Hiraeth - Welsh Politics

Dec 30 2024 239 ep. 45 mins 178

Hiraeth - Welsh Politics Podcast artwork

The home of modern Welsh politics - Cartref gwleidyddiaeth cyfoes Cymru

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Renewing Welsh democracy, half-a-loafers, and the best old people’s home in London

Dec 30 2024 54 mins

There are few people that have been at the centre of Welsh national politics for as long as Mark Drakeford. As a councillor, special advisor, Assembly Member, Cabinet Secretary, Minister, and First Minister - as well as leader of Welsh Labour - his experience is unrivalled. In this session recorded at Labour Party conference Mark is interviewed by friend of the pod Jess Blair (of

The Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales

Dec 28 2024 54 mins

We're closing out the year with a few pods that we couldn't quite find a way to squeeze in the feed earlier in the year, including this one which is an interview with Dr Rowan Williams and Prof Laura McAllister who co-chaired the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales. Recorded in October 2024 at Cardiff Business School and chaired by Sarah Lethbridge of the

Christianity and Welsh Politics

Dec 22 2024 49 mins

We've touched on the subject of religion in politics before but we thought we would round out 2024 specifically looking at the role of Christianity in Welsh politics. In some ways it could be argued that Welsh politics only really exists thanks to Welsh nonconformist campaigning that led to the first Wales-only legislation since the 1500s with the Sunday Closing (Wales) Act 1881, f

Getting Wales back on track, with Prof. Mark Barry

Dec 13 2024 52 mins

In recent years transport - and especially rail infrastructure - has been among the most hotly debated policy fields in Welsh politics. Following the disastrous franchise awarded to Arriva Trains Wales, the creation and subsequent nationalisation of the rail operator under Transport for Wales, longstanding under-investment in the network, and the infamous decision to decline full d

Dáil or No Dáil - The Irish General Election 2024

Dec 08 2024 48 mins

Although most Welsh eyes will only have been focussing on one result from Ireland over the last week - that of the Welsh Women's football side defeating Ireland in the play off for a place in the 2024 European Championships - there was a big result in the general election too! To discuss the results, campaigns, and political significance of the 2024 Irish election, we are joined

Community Development in Wales - a devolution success?

Dec 01 2024 37 mins

In the devolution era, Wales has invested (or has had to invest) at a national and local level in new and better approaches to community development. Designed to ensure that communities are able to express their own interests in projects, campaigns, and democratic institutions, these initiatives are sometimes backed by institutions, or grow out of ground-up community activism. Co

The History and the Politics of the Welsh Not

Nov 22 2024 48 mins

It's one of - if not the - most widely recognised histories of Wales. Irrespective of language, religion, or region, almost every child in Wales will have learnt about the infamous Welsh Not. How could a simple board on string, of which few actual examples persist, continue to be a touchstone subject for so many in modern Wales? Friend of the pod, and Professor at Swansea Univers

The Welsh Political and Media Landscape with Will Hayward

Nov 15 2024 56 mins

As we come to the end of 2024, we thought it would be a great idea to catch up with friend of the pod and leading independent journalist in Wales, Will Hayward. We catch up with Will about his own latest developments in terms of addressing an under-served Welsh news space, his outlook on the public and political mood across the country and take a look at the state of the politica

Wales and Net Zero

Nov 10 2024 52 mins

One of the less well known but perhaps more significant outcomes of the Welsh Labour - Plaid Cymru Cooperation Agreement following the 2021 national election in Wales, was a commitment to "Commission independent advice to examine potential pathways to net zero by 2035...". Shortly afterwards an expert group was assembled with former Pontypridd Senedd member Jane Davidson chairing,

The US Presidential Election 2024

Nov 03 2024 46 mins

Many of our listeners will share our interest, concern, and confusion about the state of politics in the USA. After the extraordinary times of the pandemic, chaos, and ultimately violence of 2020 Presidential campaign, many hoped for a return to 'normality' if not 'stability' in 2024. However, it was not to be. We arrive in early November with one of the most extraordinary campaig