Walescast

41:27

Universities Challenged

Walescast ·

2025/01/30

James Williams explores the implications of potentially 400 academic job losses at Cardiff University for both the wider Welsh higher education sector and economy with BBC Wales education correspondent Bethan Lewis, Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute and Professor Dylan Jones-Evans of the University of South Wales

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32:01

Total Recall

Walescast ·

2025/01/23

Felicity Evans and James Williams hear from the chair of the Senedd's standards committee Hannah Blythyn MS about its recommendations for a recall system that would allow voters to evict politicians who have misbehaved from the Welsh Parliament. Fliss and James also quiz her about the circumstances of her sacking from the Welsh Government last year - when the then-First Minister Vaughan Gething said that media leaks of a ministerial group chat during the pandemic came from her mobile phone.

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42:47

Migration, Migration, Migration...

Walescast ·

2025/01/16

Felicity Evans and James Williams discuss immigration and what the situation is in Wales. They are joined by Professor Sergei Shubin from Swansea University, Ben Brindle from the Centre for Migration and IPSOS' Gideon Skinner to dig into the numbers and details. Timothy Hornyak, a Journalist in Japan, also joins them to discuss how an ageing and declining Japanese population might tackle their growing problem.

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59:00

Under Pressure

Walescast ·

2025/01/09

Felicity Evans and James Williams discuss NHS winter pressures with BBC Wales health correspondent Owain Clarke. And former transport minister Lee Waters MS reflects on the lessons he learnt from his time in government - experiences that inform his own podcast, "Y Pumed Llawr - The Fifth Floor". Billed as an "insider guide to politics and government in Wales" the pod draws on a series of in-depth interviews with other politicians, special advisers and civil servants - interviews that have just

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35:22

That was the year that was... 2024

Walescast ·

2024/12/20

Felicity Evans and James Williams break out the Christmas jumpers to look back at the blockbuster political year that was 2024 with the help of the Labour MP for Cardiff West, Alex Barros-Curtis, the Plaid Cymru MP for Caerfyrddin, Ann Davies and the Conservative's shadow Welsh Secretary, Mims Davies MP. What are their takeaways from a year that has seen three First Ministers and two Prime Ministers? And how will they fare in the traditional Walescast Christmas Quiz?

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32:19

Crunching the Numbers

Walescast ·

2024/12/12

Felicity Evans and James Williams crunch the numbers and dig into the politics of the Welsh Government's draft budget for the next financial year. First they hear from the finance cabinet secretary Mark Drakeford MS before getting the reaction of the new Senedd leader of the Welsh Conservatives Darren Millar MS, Plaid Cymru's leader Rhun ap Iorweth MS and Dr Ed Poole of Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre

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44:54

Resigned to his Fate

Walescast ·

2024/12/03

Felicity Evans, James Williams and guests digest the resignation of the leader of the Conservatives in the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies. BBC Wales political editor Gareth Lewis explains how events unfolded following a vote of no confidence - that Mr Davies narrowly won - and what happens next. Cardiff University's Dr Jac Larner expands on the findings of the latest Welsh opinion poll - which shows the Conservatives trailing in fourth place behind Labour, Plaid Cymru and Reform - and the challenges

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48:12

The Co-operation Game

Walescast ·

2024/12/01

On 1 December 2021 Labour and Plaid Cymru signed a Co-operation Agreement committing the parties to working together on 46 different policies in the Senedd - ranging from Senedd reform to free school meals for all primary school children. Three years on, James Williams looks back at how the agreement came together and what it achieved with two guests who were at the heart of the negotiations that sealed the deal. David Davies was a special advisor to the then First Minister Mark Drakeford. John

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40:23

Taxing Talk and DJ sets

Walescast ·

2024/11/21

Felicity Evans and Elliw Gwawr are joined by Helen Miller of the Institute of Fiscal Studies to dig deep into the changes to inheritance tax for farmers announced in the Budget and attempt to get a number for how many Welsh farms could be affected. And BBC Wales political correspondent Rhodri Lewis looks back at the Welsh Labour party conference in Llandudno - which saw farmers protesting outside and the FM Eluned Morgan DJing inside

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23:35

Getting Down to Business

Walescast ·

2024/11/15

In a bonus episode, James Williams and Felicity Evans conduct an exit interview with Ian Price, the recently retired director of the business organisation CBI Wales, to get his views on the state of the Welsh economy and the Welsh Government's policies to drive growth and job creation

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41:01

Inside Number 10

Walescast ·

2024/11/14

Former special adviser Jack Sellers has had a front row seat for the dramas that have engulfed the Conservative Party at Westminster in recent years. In conversation with James Williams and Felicity Evans he relives his time working for Boris Johnson's Welsh Secretary, Simon Hart and also looks back at his time in Number 10 Downing Street working for Rishi Sunak - including the General Election campaign that saw the party swept from power after 14 years

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30:59

Trump That!

Walescast ·

2024/11/07

James Williams explores the potential impact on Wales of a second Trump presidency with economic advisor Eurfyl ap Gwilym and the Electoral Reform Society's campaign to convince local authorities to adopt proportional representation ahead of the next council elections with Jess Blair of ERS Cymru

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40:00

Crunching the Numbers

Walescast ·

2024/10/31

Felicity Evans and James Williams are joined by BBC Wales political editor Gareth Lewis and Dr Ed Poole of Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre to unpick what Rachel Reeves' first Budget - with its tax rises and extra spending on public services and capital projects - means for Wales and the Welsh Government budget in December

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43:45

Debating assisted dying, devolution doubts and how a...

Walescast ·

2024/10/24

Felicity Evans and James Williams are joined by BBC colleague David Deans to look back at the Senedd debate on assisted dying that ultimately saw MSs vote against the idea. Grassroots Welsh Conservative Huw Davies explains why some in the party - himself included - would like to see the party commit to ending devolution. And the former Treasury special advisor Aled Maclean-Jones lifts the lid on what goes on behind the scenes at the Treasury in the run-up to a Budget

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38:06

Cross-border NHS co-operation. Plaid's annual...

Walescast ·

2024/10/17

James Williams is joined by BBC Wales political editor Gareth Lewis to discuss the continuing confusion over the increased cross-border NHS co-operation announced by the Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens at the Labour Party conference. Newly-elected Plaid Cymru MP Llinos Medi looks back at her party's annual get together. And on the 60th anniversary of the creation of the role of Welsh Secretary, the former Labour post-holder Ron Davies and Anthony Pickles - advisor to four Conservative Secretaries of

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40:01

Taking Council

Walescast ·

2024/10/10

James Williams convenes Walescast's very own Council of the Nations and Regions to preview the inaugural meeting of the UK government's new vehicle for strengthening its work with the governments of the devolved nations. BBC Scotland's Phil Sim, Jayne McCormack from BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Wales' very own Daniel Davies all squeeze around the table to try and work out what that might mean in practice. Plus Ed Poole of Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre looks ahead to the Chancellor

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37:24

Steeled for the Future

Walescast ·

2024/10/03

Felicity Evans and James Williams look back at the Conservative Party conference with the former Welsh Secretary Sir Robert Buckland - one of 175 Tory MPs to lose their seat at the General Election. What does he make of the four candidates still in the running to lead his party? And following the end of traditional steel making in Port Talbot, BBC Wales business correspondent Huw Thomas looks ahead to the future of Tata's massive plant in the town

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39:22

It's Party (Conference) Time II...

Walescast ·

2024/09/26

James Williams hears from Claire Hughes - the newly-elected Labour MP for Bangor Aberconwy - about the mood and messages emanating from her party's get-together in Liverpool. Also in conference last weekend was Reform UK. The party's Welsh spokesperson Oliver Lewis gives his take on proceedings at Birmingham's NEC.

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20:59

It's Party (Conference) Time...

Walescast ·

2024/09/20

Felicity Evans and James Williams look back at the Green Party's recent get together in Manchester with its Welsh leader Anthony Slaughter - and the Liberal Democrats' gathering in Brighton with the party's newly-elected MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick. With both parties returning record numbers of MPs to Westminster in the General Election the mood at their conferences was celebratory. But already their attention is turning to the Senedd elections in 20 months time.

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36:56

Getting the Priorities Right

Walescast ·

2024/09/19

Felicity Evans, James Williams and guests discuss the new First Minister Eluned Morgan's top priorities - as set out in a speech to the Senedd earlier in the week. Former health board chair professor Marcus Longley explains the challenges in delivering improvements to the NHS in Wales; BBC Wales business correspondent Huw Thomas looks at possible approaches to creating jobs within a greener economy; and BBC Wales education correspondent Bethan Lewis explores what the commitment to driving up

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