Podcasts about Senedd

Monmouthshire's MP Catherine Fooks describes the situation in Monmouth after Storm Claudia's devastation. Isabel Hardman decants the goings on at Westminster and who is briefing against whom. Former BBC governor, Merfyn Jones CBE mulls over the BBCs difficult week, former Conservative special adviser Lauren McEvatt discusses the pros and cons of abolishing Police and Crime Commissioners. Green Cymru CEO Stuart George tells us why the power grid in Wales needs to be upgraded and veteran journalist Martin Shipton remembers suspensions of Senedd past. Carole Burns and Sarah Rees review the papers.

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Why Scotlands teachers want 90 minutes back Medomsley Detention Centre officer was prolific sex offender Streeting denies plotting against PM after leadership claims New law to clamp down on driving test bots Efforts to shore up Starmers leadership may have backfired NHS gets go ahead to make thousands of redundancies Afghan bodybuilder Roya Karimi on going from child bride to champion Feltham woman fined 1k for fly tipping envelope Trump says he has obligation to sue BBC over speech edit Reforms Laura Anne Jones faces 14 day Senedd ban for racial slur

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Reforms Laura Anne Jones faces 14 day Senedd ban for racial slur Feltham woman fined 1k for fly tipping envelope Streeting denies plotting against PM after leadership claims New law to clamp down on driving test bots NHS gets go ahead to make thousands of redundancies Efforts to shore up Starmers leadership may have backfired Trump says he has obligation to sue BBC over speech edit Why Scotlands teachers want 90 minutes back Afghan bodybuilder Roya Karimi on going from child bride to champion Medomsley Detention Centre officer was prolific sex offender

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv NHS gets go ahead to make thousands of redundancies Reforms Laura Anne Jones faces 14 day Senedd ban for racial slur Medomsley Detention Centre officer was prolific sex offender Why Scotlands teachers want 90 minutes back New law to clamp down on driving test bots Feltham woman fined 1k for fly tipping envelope Trump says he has obligation to sue BBC over speech edit Streeting denies plotting against PM after leadership claims Efforts to shore up Starmers leadership may have backfired Afghan bodybuilder Roya Karimi on going from child bride to champion

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv NHS gets go ahead to make thousands of redundancies Reforms Laura Anne Jones faces 14 day Senedd ban for racial slur Trump says he has obligation to sue BBC over speech edit Streeting denies plotting against PM after leadership claims New law to clamp down on driving test bots Medomsley Detention Centre officer was prolific sex offender Efforts to shore up Starmers leadership may have backfired Feltham woman fined 1k for fly tipping envelope Afghan bodybuilder Roya Karimi on going from child bride to champion Why Scotlands teachers want 90 minutes back

From environmental and economic ambitions to nuclear power plans in Anglesey — and Reform's Senedd member facing suspension — Fliss and James unpack a packed week in Welsh politics. Joining the discussions are Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, Samuel Kurtz MS, Liz Saville Roberts MP, Dr Steffan Evans from the Bevan Foundation, and Political Correspondent Teleri Glyn Jones.

Labour har alltid stått sterkt i Wales, både i The Senedd - den walisiske folkeforsamlingen - og med representasjon til det britiske underhuset. Men på meningsmålingene gjør Reform det også bra i Wales, og i et nylig suppleringsvalg til The Senedd ble Labour henvist til tredje plass etter Reform og Plaid Cymru (PC) - det walisiske nasjonalpartiet. Er Labour i ferd med å miste en av sine politiske bastioner? Er det store endringer på gang i den walisiske velgermassen? Og hvordan vil valget til The Senedd i 2026 gå for Labour? Klarer Labour å holde makten i folkeforsamlingen eller blir utfordringen fra Reform og PC for sterk?Hør diskusjonen mellom Trine Andersen, Øivind Bratberg i ukens episode av Pod Britannia

The dust has settled on the Caerphilly by-election, but the campaigning won't stop there. It's not long to go until the parties will face the ultimate challenge at the Senedd election in May. Politicians from Plaid Cymru, Reform and Labour join Fliss and James to talk about look back at what happened in Caerphilly and discuss what's to come in the next six months. Cardiff University's Dr Jac Larner and Political Correspondent Teleri Glyn Jones also join the programme to look at polls and predictions.

When the trust vanishes, you're finished, whether you're Labour in Caerphilly or a celebrity in BBC's The Traitors. Alex and Kenny pore over three examples of democracy in action from a hectic week – Plaid Cymru's historic victory in Wales, a new Deputy Leader for Labour in Westminster and ... a bizarre litany of bad voting decisions in The Traitors. All three have involved some measure of chaos but only one of them had both Alex and Kenny fighting for the remote control. Guess which. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “Caerphilly is where two trends met. The first is ‘I hate Labour' and the second is a trend for smart, strategic, tactical voting. So, the reason people were looking for a tactical option other than Labour to defeat Reform was unhappiness with the gov't, but the magnitude of the swing implies to me something tactical at work.” “There's a stickiness to politics and my question here would be, how many of the people who lent their vote to Plaid or decided to give another party a try, will stick with that next time - especially, given we are close enough to the Senedd election for it to make a difference.”  “The media treat Reform as an entirely new party that had no presence in Wales. I would point to the last European election where the Brexit Party came top with 33% and suggest that Reform are merely the latest iteration of The Farage Party and very much had a presence in Wales.” “One thing we can say from the Caerphilly result is that the next Senedd election will be a realignment, rather than a usual hold-the-line election. Plaid is very well placed to become the largest party - or, if not, a key player.” “The message from Caerphilly is very clear to me: One-third of the vote is not enough to get Reform elected, if the other two-thirds get their act together.” “Intelligent people frequently act stupidly - and, in my experience, the more intelligent the people, the more stupidly they are capable of acting. Because intelligent people have confidence in their views. In a game like The Traitors, confidence can give you a really bum steer.” Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been confirmed that an asylum seeker who was jailed last month for a year for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping has been released from prison by mistake. Also: Plaid Cymru celebrates a decisive victory in the Senedd by-election in Caerphilly, a stronghold for Labour for a century. And one of England's oldest football clubs, Sheffield Wednesday, goes into administration.

Plaid Cymru have swept to victory in Caerphilly, taking a Senedd seat that has been held by Labour for a century - will it convince Keir Starmer to change course?Alexis Conran unpacks the politics of the day with Daisy McAndrew and Michael Binyon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James and Fliss discuss Plaid Cymru's victory over Reform and Labour in the Caerphilly by-election. It's been a whirlwind campaign and a long night for James, Gareth and Teleri who join the pod off the back of BBC Wales' live stream coverage of the results. They discuss the night, the winners and losers and what it could all mean for the Senedd election in May.

A while back we put the world to rights by drunkenly going through all the things we would change to make Wales the country we know it can be. With the very important Caerphilly by-election on the horizon and the Senedd elections coming next year, we thought we'd give our two pence worth all over again.

What is parliament's role in what happens to Prince Andrew from here?With Virginia Giuffre's book released today and new reports that he's not paid rent on the Royal Lodge in Windsor for two decades – Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy discuss how uncomfortable Westminster might be feeling about the former trade envoy.  Outside of London, how are the parties feeling about this week's Senedd by-election in Caerphilly?  Plus, in our weekly check-in on polling, are the Greens cutting through with the voters and could that be encouraging Keir Starmer to change his plans for the COP summit in Brazil?  There's a full list of candidates standing in the Senedd by-election in Caerphilly here: https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/my-council/voting-and-elections/forthcoming-elections-2025/election-notices/senedd-by-election-caerphilly-constituency   

This week on the podcast we look at Wales' emerging higher education settlement, as Universities Wales publishes its manifesto for the May 2026 Senedd elections amid polling that points to a potential Plaid-led administration. Plus we discuss new Office for Students' data on subcontracted (franchised) provision showing weaker continuation, completion and progression outcomes relative to sector averages, and assess the Institute of Student Employers' latest survey, with graduate hiring down overall but highly variable by sector amid persistently high applications per vacancy.With Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe, Sarah Cowan, Head of Policy (Higher Education and Research) at the British Academy, Sarah Stevens, Director of Strategy at the Russell Group and presented by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe.Universities Wales election manifestoOutcomes data for subcontracted provisionGraduate jobs and recruitment reality

Special guest Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville-Roberts, discusses the week's big stories with Alex, Naomi, and Kenny. Chinese Spy Trial: cock-up, cover up, or nothingburger? Nathan Gill bribe story: why is Farage not being asked difficult questions? Musk funding Yaxley-Lennon: wake up UK. Caerphilly By-Election: Plaid to the rescue? Labour vote collapse in Wales. Senedd elections in a few months. PLUS - regular features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “The world's richest man funding the UK's most prominent far-right agitator isn't normal and should not be treated as such. This dangerous merging of wealth and power and extremist politics, is made worse when coupled with the media's indifference. If this isn't a wake-up call, I don't know what is.” “When it became apparent that the case against Nathan Gill was going to go to court, it was listed to be heard after the Senedd elections. That he has chosen to plead guilty now, in a way that comes before those elections is extremely interesting.” “Government ministers and departments not leaving X is the political equivalent of failing to evacuate a burning building because the wi-fi is still working.” “Starmer, as an experienced former DPP, will have considered those witness statements quite carefully, before rowing out to precisely a distance that means he gets to have a lovely day fishing, while anyone trying to swim after him risks drowning.” “Badenoch is trying to reestablish herself as leader of her own party. She seems to have pleased her own backbenchers simply by landing a punch.” “Having always had Labour in charge in Cardiff, we haven't really tested what we [Plaid] can do as an ‘awkward' party in relation to Westminster. The SNP, by being difficult, has always secured better concessions for Scotland than we have had in Wales.” “I've been campaigning in Caerphilly. It's neck-and-neck, a two-horse race between Plaid and Reform and I couldn't tell you what will happen. The one thing I am comfortable saying, empirically, is that the Labour vote has collapsed.” “This is part of Labour's problem: they are not prepared to meet parties elsewhere. Collaboration is not their way. And what is really interesting about the change of the electoral system in Wales is that Labour are going to have to learn to work with others.” “I'll speak candidly. I'm not keen on the ‘closed list' system of Proportional Representation. I don't like the idea that elected representatives have more of an eye on what the party thinks of them, as the people who select where they are on the list.” “The Senedd is unlikely to end up with a majority government. So, we are going to have to work together. I think this is a very good thing in politics. The winners, losers, yah-boo adversarial-ness of Westminster does not reflect how we are in real life. There's something immature about it.” CALLS TO ACTION: Find out more about Open Democracy here⁠. Take a ride with the Heritage Railways Association. GRIN AND SHARE IT: Find out about Wicken Fen Nature Reserve. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The former Labour MP and Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister for the Middle East Dr Kim Howells discusses the chances of the on-going peace process in the Middle East delivering for both the Palestinian and Israeli people. Plaid Cymru's leader at Westminster, Liz Saville Roberts MP looks back at her party's conference - the last before next May's Senedd elections. Paris-based commentator Nabila Ramdani assesses the prospects of France's new PM - who is the same as the old one - bringing political stability to the Republic. And the the UK's Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Eleanor Lyons looks back at 10 years of the Modern Slavery ActNeuroscientist Dr Emma Yhnell and Conservative Senedd candidate Adam Robinson review the papers.

GPonline is the media partner for the RCGP annual conference and this is the second of two special episodes of Talking General Practice from the event Newport in Wales this week.In this episode we look at what health minister Stephen Kinnock said about overhauling the Carr-Hill formula and the BMA dispute over online consultations and what delegates thought about this. We also highlight what RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne had to say in her speech about primary care funding and GP retention.Emma talks to RCGP vice chairs Professor Margaret Ikpoh and Dr Thomas Patel-Campbell about the results of the college's latest member survey, the importance of investing in primary care and how the increase in anti-immigration and right-wing rhetoric is affecting GPs.She also speaks to RCGP Wales chair Dr Rowena Christmas about being the subject of a book that tells the story of rural general practice and the college's manifesto for next year's Senedd elections and talks to outgoing RCGP president Dr Richard Vautrey.Useful links●     Find all of GPonline's coverage from this week's conference at gponline.com/rcgp●     Health minister describes online consultation dispute as ‘phoney war'●     Government launches review of 'not fit for purpose' GP funding formula●     GPs face unsafe workload and fear neighbourhoods will make it worse, RCGP warnsSupported by SymproveThis episode of Talking General Practice has been supported by Symprove. Based on an external survey of 432 healthcare professionals, Symprove was the number one probiotic, recommended by gastroenterologists, dietitians and GPs. The unique water-based solution delivers live bacteria to the colon and is proven in randomised controlled trials by leading institutions. 92% of people report a benefit within 12 weeks in real-world.Healthcare professionals can trial Symprove for free. Visit professionals.symprove.com and sign up for a virtual meeting to hear more about the research behind Symprove and get your free 12-week pack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Plaid Cymru bringing the party conference season to a close, Felicity Evans and James Williams are joined by BBC Wales colleagues Cemlyn Davies and Emilia Belli to look back at the last month of speeches and fringe events and discuss the major talking points from the final round of national get-togethers before next May's elections to the Senedd

Felicity Evans and James Williams pay a visit to the Caerphilly constituency ahead of the approaching Senedd by-election, speaking to voters and to Richard Gurner, editor of the local Caerphilly Observer newspaper, about the issues that are shaping the campaign

James and Fliss are joined by BBC Wales' health correspondent Owain Clarke to talk about Jeremy Miles' decision to stand down at the next Senedd election. That takes the total to 14 Labour MS' who won't be running next year. Aled Eirug also joins the pod to talk about his new book detailing the life of former Plaid Cymru leader Dafydd Elis-Thomas. They talk about his journey into politics, his extensive career and his fondness of Armani suits.

It's been a busy Summer of politics and the pace is not letting up as the Senedd returns from recess. So there's plenty for Felicity Evans to pour over with BBC Wales political editor Gareth Lewis, his Wales Online counterpart Ruth Mosalski, Cardiff University's polls expert Dr Jac Larner and BBC Wales Parliamentary reporter Emilia Belli. Among the topics under discussion are the latest Welsh opinion poll and the up-and-coming Caerphilly Senedd by-election plus the prospects for the Chancellor's budget in November and the Welsh General Election next May.

Journalist and author of the unauthorised biography of Peter Mandelson, Paul Routledge explains how the Ambassador's sacking was inevitable. Professor Natasha Lindstaedt from the department of government at Essex University discusses political violence. Delyth Evans, new chair of S4C is with us to say why the channel's next five years will be all about digital services. Owain Williams, would-be Senedd candidate muses over the Welsh element of Welsh Labour. Rhys Kaminski-Jones tells us all about his new book, Welsh Revivalism in Imperial Britain 1707-1819: True Britons and Celtic Empires Professor Kate Thirlaway and Cllr Calum Davies review the papers

There should be more urgency and a bigger budget to tackle TB in cattle in England while farmers should be empowered to do more to eradicate the disease. Those are headlines from a new report published today. It also calls for a bovine TB tzar to co-ordinate government policy along with investment in IT systems, vaccination and testing. We hear from the report's author, Professor Sir Charles Godfray, the Badger Trust and the National Farmers' Union.Major changes are needed to rebuild trust in the body responsible for promoting Welsh meat, that's according to an inquiry by Senedd members.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Over the summer, James and Fliss sit down with politicians across Wales. On this episode of Walescast they are joined by Darren Millar, the Welsh Conservative Leader in the Senedd. They met in the BBC's Cardiff studio and discussed everything from how he became interested in politics to his interest in Astronomy and Sumo Wrestling. He also talked about the Welsh Conservatives hopes with less than a year to go until the Senedd election.

Vaughan Roderick presents the highlights of the past few months. Alun Davies MS discusses the effect of welfare changes on his Blaenau Gwent constituents; Shereen Williams and Matt Kilcoyne have different views on the new electoral boundaries' names for the next Senedd election; Peter Kellner and Professor Matt Qvortrup discuss the benefits and drawbacks of referenda; Dr Anne Harrington remembers the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and Judith Mackrell talks about sibling artists Gwen and Augustus John.

Over the summer, James and Fliss sit down with politicians across Wales. On this episode of Walescast they are joined by Liz Saville-Roberts, Plaid Cymru's leader in Westminster. They met at the Welsh language community centre and pub Saith Seren in Wrexham. They talk about her childhood, political career and hopes for Plaid Cymru with less than a year to go until the Senedd election.

In our update this month: For Wales:Preparing for the Senedd elections in 2026: https://www.rcslt.org/wales/#section-2 Work has begun on a Welsh language version of CAUK training, funded by the National Lottery. (See original CAUK training: https://communication-access.co.uk/) What's happened following the launch of the State of the Nation report (See here: https://www.rcslt.org/wales/#section-2 ) in January.Opportunities to get involved:Frailty task and finish group.Capturing evidence on the impact of Additional Learning Needs legislation for a Senedd committee inquiry.New survey for independent members.Around the UK:Behind the scenes on SEND reform and workforce matters.News about waiting list levels (people coming off) and graduate guarantee for nurses and midwives – AHP concern.Co-signed a letter to PM on oracy, Oracy 21.BSL plan for English education; Guernsey communication boardsBook your place at the RCSLT Conference 2025: https://www.rcslt.org/news/book-your-place-at-rcslt-conference-2025/  This interview was conducted by Victoria Harris, Head of Learning at The Royal College of Speech and produced and edited by freelance producer Jacques Strauss.Please be aware that the views expressed are those of the guests and not the RCSLT. Please do take a few moments to respond to our podcast survey: uk.surveymonkey.com/r/LG5HC3R     Please be aware that the views expressed are those of the guests and not the RCSLT.Please do take a few moments to respond to our podcast survey: uk.surveymonkey.com/r/LG5HC3R

Nick Luck and Neil Channing return with the latest edition of the popular political betting show, which this week focuses on the shifting sands in Wales: will the remorseless rise of Reform and the newfound confidence of Plaid Cymru under a popular leader combine to loosen Labour's grip in the 2026 Senedd elections? If so, what are the consequences for Starmer? How might this transpose to Westminster, and how many three-way marginals might exist by the next general election? Nick and Neil are joined by special guest Dr Dan Evans, Swansea University sociologist and author of A Nation of Shopkeepers: The Unstoppable rise of the Petit Bourgeoisie. As ever, Star Sports expert William Kedjanyi provides likely odds and outcomes.

Vaughan Roderick and his guests, former BBC political editor Betsan Powys and current political correspondents Elliw Gwawr and Cemlyn Davies look ahead at the next Senedd election in May. With 10 months to go they look at the changes to the electoral system, the runners and riders, polling and the issues at stake - answering all the questions you didn't know you wanted answering.

Eluned Morgan joins Felicity Evans and James Williams at the National Eisteddfod to reflect on a year since becoming the First Minister. They discuss what leadership is like, some of the challenges she's faced and the upcoming Senedd election.

A few weeks ago Walescast discussed where Labour was a year on from winning the general election. But, where do the opposition parties stand? And what 's in store as they prepare for the Senedd election. Fliss is joined by the Wales Governance Centre's Jac Larner and WalesOnline's Political Editor Ruth Mosalski.

Send us a textFollowing the launch of our Step Up Senedd campaign, and despite an explicit assurance from the First Minister of Wales that the Welsh government would comply with the Supreme Court's clarification of the meaning of the words ‘woman', ‘man' and ‘sex' in the Equality Act 2010, no action has been taken by the Welsh government to correct scores of flawed government policies and practices that remain in breach of UK equality law. As a result, over 100 days on from that apex court's ruling, every day life for people in Wales continues to be fraught with discriminatory practices that seriously impact women and children. The Women's Rights Network in Wales responded with a clear message from the steps of the Senedd: Time is up!If you enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to hear more, go to womensrights.network/wrn-podcast to listen, download and subscribe to more of our episodes. And if you'd like to join our conversations, go to womensrights.network/join-wrn

Walescast comes from the Royal Welsh Show - the biggest agricultural festival in Europe. James kicked things off with Nigel Farage MP, Reform UK's leader, following the news that Laura Anne Jones MS has defected to his party after more than 30 years with the Welsh Conservatives. They also discuss farming and what's he has in store for the Senedd elections. James then caught up with Plaid Cymru's Llyr Gruffydd MS and Welsh Conservative Samuel Kurtz MS on all things farming and the latest news. He rounded of the busy day in an interview with Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies who is also the Minister for Rural Affairs.

It's the last week of the Senedd term and Fliss and Political Correspondent Dan Davies dive into the debate about devolution of justice and whether Westminster will pass over more powers. They are then joined by BBC Wales' Environment Correspondent to discuss the new Sustainable Farming Scheme proposals and whether the Welsh Government has done enough to get farmers and environmentalists both on board.

Send us a textAll political parties making up the Senedd in Wales were formally approached by the Women's Rights Network in Wales to have us come and speak with them about the importance of immediately complying with the Equality Act 2010 further to legal language clarification by the UK Supreme Court on 16th April 2025.Only the Welsh Conservative party took up the offer, inviting WRN in Wales to speak at their 2025 conference in Llangollen, Denbighshire.WRN Wales launched its ongoing campaign #StepUpSenedd on Tuesday, 13th May 2025 on the steps of the Welsh Senedd; it marked the beginning of ongoing actions that will ensure all members of the Welsh Senedd will hear 51% of the population.If you enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to hear more, go to womensrights.network/wrn-podcast to listen, download and subscribe to more of our episodes. And if you'd like to join our conversations, go to womensrights.network/join-wrn

James is joined by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance Mark Drakeford to discuss taxes on tourism, budgets, taxing the wealthiest and the most recent Senedd polling. BBC Wales' Political Editor, Gareth Lewis, then joins the pod to dig into the detail of their discussion and also mops up another busy week in Welsh politics.

Could Reform UK get their first taste of government next year? They're the biggest party for Welsh voters, according to exclusive polling from More in Common ahead of the Senedd elections next year.  But what does this mean for Labour? The party was founded in Wales and since devolution in 1999, they've run the government there. Are they now scared of Reform?  So in this extra episode of Electoral Dysfunction, Beth meets Wales's first female First Minister – Labour's Eluned Morgan. She's also been taking the temperature with a group of Welsh voters.   They talk about the "Farage surge" in Wales ahead of the Senedd elections next May as Baronness Morgan admits the threat from Reform is "very serious" and that Labour have got "a lot of work to do" to stay in power.   Also – the first minister attempts to swerve rating the Keir Starmer's first year... but Beth's not letting her get away with it.   Remember, you can also watch us on YouTube

It's been a year since the UK General Election and James and Fliss look back at what's been a busy year in politics. They also talk about the challenges faced by UK Labour over the past week and the impact on the Welsh Government and Senedd election hopes with the latest U-turn on welfare reform. BBC Wales' Political Editor and Westminster Correspondent join the pod to report back on their very busy week.

Send us a textA month on from the UK Supreme Court's landmark ruling that the legal definition of woman within equality law refers to biological sex, WRN Wales held the Welsh Senedd to account. The #StepUpSenedd campaign was launched on the steps of the Welsh Parliament in Cardiff Bay.  Women from across Wales gathered with a clear message for politicians - no more excuses, comply with the law!Hear women set out the positive impact of the court ruling for all females, from school girls to vulnerable older women, from females deserving of safety in night clubs to the legal right to same sex intimate care delivered within the home.The Welsh government remains in breach of UK equality law and is showing little interest in correcting course.The Women's Rights Network in wales continually fights for the sex based rights of every woman and girl in Wales and across the world.If you enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to hear more, go to womensrights.network/wrn-podcast to listen, download and subscribe to more of our episodes. And if you'd like to join our conversations, go to womensrights.network/join-wrn

Felicity is joined by PA's Political Editor David Hughes and BBC Political Correspondent Teleri Glyn Jones to discuss UK Labour's welfare cuts and whether the rebellion from MP's will result in a climbdown from the Prime Minister. Fliss then speaks to a GP from Powys and a palliative care consultant about why they are for and against the assisted dying bill. Professor Emyr Lewis talks through the constitutional challenges and what happens if the Senedd doesn't support the bill.

Money, Money, Money... James and Fliss speak to three Senedd politicians and two political editors about the UK government's upcoming Spending Review. And... following an inquiry by the Welsh Affairs Committee - what are the challenges facing Welsh farmers in 2025?

A new law which is intended to protect nature and reverse the loss of wildlife has been introduced by the Welsh Government. The Environment Bill aims to allow members of the public to challenge organisations in Wales, including councils, on environmental issues such as water pollution. If passed, it will set up a new Office of Environmental Governance, to enforce environmental law, and Ministers in the Senedd will have to set targets to reduce pollution and manage ecosystems.We visit Down Land Traditional Meats in West Sussex, where the owner says increasing financial strain and red tape is putting the future of small abattoirs at risk. The closure of abattoirs has been a long standing trend - in the 1970s the UK had 2 and half thousand abattoirs...but that had dropped to just 203 by 2023.And we find out about a high-tech cattle handling crate that incorporates software to monitor animals. It can minimise manual handling by drafting animals - where a herd is separated into smaller groups - by itself. Presented by Anna Hill Produced by Heather Simons

Julie Morgan MS, Lord Wigley and Anthony Pickles dissect the latest polling with a year to go until the Senedd elections. Ian Gerrard, head of Ysgol Aberconwy discusses the use of smartphones in schools and their effect on behaviour. NUS Wales president Deio Owen talks about the possible plan to allow free movement of students across Europe and Dr Anne Harrington from Cardiff University reminds us that the second world war continued in the pacific after VE day, ending only with atomic warfare. Journalist Abbie Wightwick and conservative group leader at Monmouthshire council, Richard John review the papers.

It's one year to go until the 2026 Senedd elections, and Fliss and James are joined by a panel of politicians to discuss the long road ahead. The Welsh Government's Minister for Delivery, Julie James MS; the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, Darren Millar MS; and Plaid Cymru's Leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, talk about what's to come. The podcast is then joined by Dr Jac Larner, from Cardiff University's Welsh Governance Centre, to discuss recent polling.

Professor Sir John Curtice takes us through the data on the closest by-election since the second world war and local elections in England. Niki Savva joins us from Canberra with the latest on the Australian general election. Neha Mukherjee explains why the US wants the deal on Ukrainian minerals so much. Professor Richard Wyn Jones looks ahead to the Senedd 2026 election, and Councillor Calum Davies tells us why he thinks the Conservatives should embrace getting rid of the Senedd.Sandra Loy from Cardiff Journalism School and Alex Barros-Curtis MP review the papers.

This week, Politics Weekly UK is on the road in south-east Wales, hearing from those in traditional Labour heartlands. But with people increasingly frustrated that public services are crumbling and that nothing seems to change, Nigel Farage's party fancies its chances at next year's Senedd elections. John Harris asks why Reform UK is on the rise in Wales and what it tells us about the future of British politics. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

Nick is joined by ITV and Sky broadcaster Matt Chapman to take a Friday canter around the racing world. Guests today include Michael Buckley, who is relaxed in conversation with Nick as Constitution Hill begins his build up towards regaining his Champion Hurdle crown. Also on today's show, ARC Regional Director Phil Bell - responsible for two of the Welsh racecourses - offers reassurance as regards relations with the Senedd on the back of the proposed greyhound ban. Plus, in Riyadh, Nick talks to Kenny McPeek about Saudi Cup hopeful Rattle 'N Roll as well as his likely Epsom Derby contender, plans to bring Kentucky Derby hero Mystik Dan to Royal Ascot, and the reappearance of Thorpedo Anna. Naohiro Goda has the lowdown on the Japanese challenge, while HBA's Frank Sale spins through TV options for the worldwide audience. Nick and Matt also have plenty of chat on the UK action this weekend.

Ukrainian journalist Romeo Kokriatski joins us from Kyiv to discuss developments on the Ukraine-Russian war. Higher Education Minister Vikki Howells is with us to discuss university funding and falling numbers enrolling for higher education. Mick Antoniw MS talks about the Senedd's upcoming standards committee's report on deliberate deception. As Germany prepares to go to the polls, Professor of German Andrea Hammel discusses the main issues in the election. And Richard O'Brien tells us more about the work of Margaret Lloyd George during the first world war.