| Reform UK, 2026 Election, Future Generations Act 10th Anniversary |
A Political Diary |
| Interesting Things Said in the Second Quarter of 2025 , Public Life of Wales , June 30, 2025 |
3rd April. “Has devolution made life better for the people of Wales?” ran the question on an enlivened BBC1 “Question Time” that was held in Cardiff. From “Man in blue shirt”: “Under Labour Wales has become a nanny state. Two weeks ago the biggest story was should we be allowed confectionery at the front of shops? There's no vision. That's why a lot of people are turning to Reform.” Shavanah Taj: “The difference that I know. We have a way of working. When we have a problem we sit around the table together. That's employers, that's trades unions, that's government.” * * * * 19th April: Frank Morgan: “Welsh Labour’s only real hope in the next Senedd election is being able to present themselves as a productive partner to the UK Labour government—offering a long-term, positive vision for Wales. This vision can only be realised if Morgan is seen to be working closely with Starmer on behalf of the Welsh public. “Such a vision will only be taken seriously by the electorate, however, if Starmer were to take concrete action to address the long-standing grievances many in Wales feel toward successive British governments, and their treatment of this country. “Of course, some voters may not share those grievances. But as a party long considered to the left of UK Labour—at least since Blair—Welsh Labour will struggle to win back voters who’ve turned to Reform. That leaves them with the difficult task of regaining support from disillusioned, left- leaning voters who do feel those grievances acutely.” https://nation.cymru/news/keir-starmer-accidental-landlord-of-welsh-labours-future/ * * * * 21st April: Brian Coman: “These results will happen, and is self inflicted by the Labour Party by ignoring working class people in poorer areas of Wales, ignoring huge petitions and passing the buck to councils to generally ignore. Ignoring priorities like education, the NHS, and pollution levels ,the underwhelming transport system and the general state of the roads with regards to repair and traffic jams doesn’t help either.” https://nation.cymru/news/reform-would-win-17-labour-seats-in-wales-if-a-general-election-was-held-now-new-poll/ * * * * 6th May: “In Wales, we believe in an opportunity welfare state, one that supports people to move forward when they can and stands beside them when they can’t. But partnership in power should work both ways.” https://nation.cymru/news/first-minister-pledges-to-stand-up-for-wales/ * * * * 22nd May: BBC Cymru Wales reports gathering of senior teachers about behaviour in schools. Lynne Neagle: “discussions with stakeholders how to support schools.” * * * * June 4th: Matt Smith: “The Cardiff Bay Village takes blob politics to a whole new level. In his book “Ruling the Void”, political scientist Peter Mair described of [sic] the hollowing out of modern western democracies as “citizens withdraw from politics” and “elites withdraw from civil society into the state” amidst “mutual indifference”. “To paraphrase Mair, performative Senedd elections are “little more than dignified parts” of an elite-driven and enfeebled political process. Fewer than half of Welsh voters have ever turned out; 53 percent of eligible voters did not vote in 2021. Captured and weakly accountable institutions act as a political firewall against public expectations. “Rhodri Morgan, Labour’s second first minister and so-called ‘father of devolution’, saw that Cardiff Bay did not “have the wealth of think-tanks, universities and professional associations, organised interest groups and corporate lobby bodies and political consultancies of London.” Consequently, home rule took shape in the absence of an existing “Welsh political culture, Welsh policy making capability and peculiarly Welsh set of political processes.” “Devolved governments have resorted to astro-turfing a political process into existence. The two-dimensional Potemkin structures of the insular Cardiff Bay village are Welsh Government quangos, third sector NGOs, grant-maintained civil society groups, trade unions. and the permanently-retained activist class. Political off-takers within this infrastructure of incumbency, rather than devolution’s missing voters, are the key constituencies of the Welsh government, which is increasingly seen as the epicentre of woke idiocy. It goes on: the Anti-Racist Action Plan Wales (ARWAP) External Accountability Group advises an administration divisively committed to changing the ‘beliefs and behaviour of the white majority’. “...eye-watering £668m was funnelled to third sector organisations last year; a former chief executive of the Welsh Local Government Association warned Welsh civil society is “colonised by grants from the Welsh Government” politicising civil society. “Lord Glasman, founder of Blue Labour, recently warned that politically correct speech diktats create a hostile environment for working class voters. Patronising minorities and lecturing those deemed insufficiently progressive drives rising equalities fatigue amongst voters yearning for a ‘return to real’, as is shown by collapsing support for Morgan’s ruling Welsh Labour and Mark Drakeford’s call for a rearguard coalition of ‘progressives parties’. “Rhodri Morgan said Wales is a ‘blue collar nation’ that needed an ‘assembly of the werin (people) not an assembly of the crachach (establishment)’. Instead, the progressive corporatism of the Cardiff Bay Village has made devolution into a safe haven from, rather than for, democracy.” https://conservativehome.com/2025/06/04/matt-smith-the-cardiff-bay-village-takes-blob-politics-to-a-whole-new-level/ * * * * Senedd 10th June: Sioned Williams: “We live in dangerous political times. Our democracy is under threat, threats that stem from division...Their strategy is clear: sowing doubt, undermining social cohesion, and creating a Wales that rejects rather than accepts, that shuts out rather than opening and developing. It's a duty on us as representatives and citizens to take a stand against that, and to say that Wales belongs to everyone and that everyone must have a voice in our nation's future. “When women are in power, greater attention is paid to healthcare, to education, to poverty.” Altaf Hussein: “Welsh Government guidance on so-called equal representation really risks crossing a dangerous line, from promoting opportunity to the imposition of outcome. First, we should educate society, then tell political parties to understand what democracy means. It is the rule of law. It is liberty. It is freedom of speech. Duty co-exists with obligation, and that obligation is obedience, and that obedience is democracy, which eliminates deception. Adam Price: “For our democracy to be effective, it has to be diverse. Diversity trumps ability. It’s a piece of evidence in social science. It's rather ironic now, but it's true that, actually, a diverse group of people make better decisions than even a more skilled one, because those diverse perspectives are incredibly useful in solving our collective problems, and that's why we need the most diverse range of representation.” Labour’s Hannah Blythyn warned that online abuse, misogyny and homophobia are rife across society. She emphasised that diversity not only changes the face of politics but its focus too, saying: “It makes what we do and the policies that we produce so much better because we are experts by our own life experiences.” https://nation.cymru/news/online-abuse-of-politicians-getting-worse-by-the-day/ * * * * 17th June: Plenary: 10th anniversary of the Future Generations Act. Eluned Morgan: “The future generations Act is something only a Welsh Labour Government would have done, putting people, planet and long-term thinking systems into law. Ten years on, it's still driving change, from universal free school meals to green community projects. It's not just policy; it's the Welsh red way of doing government.” Carolyn Thomas: “So, do you agree, First Minister, that the Act is a pioneering example of how Wales leads the world in terms of forward thinking, and it's a great approach to governance? Jane Hutt: “Ten years ago, the people of Wales embarked on an extraordinary journey. Through a national conversation in 2014, we collectively answered a profound question: 'What kind of Wales do you want to leave for your children and grandchildren?' “Their voices became the foundation of the groundbreaking Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and today I'm proud to celebrate the tenth anniversary of this pioneering legislation by showcasing how our chosen path has driven sustainable development throughout Wales. Over the past decade, the Act has fundamentally transformed how Wales's public sector prioritises the well-being of both people and planet. This anniversary provides us with a valuable opportunity to assess our achievements and chart our course forward. “The Act has revolutionised our approach within the Welsh Government, particularly through our procurement practices. The socially responsible procurement duty now requires authorities to deliver the four pillars of sustainability—economic, environmental, social, and cultural well-being—through all procurement activities. This transformation ensures that public sector procurement becomes one of our most powerful tools for building a more equal, sustainable, and prosperous Wales. “Transport for Wales's community investment initiatives have been particularly impressive, investing in 44 sustainable impact projects and 22 legacy projects through collaboration with 54 partners, including charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations. Over four years, this work has generated an indicative social impact return of £7.6 million, creating green spaces, reducing social isolation, fostering volunteering opportunities, and promoting cultural projects that celebrate Welsh heritage. “In 2024 it received the prestigious World Future Policy Award from the World Future Council, recognised as a leading example of future generations policy influencing countries worldwide. In 2025 Welsh Government, as a member of the Wellbeing Economy Governments initiative, was honoured with the well-being award for making meaningful and effective contributions to well-being in communities globally through the Act. “I want to highlight how the Act is transforming local well-being in every Welsh community through our public services boards. These boards unite committed local public service leaders to assess and address their areas' well-being within our well-being goals framework. In their well-being plan, Gwent PSB committed to becoming a Marmot region, using collaborative, evidence-based action to reduce inequalities. This initiative is accelerating progress toward addressing the root causes of health and related inequalities across Gwent. “Across every Welsh community, local leaders are using the Act to benefit their communities and secure better lives for future generations. This collective effort ensures that our pioneering legislation continues to create meaningful, lasting change that will resonate for generations to come”. Julie Morgan: I believe we have led the world in the creation of this Act, and it is a prime example of our commitment to create a Wales that is sustainable for our future generations. I believe it does have the framework to provide a driving force to work in a more ambitious way. Jane Hutt: “It's a real sense of pride. I mean, there are so many times when people say, 'We're looking at what you are doing, Wales.' . “So, we have a long way to go in terms of tackling child poverty, but we have our milestones and indicators and a monitoring framework.” Carolyn Thomas: “It really is a landmark piece of legislation and a mindset that I believe values our country and planet, along with being socially responsible and a kinder place.” https://record.senedd.wales/Plenary/15147#C686572 |
Reviewed by: Adam Somerset |
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