As I grow older, I wonder what legacy I will leave. What have I done, or could I still do, to make things better for those who come after me? When I’m seeking inspiration, all I need to do is think of my friend Esyllt Harker....
Yr Wyddfa (formerly Snowdon) is the tallest mountain in England and Wales. It’s a phrase that annoys some people. No one ever says Mont Blanc is the tallest mountain in France and Switzerland. Closer to home, we never see England and Scotland paired so frequently, even in the same context. So why are England and Wales so often...
I wish to begin this column by utterly condemning the choice of language deployed by the Daily Mail when referring to Vaughan Gething in a recent article. An archaic word was used, surely deliberately given the editorial process there, which provoked a high-click-rate reaction from readers. I believe that behaviour to be...
On Easter Saturday I explored Newtown, Powys. I photographed impressive buildings, visited the fascinating Robert Owen Museum, and squeezed in a cheeky pint before heading back to the Valleys on the T4. For the uninitiated, the T4 is the bus route between Cardiff and mid-Wales....
The idea that independence for Wales or Scotland must be mandated by a referendum has gained currency and become most people’s assumption, but there’s no legal or historical basis for it. If we want independence, growing the economy matters far more than winning a referendum....
Let’s picture the late 1390s and early 1400s, the years when Owain Glyndŵr was transformed from loyal subject of the English crown to rebel Prince of Wales. People travelled. In Glyndŵr’s time knights, yeomen, and peasants joined crusades against the Baltic pagans, or the Turks threatening Hungary’s borders. Others may...
Ask someone, “What is defence?” They’ll probably say something along the lines of it being the act of protecting oneself, another person, or some cherished object....
Councillors in Gwynedd have raised concerns over “unacceptable” planned cuts to an “immensely important” Welsh railway line. They say the Cambrian Coast line provides an important service for locals accessing shops, jobs, and services, and is a popular route for tourists....
It’s been 25 years since devolution began and self-government returned to Wales. Devolution started with the Welsh Assembly and developed into Wales having its own national parliament, which will be comparable in scale to those of similar-sized countries from 2026 onwards, when it expands to 96 members. Wales took an important...
In a recent article, Jeremy Brookman argued that Cymru should join NATO. And several articles have been published that attempt to identify the military resources Cymru should have on the basis of comparison to other small European nations....
On Tuesday morning, Nation.Cymru revealed a major scoop which, if true, shows that Vaughan Gething misled the Covid-19 Inquiry when he gave evidence to it. A leaked iMessage emerged in which Gething states, “I’m deleting the messages in this group. They can be captured in an FOI [Freedom of Information request] and I think...
March saw the highest rate of the potentially “dangerous” disease called whooping cough in a decade, Public Health Wales warned. Statistics revealed there were more cases in Wales in one week of March 2024 than the whole of 2021 and 2022 combined. Pregnant women and those with young children are being urged to get a vaccine...
As many of us work towards independence, we need a vision of what a free Wales might be like. A broad agreement on the fundamental aspects of our national identity and goals, which can be shared across the political spectrum. This would form a foundation of shared values that can exist above the cut and thrust of everyday...
The Labour-led Welsh Government loves to highlight the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. So why is it so comfortable in underfunding, belittling the staff of, and destroying our world-renowned national institutions? Whether it be our museums, opera companies, publications, or library, the Welsh Labour Government...
Eryri’s national park is among the top 10 places in the UK for an ‘off-road’ camping experience. And campervan and motorhome touring is also on the increase. Eryri received 12,000 searches per year for ‘wild camping’ according to research carried out by British automotive online marketplace Auto Trader....
Recent figures reveal the scale of the cost of living crisis across Wales. Nearly two-thirds of those questioned in the country (65%) feel forced to make financial cuts of some kind, while some admit to feeling “financially desperate”....
In a recent article, I discussed scenario planning exercises. These involve combining current trends and trying to imagine how the combination will develop, what the consequences might be, and what strategies are needed in response. One such exercise leads me to wonder about our education system....
The absurd pantomime over 20mph continues. Our National Museum is collapsing (literally). And can our new-ish First Minister, Vaughan Gething, make it to the next Senedd Election in 2026? The latter is the biggest question in my mind....
The Welsh Government has clearly signalled that it’s about to make major changes to the way its 20mph default speed limit on urban roads is implemented. The new First Minister and Welsh Labour leadership have said they “hold their hands up” and that guidance “has to be corrected”....
A grandmother is campaigning for more road signs warning of goats in and around Llandudno after a small herd of the animals was killed. Four goats were hit by a vehicle on the A470 at Wormhout Way earlier this month....
A grandmother is campaigning for more road signs warning of goats in and around Llandudno after a small herd of the animals was killed. Four goats were hit by a vehicle on the A470 at Wormhout Way earlier this month....
On Wednesday 17 April, a multidisciplinary team of healthcare and economics experts will discuss the seminal report The Rational Policy Maker’s Guide to the NHS with members of the Senedd, at an event sponsored by Jenny Rathbone MS. The award-winning Welsh actor Owen Teale (best known for playing Ser Alliser Thorne in Game of...
A few years ago, I proposed a local clean energy solution for Cathays Park in Cardiff and its fabulous civic buildings, including the National Museum of Wales. The premise being to invest in onsite energy generation to reduce carbon emissions and air pollution – and lower running costs. The core of the project would be a...
Our Food 1200 and the Future Generations Commissioner are to cohost a Senedd discussion on Tuesday 16 April on the topic of food shocks. Is Wales prepared to face an unstable global food system? Because it will. It already is....
The Craig yr Hesg quarry, situated in the Taff Valley near Pontypridd, is touted by Heidelberg Materials as “a nationally important source of premium quality blue pennant sandstone for road surfacing”. However, this description reflects a narrow, cold, and detached viewpoint....
