Walescast

36:22

One Year to Go

Walescast ·

2025/05/08

It's one year to go until the 2026 Senedd elections, and Fliss and James are joined by a panel of politicians to discuss the long road ahead. The Welsh Government's Minister for Delivery, Julie James MS; the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, Darren Millar MS; and Plaid Cymru's Leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, talk about what's to come. The podcast is then joined by Dr Jac Larner, from Cardiff University's Welsh Governance Centre, to discuss recent polling.

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40:24

What the doctor ordered

Walescast ·

2025/05/01

Fliss and James discuss a report from the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) about the issues facing the Welsh NHS and the ''urgent need for a turnaround''. They are joined by one of the report's authors and former GP Professor Sally Lewis and Professor Jon Barry, the Director in Wales for the Royal College of Surgeons. BBC Wales Political Editor Gareth Lewis then joins the pod to reveal comments from the First Minister about Labour party's MPs not standing up for Wales.

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38:46

Getting Wales Working

Walescast ·

2025/04/24

Getting more people into work is a key target of the Labour Government in Westminster. Wales has the highest rate of economic inactivity in the UK. The UK Government have recently launched a trailblazer programme with the aim of boosting employment support. Denbighshire, Blaenau Gwent, and Neath Port Talbot have all been chosen as pilot areas. To discuss the causes of economic activity, and how to tackle it, James and Fliss are joined by Public Health Wales' National Director of Health and Wellbeing

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34:44

ONS: What's gone wrong with the data?

Walescast ·

2025/04/17

The ONS, whose data is used by the government to help make decisions affecting millions of people in the UK, is under review following criticisms about its data. Fliss and James are joined by Professor of Economics at King's College London, Jonathan Portes who is also chair of the ONS Labour Market Stakeholder Advisory Panel. They also speak to Aled Maclean-Jones a former special advisor to the UK Treasury about the implications faulty data has on policy making decisions.

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41:01

How to Tackle Wales' NHS Waiting Lists?

Walescast ·

2025/04/10

Fliss and James discuss the Welsh Government's new plans to cut waiting times. The proposed changes are part of a number of ideas looking to improve the NHS in Wales. They are joined by the Welsh NHS Confederation's Director Darren Hughes to talk through the details revealed to health leaders by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. Professor Angela John then joins the podcast to discuss the launch of her new biography on Philip Burton, the man who helped propel Richard Burton to

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28:51

All Aboard: Welsh Government's Bus Plans

Walescast ·

2025/04/04

James and Fliss look at the Welsh Government plans to bring buses under public control. The proposals would see franchises set up and overseen by Transport for Wales. Joining the podcast to discuss are TfW's CEO James Price and BBC Wales Political Correspondent Daniel Davies. They look at what the plans say, how it will all work and what changes passengers could see.

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30:51

A Tale of Two Labour Parties

Walescast ·

2025/04/03

Felicity Evans and James Williams are joined guests to discuss the pressure Welsh Labour find themselves under following UK Labour's welfare cuts. Cathy Owens, Director of Cavendish Cymru, and BBC Wales' Political Correspondent, Daniel Davies, discuss the past few weeks in politics and the impact the latest developments will have on the First Minister, Welsh Labour and Wales' relationship with Westminster.

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41:59

Covid Five Years On

Walescast ·

2025/03/28

Fliss and Owain reflect on the week marking the 5th anniversary of the first covid lockdown. They are joined by BBC Wales' education correspondent Bethan Lewis, Bevan Commission director Dr Helen Howson and Swansea University behavioural scientist and public health researcher Simon Williams. They look at the impact Covid had and continues to have in Wales and the effect it could still have in the future.

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29:27

What does the Spring Statement mean for Wales?

Walescast ·

2025/03/27

Felicity Evans and guest presenter Owain Clarke are joined by the Wales Governance Centre's Guto Ifan to delve into the details of the UK Government's Spring Statement and what the announcements mean for Wales.

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35:32

Jeremy Bowen: War reporting ''Leaves a massive mark''

Walescast ·

2025/03/21

Welsh Journalist and the BBC's International Editor Jeremy Bowen has travelled around the world reporting on war and conflicts. His career spans over 40 years and has taken him to some of the world's most dangerous places. He says covering conflict ''leaves a massive mark'' but also finds the ''very best of human nature''. On this week's bonus episode of Walescast, he joins Felicity Evans and Bethan Rhys Roberts to reflect on his remarkable career and the personal toll of reporting in war zones.

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33:05

What's Behind Welfare Cuts?

Walescast ·

2025/03/20

Felicity Evans is joined by guest presenter Nick Servini to discuss the details of the UK Government's welfare reforms and what it means for Wales. Along with Steffan Evans from the Bevan Foundation and Edward Davies of the Centre for Social Justice, they consider the decisions have been made and why. They'll also delve into the impact that the Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall's announcement could have on those who currently receive benefits and those who might need them in the future.

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41:01

Yes First Minister

Walescast ·

2025/03/14

James and Fliss speak to Desmond Clifford, the former principle secretary to Mark Drakeford and Carwyn Jones. He also worked as the head of Wales' EU office in Brussels for a number of years. His career with the Welsh Government spans over a decade working behind the scenes as a civil servant. In an exclusive interview with Walescast he lifts the lid on what government looks like behind closed doors.

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28:53

Setting Targets but Missing the Point?

Walescast ·

2025/03/13

James and Fliss talk through the Welsh Government's overhaul of ambulance response time targets with BBC Wales' Health Correspondent Jenny Rees. They are also joined by Dr Becks Fisher, director of research and research policy at Nuffield Trust and Desmond Clifford, the former Principal Secretary to the First Minister, to discuss the point of targets and if they actually work.

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33:52

Book Club with Simon Hart

Walescast ·

2025/03/07

James talks to former Conservative MP, chief whip and secretary of state for Wales Simon Hart about his new book, Ungovernable. Hart said he wrote the book to ask the question "what went wrong?" between December 2019 and July 2024, when the Conservatives went from an 81-seat majority to a general election "drubbing". On his time as chief whip, Hart's book contains anonymised and shocking stories of MPs in various compromising positions. He also discusses the pandemic and his relationship with the

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38:47

''Chopsy Women Change the World''

Walescast ·

2025/03/06

James and guest presenter Gemma Dunstan discuss International Women's Day. Johanna Robinson, the Welsh Government's National Adviser on Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence; Monumental Welsh Women's co-founder, Helen Molyneux; and, activist and former MP for Swansea East Sian James, come together to look at what things were like at the beginning of their careers, where we are now and how far we need to go.

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39:47

A Path to Net Zero and Brain Gain

Walescast ·

2025/02/27

James and Fliss digest the UK Government's independent climate advisers report on how the 2050 Net Zero target can be met. They are joined by the Chief Economist for the Climate Change Committee, Dr James Richardson, to dig into the detail of some of the changes they are suggesting. They then speak to Dr Sarah Louisa Birchley in Tokyo about Global Welsh's 'Brain Drain to Brain Gain' report. With around the same number of residents in Wales as the number of Welsh people living outside of Wales, the

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45:21

The Politics of Lying

Walescast ·

2025/02/21

James and guest presenter Bethan Rhys Roberts look into a Senedd report on politicians who deliberately deceive. Members of the Senedd who lie could lose their seats under the Committee's recommendations. Mick Antoniw MS, a member of the Standards of Conduct Committee and formerly the Welsh Government's Counsel General, talks through their proposals. Baroness Fox of Buckley joins the podcast to discuss the issues she has with their ideas of policing lying. Bethan and James are then joined by the

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29:34

Welsh Labour's Budget Gets a Helping Hand

Walescast ·

2025/02/20

A Welsh Labour budget deal has been struck. James sits down with BBC Wales' Political Editor and our Education, Health and Business Correspondents to digest the details on today's bonus episode. With a little help from the Liberal Democrats the Budget is set to pass when its voted on by the Senedd in March. The deal, which was worth more than £100m, makes the Welsh Government's Budget possible as they are unable to get anything over the line without at least one opposition politician on side.

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35:55

Is there a place for faith in Politics?

Walescast ·

2025/02/13

Felicity Evans and guest presenter Elliw Gwawr discuss faith and it's role in politics with Canon Aled Edwards, Senedd Member and Patron of Humanists UK Julie Morgan MS and the FT's Whitehall Editor Lucy Fisher. Our Political Editor Gareth Lewis also joins the pod to discuss the quarter of Welsh Labour MS' who have announced they will stand down at the 2026 Senedd elections. That busy schedule is rounded off with a final farewell to Walescast's Producer Andy Fry who is leaving BBC Wales after three

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32:31

Tackling Knives in Schools

Walescast ·

2025/02/06

Fliss and James are joined by Meleri Williams, BBC's Swansea Reporter to discuss the Ammanford school stabbings. She was one of the first reporters on location that day and has followed the events through to trial. They are also joined by Owen Evans, Chief Inspector at Estyn, who discusses what can be done to tackle behaviour issues in school and how to stop the most extreme incidents becoming more frequent.

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