Building a stronger Senedd: Why size (still) mattersAlmost since its inception, there has been discussion and debate about a larger National Assembly here in Wales. Most recently, an expert panel on Assembly reform led by Professor Laura McAllister stated simply that the...Posted 19 Jul 2019
Legislation introduced to extend the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds in WalesDevolution to Wales has meant that we do a number of things differently from other parts of the UK. From having distinct policies around tuition fees for Welsh students heading to university, to bringing forward...Posted 12 Feb 2019
Wales is leading the way in building a better democracy, Westminster should take noteThere’s been plenty of talk at Conservative conference of how to win back young voters. But so far there has been little policy detail. What’s happening in Wales might provide some inspiration. This Tuesday, the...Posted 02 Oct 2018
How the new Welsh party leaders can make a difference on diversityHas there ever been such a time of change in Welsh politics? By the end of this year there is a chance that none of the parties in the Assembly will have the same leader...Posted 15 Aug 2018
Revealed: Abuse and harassment in Welsh politics is rife. Here’s how to stamp it outWe got a sense of the shocking scale of abuse in Westminster last year. But there has been relatively little heard about the issues surrounding harassment and diverse representation in Wales. It turns out the situation...Posted 12 Jul 2018
Why we need real leadership on democratic reform from the next Welsh Labour leaderWhat was always set to be an interesting Welsh Labour conference this weekend quickly became one for the history books as Carwyn Jones used his conference speech to announce his intention to stand down as...Posted 24 Apr 2018
Welsh Assembly must not miss this golden opportunity for reformPolitics in Wales has reached a critical juncture – and this week Assembly Members (AMs) have a big decision to make. One road would see exciting changes to the way politicians are elected, placing power...Posted 06 Feb 2018
Open letter – Wales needs an Assembly which has the resources to do the jobOpen letter from former Welsh Assembly Members responding to the National Assembly for Wales’ Expert Panel on Electoral Reform. Wales needs an Assembly which has the resources to ensure that the financial, policy and legislative...Posted 13 Dec 2017
Wales needs a stronger Senedd that’s fit for the futureIn 20 years of its existence – through the growth in the Assembly’s responsibilities to the expansion of the Welsh Government and its powers, one thing has changed very little: the Senedd’s capacity to scrutinise,...Posted 12 Dec 2017
An inconvenient truth – It’s time for more Assembly MembersJess Blair says the case for a larger Assembly has to be made beyond Cardiff Bay to the people it will impact. Having more Assembly Members isn’t necessarily on anyone’s Christmas list, but it should...Posted 06 Nov 2017