Ed Poole from Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre explains Welsh finances and the various ways in which we are financially disadvantaged by the system. Welsh poverty is structural.

Ed demonstrates how the financial picture for Wales is worsening and how the status quo is unsustainable. He also outlines the real fiscal challenges that would be faced by an independent Wales.

With big changes afoot in both Scotland and Ireland, a clear, sober and honest assessment of Welsh finances is essential to enable us too to make plans for our future.

This report is essential reading for anyone interested in Wales' future

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1767424/Wales_Fiscal_Future_FINAL.pdf

Dr Jen Daffin explains why we need a new narrative about mental ill health and how a collective, community approach will achieve better results in treating people's mental distress.

Sarah Rees talks about her experience of losing her job while on maternity leave and how that motivates her to work with others in a small charity to bring an end maternity, pregnancy and motherhood discrimination.

Elin Hywel and Meleri Davies work in the field of community development in Gwynedd. Cwmni Bro Ffestiniog and Partneriaeth Ogwen co-ordinate social enetrprises, co-operatives and community initiatives to provide sustainable foundational businesses. Self-sufficient and viable communities are created not with toolkits, but by connected, knowledgeable and committed people - the community builders.

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Historian Norena Shopland highlights some fascinating, yet little-known stories from Welsh LGBTQ+ history and explains why representation, visibility and diversity are so important in giving us the full story of our past.

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In this episode I talk with BLM & XR activist & Cardiff LGBTQ+ lawyer Hussein Said about the right to protest, democracy, war, capitalism, racism and much, much more.

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In this episode, I talk to 'Dylan' (not his real name) who outlines a vision for Wales which takes advantage of the opportunities that come with cannabis and hemp production. An incredible, sustainable plant able to provide medicine, fibres for clothes, alternatives to plastics and oil and more - it makes no sense for the current laws to prevail. In this wide-ranging chat, we imagine a Wales with a different attitude and progressive legislation, which learns the lessons from success in other countries.

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Niki Adams from the English Collective of Prostitutes tells me why the prostitution laws should be abolished, why the Scandinavian model is bad for sex workers, how mainstream feminist politicians are failing sex workers and what we can all do to offer support and be a good ally.

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Ali Goldsworthy, co-author of 'Poles Apart', which looks at political polarisation, talks to me about how and why people become tribal and polarised, how this impacts on our politics and what we can do about it.

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Tom Fowler, anarchist and animal rights campaigner, talks about police infiltration into left political activists groups, explains why we should be concerned and what we can do to protect ourselves from those who believe dissent is wrong

For less than a pint of beer a month, you can support the continued production of this podcast. Become a supporting subscriber on Patreon:

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