
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Guests include former Welsh government minister Lee Waters on the future of transport in Wales, political commentator and podcaster Lesley Riddoch and political scientist, Professor Sir John Curtice, on the future of the SNP after the Murrell crisis. Blair expert (he teaches a course on aspects of the Blair governments) and chief political commentator John Rentoul discusses the intervention by former PM, Sir Tony Blair, on the future of the party and Cold War historian Sergey Radchenko considers the political impact of a Russian drone hitting an apartment block in NATO country, Romania. And in the week when we've experienced record temperatures, Professor Bill McGuire looks at what the climate might be like in the 2050s. And in our regular series of introducing you to new politicians in the Senedd, we hear from Labour MS Shavannah Taj about the impact that her family and her teachers had on her politics
The new Plaid Cymru government's cabinet minister for enterprise, connectivity and energy, Adam Price joins us in the studio. As world leaders flock to Beijing for trade deals and better relations, we ask Development Reimagined's CEO, economist Hannah Ryder about the rise of China. As the selection process for candidates to the Makerfield by-election faces a few bumps, we discuss where things are with the campaign with the Liverpool Echo's political editor Liam Thorp. The Scottish first minister John Swinney is holding a vote on a motion on independence this week. Abbie Garton-Crosby from the National newspaper compares and contrasts the two different independence journeys of Wales and Scotland. And drinking in the House of Commons: Green MP Hannah Spencer wants it banned. Former Conservative chief whip Lord Hart of Tenby is with us with his view.
As we continue to meet new members of the Senedd, this week it's Sarah Cooper-Lessad's turn. She's Reform's shadow cabinet minister for children, young people and skills.
With Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting gunning for Sir Keir Starmer's job, Labour's Lord Peter Hain explains how his party got into such a bind. Plaid Cymru's first ever Welsh government has been formed. New culture and sport minister Heledd Fychan joins us in the studio. Reform gained 34 Senedd members in last week's election. Their leader Dan Thomas tells us his plans for the seventh Senedd. Where Reform succeeded, the Conservatives failed. Why? Former Conservative secretary of state for Wales Robert Buckland has ideas what went wrong, and how to put it right. And 100 years after the 1926 general strike came to an end, reader Stephanie Ward of Cardiff University reminds us how it all unfolded, and its significance.
Two new Senedd members join us to tell us all about themselves: married couple Gwyn Williams and Safa Elhassan, two of Plaid Cymru's three members for Gwyr Abertawe.
Plaid Cymru leader and prospective new First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth, Welsh Labour's new acting leader, Ken Skates, academics Richard Wyn Jones and Deian Hopkin, former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford and two Senedd newbies, Reform's Joe Martin and Plaid Cymru's Kiera Marshall join us to discuss last Thursday's election result.
It's a special election programme this week, with Professors Richard Wyn Jones and Ailsa Henderson and the BBC's Alex Forsyth dissecting the polls and ups and downs of the parties ahead of the Senedd, Holyrood and English local government elections. We'll have watchers of all colours telling us how the campaign has gone for them on the ground: Leanne Wood, Mark Williams, Sean Morgan, Wayne David, Gawain Towler and Lauren McEvatt.
After another difficult week for the Prime Minister, the Times' Patrick Maguire discusses his position. The ceasefires continue but what is happening with talks to end the hostilities in the Middle East? We have international peace negotiator Nomi Bar Yaakov on the programme. Education is fully devolved yet little has been said about it during the Senedd campaign. Lucy Crehan from the Centre for Education Systems and the general secretary of the teaching union UCAC talk about the new curriculum for Wales. Most parties claim to have fully costed manifestos, but are their financial plans workable? Guto Ifan from the Wales Governance Centres takes us through the figures. Des Clifford is a former civil servant and has published a booklet called Slouching Toward Cardiff Bay. He's with us to discuss the past 27 years of devolution and the challenges ahead for the next Senedd.
And in the last in our series of leader interviews, Labour's Eluned Morgan joins us.
With the latest revelations on vetting Mandelson and what the Prime Minister did and didn't know, the FT's political editor George Parker updates us. Israel have agreed a 10 day ceasefire with Lebanon. What does this mean for the fragile ceasefire in Iran? Former foreign office minister Kim Howells discusses. How should the next Welsh government deal with the health service? The Royal College of Surgeons' Jon Barry and Dr Helen Howson from the Bevan Commission have some ideas. The Senedd manifestos are all in, and every party has made their offer on improving housing stock in Wales. The Bevan Foundation's head of policy Mabli Jones is with us to tell us what the issues are. And what's happened to the 6,500 non-conformist chapels that were all over Wales at one point? The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales believe only around 1,500 are still in use as places of worship. Susan Fielding talks about the plan to hold a census of church buildings to see what's happened to them all.
And in our penultimate leader interview, it's Plaid Cymru Rhun ap Iorwerth's turn.
Despite a ceasefire with Iran, Israel continues to bomb Lebanon. We'll hear from Sabine Abiaad from Action Aid in Beirut. As the polls open in Hungary, what is the fate of Victor Orbán? Journalist Ivan Nagy joins us from Budapest. As the Senedd election campaign hots up, is the environment a sticking point? Abi Beck from RenewableUK Cymru and John O'Connell from the Tax Payers' Alliance discuss. Nominations for Senedd candidates have closed. How will the parties deal with the new voting system? Jess Blair from the Electoral Reform Society explains it all. And did you know it's Easter Sunday all over again? Father Jacob is an orthodox priest and explains how the orthodox church celebrates a week later.
And in our series of interviews with party leaders in the run-up to the Senedd election, this week it's Reform's Dan Thomas' turn.
Former diplomat and National Security Adviser, Lord Ricketts discusses the latest in the Iran war. Equity's Simon Curtis makes suggestions for manifestos that would help the arts. In the wake of the LA ruling on social media addiction and the Lords attempting again to ban social media for under 16s, Newport West and Islwyn MP Ruth Jones joins us. And as the sixth Senedd has now come to an end, we have two political editors in the studio; Wales Online's Ruth Mosalski and ITV Wales' Adrian Masters.
In our series of interviews with Welsh party leaders, this week it's the Liberal Democrat's Jane Dodds and the Green's Anthony Slaughter's turn.
With the war in Iran continuing, President Trump has criticised his NATO allies for their perceived lack of support. Former UK ambassador to the US, Lord Darroch joins us. With the covid-19 inquiry stating that Wales was more badly hit than some counterparts by the pandemic, Professor Dame Sue Bailey talks about what can be done to improve mental health. CEO of North Wales Tourism, Jim Jones sets out his stall on the newly passed tourism legislation. As the sixth Senedd draws to a close, Llywydd Elin Jones looks back on the past five years and the changes coming for the seventh Senedd. Professor Stefan Weber, director of the Museum for Islamic art at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin has experience of rebuilding war torn historical buildings in Syria, and has been watching keenly how the war in Iran affects important heritage buildings there.
In our first leader's interviews in the run up to the Senedd election, we have Darren Millar of the Welsh Conservatives.
From the publisher's feed
Political news, discussions and analysis from Wales, the UK and the world.

7,592 Listeners

1,046 Listeners

5,515 Listeners

1,804 Listeners

1,794 Listeners

1,030 Listeners

1,935 Listeners

77 Listeners

6 Listeners

403 Listeners

145 Listeners

125 Listeners

110 Listeners

187 Listeners

43 Listeners

3,171 Listeners

1,004 Listeners

1,007 Listeners

4 Listeners

3,151 Listeners

1,210 Listeners

95 Listeners

23 Listeners

4 Listeners

0 Listeners