Y Pumed Llawr - The Fifth Floor

Mar 09 2025 8 ep. 36 mins 20

Y Pumed Llawr - The Fifth Floor Podcast artwork

An insider guide to politics and government in Wales. The fifth floor is the where Ministers in the Welsh government are based. For 5 years Lee Waters had an office on Ty Hywel’s fifth floor and in this podcast explores what it’s like to be at the heart of Welsh politics.

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BONUS - Yes, Minister

Mar 09 2025 25 mins

BONUS EPISODEThe themes of the podcast were picked up by members of the Senedd’s Public Accounts Committee and put to the Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Government to respond.Here’s the unfiltered exchange.

7 - Sausages

Mar 05 2025 41 mins

They say that “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made”.This messy process is one of headaches Welsh Government Ministers face on the Fifth Floor of Ty Hywel . And this episode exposes it to public scrutiny for the first time.Lee Waters speaks with fellow former Ministers, advisers, and civil servants to survey the main frustrations faced by those workin

6 - Politics

Feb 17 2025 29 mins

Welsh Government Ministers only have an office on The Fifth Floor with the support of their backbench colleagues on the second floor, and with enough votes in the finely balanced Senedd.This episode looks at the art and science of politics that Ministers need to confront to get things done.Former Government Minister Lee Waters talks to former colleagues about the pressures faced in

5 - Friction

Feb 04 2025 43 mins

The Welsh Government sets the policies and spends the money, and the Senedd passes the laws. But it's local government that delivers much of the public services.In this episode of the Fifth Floor former Minister Lee Waters discusses with Welsh Government insiders how the relationship with Councils works - and sometimes doesn't work.The full set of interviews drawn on by this series

4 - Scrutiny

Jan 26 2025 38 mins

How are Ministers kept on their toes? What are the main sources of scrutiny of Government and how effective are they? This episode considers the theory and practice of the pressure points on decision makers.Former Minister Lee Waters takes into the fifth floor of the building where the decisions happen.The full set of interviews have been published by Cardiff University :https://ww

3 - Dysfunction (The Civil Service - part two)

Dec 15 2024 50 mins

This is the second part of a look at the Welsh Government civil service, and why Ministers are frustrated at the pace of change.Speaking to former civil servants, Special Advisers and Ministers the episodes explores the culture and structures that have developed which make it harder to get things done.The episode is produced, written and presented by former Welsh Government Ministe

2 - Constraints (The Civil Service - part one)

Dec 08 2024 39 mins

This episode explores the role of the civil service, and why Ministers are often frustrated by the pace of change. This is a two-part episode focusing on the impact of the constraints in the size of the Welsh Government, and the culture that has developed around it Former Minister Lee Waters takes is onto the fifth floor of the building where the decisions happen. The full set of i

1 - Pressure

Nov 23 2024 43 mins

Episode 1 - The pressureFormer Welsh Government Minister Lee Waters talks to Ministers and their advisers about the breadth of responsibilities and the volume of workloads faced by members of the Welsh Government on the Fifth Floor.Welsh Government insiders reveal the inner-workings of the dynamics of political life in Wales. The full set of interviews have been published by Cardif

The Fifth Floor - Taster episode

Nov 20 2024 5 mins

What goes on at the heart of the Welsh Government? Come behind the doors of the fifth floor of Ty Hywel and discover the pressures facing Ministers, advisers and civil servants.Former Minister Lee Waters talks to ten people he worked alongside for candid conversations about how Government in Wales works.The full set of interviews have been published by Cardiff University :https://w