Minister Mark Drakeford joins James Williams and Gareth Lewis to assess Sir Keir Starmer's legacy, and to explain why he's backing Andy Burnham as his successor.

Fliss and James are joined by BBC Wales' Health Correspondent to discuss his interviews with the new Health Minister and whether the extra funding he's announced can cut down waiting lists.

Fliss and James unpack the Senedd row that saw a walkout after a controversial speech in the Siambr by Reform MS Joe Martin. They're joined by BBC Wales Political Reporter David Deans, who was there at the time, to break down what happened and why. The team also turn their attention to education, analysing the latest announcements from the Welsh Education Minister. They discuss her stance on social media bans, restrictions on mobile phones in schools and the ongoing difficulties around teachers' pay and PISA with our Correspondent Bethan Lewis.

Childcare returns to the political spotlight in Wales this week. James is joined by Political Editor Gareth Lewis to unpack the Welsh Government's commitment to the policy, after surviving an important vote in the Senedd. They're also joined by Steffan Evans from the Bevan Foundation to explore the real-world impact of getting childcare policy right (or wrong). Plus, James takes a closer look at a Welsh Affairs Committee report into prisons, probation and rehabilitation and the ''serious concerns'' it raises. Ella Rabaiotti from the Welsh Centre for Crime and Social Justice breaks down the findings and what it all means for Wales.

Fliss catches up with Dr Jac Larner from the Wales Governance Centre to look back at the polling across the Senedd election. They discuss what it got right and wrong, political trends and how we got to the final result.

Fliss catches up with our political editor following the first FMQ's after Plaid Cymru's Senedd election victory. Rhun ap Iorwerth faced questions from members across the political spectrum covering topics from health to education.

Rhun ap Iorwerth MS sits down with James for his first Walescast since becoming First Minister. They met at the Urdd Eisteddfod site on Ynys Môn. You can also watch this episode on BBC iPlayer.

The new Senedd is underway with new parties, new faces and a lot more MSs. How are the opposition navigating this new landscape? We'll hear from the Welsh leader of Reform and the leader of the Welsh Conservatives. Podcast co-host and former Conservative member and advisor Craig Lawton also joins us in the lounge with Political Correspondent Elliw Gwawr.

James discusses a pivotal moment for the new First Minister, catching up with political editor Gareth Lewis ahead of Plaid Cymru's first Cabinet meeting in government. He also speaks to the journalist behind the Undercover Voters investigation to reflect on what the series uncovered during the Senedd election.

On this week's episode, we unpack a historic moment as Plaid Cymru unveils its new Cabinet following their victory in the 2026 Senedd election. Newly appointed Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams MS joins us to discuss the party's priorities and what this new era of leadership means for Wales. Meanwhile, in Westminster, pressure continues to mount on the Prime Minister as questions swirl around his leadership. Claire Hughes MP throws her support behind Sir Keir Starmer. Political consultant Cathy Owens and BBC Wales Political Editor Daniel Davies break down the key developments and deliberate on what it all means for Wales and Westminster.

Fliss and James are joined by Political Editor Gareth Lewis and Politics Wales Presenter Teleri Glyn Jones after a long day. They came together off the back of presenting BBC Wales coverage of the historic Senedd election results.

With less than 24 hours to go until Wales heads to the polls for the 2026 Senedd election James and Fliss take stock with Political Correspondent Daniel Davies.

The use of AI chatbots for advice is becoming increasingly common. But, could they could be providing misleading information to voters ahead of the Senedd election? Ben Summer, the Journalist running the Undercover Voters investigation, joins James to fill him in on his latest discovery.

Fliss and James catch up with our Health, Education and Environment Correspondent to unpack the policies and issues that have made it big in the Senedd election campaign so far — and those that haven't.

Guto Ifan of the Wales Governance Centre joins Fliss and James to unpack the key themes emerging from the six main parties' manifestos and to take a close look at whether the numbers behind their promises add up.

The journalist behind the Undercover Voters project, Ben Summer, is back with a new story from his research. This time, he's been examining how much political parties have been spending on social media over the Senedd election campaign. To find out more about the project, you can listen to our first interview with Ben ahead of the launch at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0n9ns9x.

Walescast has been hitting the road to speak to voters across the country. This week, on his final stop, James is in Newport, which is part of the new Casnewydd Islwyn constituency. He talks to local people about the issues that matter most ahead of the Senedd election — and asks whether they think the result on May 7th will make a difference.The BBC has a full list of candidates for every constituency in Wales on the BBC news website - where you'll also find everything you need to know ahead of the polling day. We've also got lots more content available on BBC Sounds - just search for Wales Election 2026.

Fliss and James are joined by Dr Jac Larner to dicuss the latest YouGov/ ITV Wales/ Cardiff University poll as well as looking at what the bigger picture looks like. They also discuss the debates that have taken place and the leaders interviews on BBC Radio Walles.

With just over two weeks to go until the Senedd election James and Fliss discuss a busy weekend in Welsh politics. They are joined by Dan Davies to look at new polling, analysis and to discuss the first televised leaders debate from ITV Wales. Ben Summer then joins them to update Walescast on the undercover voters project he's been working on.

Fliss is joined by our Political Editor Gareth Lewis and David Philips from the Institute for Fiscal Studies to discuss the Welsh Liberal Democrats manifesto launch. We have now discussed all of the six main parties manifestos. You can find the rest on BBC Sounds. They also reflect on the details they've digested over the past few weeks.

Walescast hits the road to speak to voters across the country. This week, James is in Bangor, part of the new Bangor Conwy Môn constituency. He talks to local people about the issues that matter most to them ahead of the Senedd election — and asks whether they think the result on May 7th will make a difference.The BBC have published a full list of candidates for every constituency in Wales on the BBC news website - where you'll also find everything you need to know ahead of the polling day. We've also got lots more content available on BBC Sounds - just search for Wales Election 2026.

Today, Fliss and James are joined by Luke Tryl from More in Common to discuss his recent trip to Wales and what he's been hearing from voters. The UK Director has been running focus groups across the country, exploring why people are planning to vote the way they are and the issues that matter most to them. We also hear from Ben Summer with the latest update on the Undercover Voters project and what he's seeing so far across the six voter profiles.

Fliss is joined by our Political Editor Gareth Lewis and David Philips from the Institute for Fiscal Studies to discuss a busy week of manifesto launches from Plaid Cymru and the Wales Green Party.

Walescast hits the road to speak to voters across the country. This week, James is in Cardigan, part of the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency. He talks to local people about the issues that matter most to them ahead of the Senedd election and whether they think the result on May the 7th will make a difference.The BBC will be publishing a full list of candidates for every constituency in Wales on the BBC news website - where you'll also find everything you need to know ahead of the polling day. We've also got lots more content available on BBC Sounds - just search for Wales Election 2026.