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This site is no longer updated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...
Monday, 22 May 2017
Committees Bite Size #4: May 2017
A brief break from the general election today for summaries of
some of the reports that have come out of the Senedd's committees over the
last couple of week...
Thursday, 18 May 2017
Rhodri Morgan 1939-2017
(Pic : Wales Online)
The former First
Minister of Wales, Rhodri Morgan, has died at the age of 7...
Sunday, 14 May 2017
Oggy Bloggy Ogwr's Future
At the end of 2016 I
said I was going to "retire" from blogging after the local
elections....
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
FMQs: Gaffes, Circuit of Wales & Borrowing
This
afternoon saw the final FMQs before the local elections on Thursday
and the first since the announcement of the forthcoming UK general
electio...
Sunday, 30 April 2017
Senedd Watch - April 2017
A
British Heart Foundation report claimed 1 million Welsh adults were
“physically inactive”, with women 40% more likely to be inactive
than men. Physical inactivity is categorised as doing less than the
recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.
A
controversial £39million timber deal agreed by Natural Resources
Wales...
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Reckless Abandon?
The last day of term in
the Senedd always seems to throw up curve balls, and just before AMs
broke for Easter recess came the news – after a day of rumours and
counter-rumours – that Mark Reckless had left UKIP to join the
Conservative grou...
Monday, 10 April 2017
A Welcoming Wales?: Realities of Refugees Lives
(Pic : Wales Online)
Europe is currently
going through its worst migration crisis since the end of the Second
World War, and Wales is doing its part to shelter those fleeing the
Syria in particula...
Thursday, 6 April 2017
Automation: Resistance is Futile?
Continuing the running
theme of the backbench members debates this term - the "Fourth
Industrial Revolution" - AMs turned to automation, something
that was once science fiction but fast becoming science fac...
Tuesday, 4 April 2017
FMQs: Sport Wales, Gibraltar & Banks
This
afternoon saw the final FMQs before an extended Easter recess, which
will no doubt be taken up by local election campaignin...
Friday, 31 March 2017
Senedd Watch - March 2017
A
leaked document revealed that unless Ford's Bridgend engine plant
attracted future work, as many as 1,100 jobs could be lost by 2021.
Unions described it as a “kick in the teeth”, while the Welsh
Government said they would do “anything they could” to bring new
work to the plant.
The UK House of Commons Public Accounts
Committee...
Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Post-Brexit goals for Welsh farming outlined
(Pic : Wales Online)
Last week, the Senedd's
Environment Committee published its report on the future of Welsh
agriculture and land management (pdf...
Tuesday, 28 March 2017
FMQs: Article 50, NHS Deficits & Grass fires
The news
that the Welsh Government will refuse to bail out four health boards
dominated proceedings today, but the activation of Article 50 tomorrow
also focused attention...
Thursday, 23 March 2017
Coast with the most?
(Pic : The Telegraph)
Wales doesn't have the
longest coastline in the world – and the Welsh perhaps aren't
considered "seafaring" in the same way as the Cornish or
English. Nonetheless it's a spectacular addition to the
natural beauty of the country and could also provide a significant
economic boost, which was the focus...
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
FMQs: City Deals, IndyWales & Rough Sleeping
It
was a rather sedate edition of FMQs this afternoon (not that it's different to any other week) with today also marking
Carwyn's 50th
birthday 🎉 - to the jocularity of opposition leader...
Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Right to Buy set to be abolished in Wales
(Pic : The Guardian)
The controversial
"Right to Buy" scheme – a flagship policy of Margaret
Thatcher – is set to be abolished in Wales as part of a Bill
formally introduced by Communities Secretary, Carl Sargeant (Lab,
Alyn & Deeside), yesterday afternoo...
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
FMQs: IndyRef2, Drugs & Urgent Stuff
The
usual stuff was on the agenda today alongside an abnormally large
number of urgent questions (a few more weeks and I never have to do this again). Once again, Leader of the House, Jane Hutt (Lab, Vale
of Glamorgan), was filling in for the First Ministe...
Monday, 13 March 2017
Committees Bite Size #3: March 2017
Here's another round up
of some of the committee inquiry reports that've come out of the Senedd
over the last few weeks, including: ovarian cancer screening, two
Stage One reports on Welsh laws, the Kancoat grant scandal and
support for ethnic minority and traveller school pupil...
Wednesday, 8 March 2017
The Welsh Economy: On Solid Foundations?
(Pic : via geograph.org.uk
© Copyright Kev Griffin and
licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence.)
The latest backbench
member's debate – held this afternoon – focused on the
"foundational economy". No, I'd never heard of the term
either, but if you care about the future of the Welsh economy it's
worth...
Tuesday, 7 March 2017
FMQs: Aid, Air & Dogs
After
last weekend's “excitement” I was hoping to return to normality.
Plaid's Assembly Group have dealt with the issue in a refreshingly swift and
professional manner even if – despite what I wrote on Sunday - a
suspension seems too strong. As far as I'm concerned the matter's close...
Sunday, 5 March 2017
We need to talk about Neil
(Pic : BBC)
For the second time in succession,
a Plaid Cymru conference has been overshadowed by internal politics...
Wednesday, 1 March 2017
Senedd Watch - February 2017
The
UK House of Commons approved a Bill authorising the activation of
Article 50 - granting the Prime Minister leave to the start the EU
withdrawal process - by 498 votes to 114 on February 1st.
10 Welsh MPs from Plaid Cymru, Lib Dems and Labour voted against the
Bill.
The UK Government published its Brexit white paper...
Tuesday, 28 February 2017
FMQs: GMC, MS & FGM
Following
the half term break, the Senedd reconvened with First Minister's
Questions.....
Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Born That Way
(Pic : salfordstudents.com)
Earlier today the Senedd marked LGBT History Month for the first time via the latest
member's debat...
Tuesday, 14 February 2017
FMQs: No Love Lost
The
increasingly fractious row over Carmarthenshire Council's decision to make Llangennech School Welsh-medium-only continues. Plus, other questions
on climate change, scams/cold calling and the Welsh Government
“leaning” on lobbyists and the Third Secto...
