It's been an eventful year for Wales, the UK, Europe and the rest of the World. 2011 has been a groundbreaking year of change for billions of people around the planet for better and for worse.
Next year promises to be just as eventful. There's the Plaid leadership election, the local elections in Wales, Scotland and parts of England (including Boris vs Ken Round 2), the build up to the London 2012 Olympics, Euro 2012 and no doubt the economy...
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Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Top 300 and GVA figures - grounds for cautious Welsh optimism?
In The Boardroom
The Western Mail published it's list of the Top 300 companies in Wales on Wednesday. Although the same faces tend to be in the list year after year it does highlight how strong the private sector in Wales really is. It can always be better of course and the Welsh and UK governments should be working tirelessly...
Thursday, 15 December 2011
The Assembly's First Bill - Local Government Byelaws
Just before the Assembly went into recess, the Welsh Government laid the first bill since the successful March referendum in front of the Senedd. The Local Government Byelaws Bill will "simplify procedures for making and enforcing local bylaws".
Byelaws are pieces of delegated legislation passed by local authorities that can "provide an effective and flexible method of addressing a variety of local problems." But I bet you already knew that,...
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
What do we do with Cardiff Airport?
Hat tip to Andrew Davies AM and Click on Wales.
Cardiff Airport is in a hell of a state. Passenger numbers have plummeted over the years from a peak of around 2.1million in 2007 to threatening to fall below the 1 million number this year – the lowest passenger figures for the best part of 15 years. That's a catastrophic turn in fortunes for the airport and something that should concern Welsh politicians.
Niches, needs and propensity to fly
We...
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Perfidious Albion and where it leaves Wales
Cameron's veto was ballsy but do we really want the UK on the fringes of Europe?
Did Cameron call it right?
Being the only EU member not to sign up to a new accord makes the UK look like a socially awkward accountant, walking like "Rain Man" around Brussels looking in vain for sandwiches with the crusts cut off. Of...
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Welsh Government's reprioritised National Transport Plan
Local Government and Communities Minister Carl Sargeant (Lab, Alyn & Deeside) has unveiled the Welsh Government's reprioritisation of the National Transport Plan (NTP).
Transport has been one of the areas where, in my opinion, successive Welsh Governments can point to some success. We've seen multiple road schemes delivered after long waits, rail lines and stations reopened and a clear commitment to sustainable development.
Unfortunately I...
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Senedd Watch - November 2011
Business Minister, Edwina Hart (Lab, Gower), confirmed there will be no public money used to establish a Welsh internet domain name. Two not-for-profit companies : Nominet based in Oxford and Welsh company dotCYM are both seeking to create the new domain name.
Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths (Lab, Wrexham), set our her five-year plan for the Welsh NHS. She also rejected accusations by Plaid Cymru that hospitals were set to be "downgraded", however,...
