Senedd Watch - April 2013

Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister Huw Lewis (Lab, Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney) attacked the UK Government's welfare changes, which came into force on April 1st. He said they would have a “devastating impact” and that they made “the poor pay the most” for the fallout from the banking crisis. Natural Resources Wales – the merger of the Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and Countryside Council for Wales – came into being on April 1st. Chief...

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The rise of Europe's far-right

Has a shift on the fringes of politics to far-right and populist conservative parties in Europe been a recent phenomenon? Or is it more complicated than that? (Pic : The Guardian) Back in January, Human Rights Watch warned that far-right politics in Europe were becoming more mainstream. No specific causes were outlined,...

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The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Law-making

"I am the Spirit of Dark and Lonely Law-making. Ready to trap the unweary, the show-off, the fool, and this is the kind of place you would expect to find me." The Western Mail - and Glyn over at National Left - reported last week on concerns raised by the Electoral Reform Society Wales director, Stephen Brooks, about how legislation...

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The Welsh measles epidemic - How did this happen?

The measles epidemic is centred on Swansea and Neath Port Talbot but has began to spread into adjoining areas. How the hell, in the age of mass vaccination, was this allowed to happen? (Pic : BBC) The latest figures point to there being just over 800 cases of measles in Wales - most of which in Swansea and Neath Port...

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Census 2011 : Qualifications

Not "fik" at all by the looks of it. Judging by 2011 census data, Wales is - on the whole - rather well-qualified, but divided between three large "camps". (Pic : Swansea University) Census 2011 : What's stunting Welsh? Census 2011 : Losing our religion? Census 2011 : National Identity & Ethnicity Census 2011 : Disability,Carers...

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