The Welsh Politics Pod

With the Senedd election campaign beginning and parties choosing their lanes and their leaders, we answer some audience questions about what to expect next.

This week we discuss how the Reform group will perform inside the Senedd - will they play an active role in the parliament or will they disrupt and challenge convention? Also we ask whether the First Minister Eluned Morgan is going to lose her seat and what the consequences of that are.

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, political commentator and former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

Without using *any* Traitors metaphors, we discuss the beginnings of the Senedd 2026 campaign for all parties with 100 days to go until the election as some candidates begin to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.

What is repulsing voters from some parties, bringing in support to others, and where are the current - and future - internal tensions in the party coalitions? We also take in the raft of polls from Wales and debate how much there is still to play for for each of the parties.

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, political commentator and former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

The UK Government's announcement that it will be scrapping the roles of directly-elected Police and Crime Commissioners has - perhaps inadvertantly - reopened the longstanding debate about devolution of policing and justice to Wales that would bring it into alignment with Scotland and N. Ireland.

With PCC powers to be given to regional mayors in England, there is uncertainty about what will happen in Wales and how many forces will remain west of the border. Lauren, Lee, and Laura pick apart the debates about the future of these key public services and whether now is the time for this open sore (or 'jagged edge'!) in the devolution model to be addressed.

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your host:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Our guest:

Dr Ed Gareth Poole is a Reader in Politics at Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

Following our interview with Dr Ed Poole, an expert in the finances of Welsh Government, Laura, Lauren, and Lee get stuck into the politics of how Welsh Government is funded and address questions like: Why are some tax powers working and others not? Why is the UK Govt not scrutinised on its spend in Wales? Could a Plaid Cymru First Minister squeeze more money out of the UK Treasury? And many more...

Our previous Explainer with Dr Ed Poole: https://youtu.be/u-hdz9BNpiI

The Wales Fiscal Analysis Report we discussed: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/2977768/A-Decade-On-Reforming-Wales-Fiscal-Framework.pdf

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, political commentator and former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

In the first of our Explainer Pods, we're taking on a big subject - money! Our first guest is Dr Ed Poole, who leads the Wales Fiscal Analysis team at the Wales Governance Centre and takes on the mighty challenge of explaining how - and why - Wales's finances are the way they are, where the problems are, and what could be done to fix them.

On our next pod Laura, Lauren, and Lee will look at the other side of the equation and what political decisions the different parties might take to change the status quo for the better.

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your host:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Our guest:

Dr Ed Gareth Poole is a Reader in Politics at Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

We wrap up our series of Q & A pods with a question about why the UK can't be a 'normal' European country with rules and structures underpinning its different levels and territories of government. It's complicated!

Also, we close with a discussion of the potential risks of Plaid Cymru being too closely aligned to the SNP as both parties appear set to lead respective national governments after May 2026.

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, political commentator and former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

In our final Welsh Politics Q & A pod before Christmas, Lauren, Laura, and Lee tackle 'horribly male' politics in Wales, the fabled 'consensual politics' of Cardiff Bay, and, inspired by the conviction of former UKIP Senedd member Nathan Gill, express preferences of which countries would offer the best bribes...

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Full Pod here: https://youtu.be/wnlWwGyye_o

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, political commentator and former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

We continue our season of Welsh Politics Q & A pods with a debate about the merits of political parties parachuting candidates into constituencies, especially in short election campaigns as we infamously saw from Labour in Cardiff West (Alex Barros-Curtis) and Swansea West (Torsten Bell) in the 2024 UK election.

We also discuss the absence of progress on developing north-south links inside Wales during the period of devolution.

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, political commentator and former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

We begin our season of Welsh Politics Q & A pods with a massive question from a listener - Is there any justification for not having a specific Covid Inquiry for Wales?

Needless to say opinions and experiences differ here and we discuss the approaches governments took to the pandemic, media coverage, and relations between the different governments of the UK.

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, political commentator and former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

It's time to focus on the two 'main' parties of of British poltiics, who between them struggled to reach 14% of the vote in the Caerphilly. What can they do, if anything, to arrest their decline in Wales and maximise their result in May? And where does the power lie to make those decisions - London or Cardiff?

We also map out the scenarios that the Welsh Government can use to get its budget passed before March. Will it be a deal with the Conservatives, the independents, Plaid Cymru, or is the 'nuclear' option of an early election in the joint interest of Labour and the Conservatives as a super majority? Could we be set for one more 60-seat parliament? Laura thinks not!

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, political commentator and former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]