My new independence and
"all things big picture" site, State of Wales, launched yesterday. It's the first of three new sites coming over the next few
month...
This site is no longer updated
Please use the links in the sidebar to visit the new sites!
Tuesday, 1 August 2017
Monday, 31 July 2017
Senedd Watch - July 2017
This is
the final "Senedd Watch" post - and my final post relating
to Welsh politics on Oggy Bloggy Ogwr - before I launch Senedd Home
in September. While this has never been the most read feature, I know
it's useful to some people. There'll be an equivalent of this on
Senedd Home, but at the moment I intend for it to be...
Saturday, 22 July 2017
End of Term Report 2016/17
As is tradition, here's
my verdict on how the Welsh Government and opposition leaders have
performed in the first year of the Fifth Assembly.
...
Thursday, 20 July 2017
Cardiff-Swansea electrification zapped by UK Government
Rail electrification
between Cardiff & Swansea (including Bridgend) was promised by a
Conservative-led government in 2012. Five years later they've scrapped it.
I'm not surprised as
we've been softened up for this news. It's happened the same week the
first round of contracts (worth £6.6billion) for the (estimated)
£56billion...
Tuesday, 18 July 2017
FMQs: RIFW Redux, Tuition Fees & Parking Fines
The final
FMQs of the 2016-17 Assembly term took place this afternoon and it's
also the final FMQs covered on this site.
...
Thursday, 13 July 2017
Growing Pains: Senedd demands specialist arthritis service
(Pic : stephencataldo.com)
Arthritis is perhaps
stereotyped as an "old person's disease" caused by
joint wear and tear, but there are a number of arthritis and arthritis-like
conditions that can strike at any age such as juvenile idiopathic
arthritis, lupus and fibromyalgi...
Tuesday, 11 July 2017
FMQs: Mind Your Language
The
penultimate FMQs of the 2016-17 term, and although there's still a
lot of heat being generated on the Circuit of Wales saga (yet again)
it's not generating much light at the moment but that might soon be about to change.
...
Saturday, 8 July 2017
Right to Buy ban "needs explaining"
(Pic: The Guardian)
The Communities
Committee published their Stage One report on the Abolition of Right to Buy Bill yesterday (pdf). In summary, their recommendations
were tha...
Tuesday, 4 July 2017
Sunday, 2 July 2017
Senedd committee calls for more medical school places
(Pic : BBC Wales)
Medicine is already one
of the most competitive and academically-demanding university
courses. On top of that it's becoming a struggle for Wales to recruit and train
tomorrow's doctors – subject to an inquiry by the Health &
Social Care Committee (pdf).
...
Saturday, 1 July 2017
Welsh rail franchise & Metro: Still on track?
The current franchise
to run passenger trains in Wales and English border counties –
presently held by Arriva Trains Wales – expires in October 2018.
For the first time, the Welsh Government will award the new
franchise, which will include the South Wales Metro.
...
Friday, 30 June 2017
Senedd Watch - June 2017
The Welsh
Government publicly revealed Aston Martin received £5.8million
in repayable business finance, following a ruling by the UK
Information Commissioner in May 2017. The new plant is expected to
employ 750 people at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorg...
Thursday, 29 June 2017
Senedd sceptical about snare use (but stop short of a ban)
The
Environment Committee stopped short of calling for an immediate
ban on the use of snares (to trap pests) in their latest inquiry report
(pdf) but have displayed a certain level of scepticism....
Tuesday, 27 June 2017
FMQs: Circuit of Wales, Stressed Teachers & Gambling
Here are
the highlights of this afternoon's First Minister's Questions which,
as you might expect, was dominated by the Welsh Government's decision
earlier today not to underwrite the Circuit of Wales project in
Blaenau Gwent.
...
Monday, 26 June 2017
Clear vision needed for post-Brexit regional funds
(Pic : Getty images)
The Senedd's External
Affairs Committee have called for the Welsh Government to start
planning for a post-Brexit, post-EU funding Wales in a new inquiry report published
last week (pdf...
Thursday, 22 June 2017
Committees Bite Size #5: June 2017
I thought I'd done the last of these, but there's room for at least one mor...
Tuesday, 20 June 2017
FMQs: Brexit, Recycling & Grenfell Tower
Things are starting to get back to normal after the general election (ha!) so it's back to the grind for me with the latest First Minister's Questions from the Sened...
Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Senedd Watch - May 2017
Labour
lost 107 seats in Welsh local council elections on May 4th.
However, they managed to retain control of Cardiff, Swansea and
Newport councils. Labour lost control of Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and
Blaenau Gwent councils, but despite this the results were said to be
“not as bad as expected”.
Plaid Cymru gained 33...
