Wales

Unhealthy consequences

8 December 2011 | Margaret Cuthbert and Jim Cuthbert

The Health and Social Care Bill officially only covers England, but its removal of the private income cap will impact on both Scotland and Wales through the Barnett Formula Read more

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Flawed fiscal thinking in Wales

23 June 2011 | Alan Trench

There are some curious elements to the proposed financial settlement for Wales. The first minister seems to see tax devolution as a way of securing economic levers rather than sources of revenue to fund public services Read more...

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Whither Welsh local government?

22 June 2011 | Malcolm Prowle

Structural reform is on the agenda for Welsh town halls, but we would be better off focusing on how to make existing arrangements work better through improvements in culture and management effectiveness Read more

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Are coalitions bad for your electoral health? By Colin Talbot

6 May 2011 | Colin Talbot

Well, they appear to be if you are the junior partner. The Liberal Democrats nationally and Plaid Cymru in Wales – both junior partners in coalitions – have fared badly in yesterday’s elections, whilst their senior partners have done much better. Read more...

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Fantasy and fibbing on the campaign trail, by Alan Trench

3 May 2011 | Alan Trench

As the election campaigns in Scotland and Wales enter the final straight there are a couple of things worth saying. Read more...

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What about the Wales Office? By Alan Trench

9 March 2011 | Alan Trench

Following the referendum result, Welsh politicians have weighed into debate about the role of the Wales Office.  Ieuan Wyn Jones, the deputy first minister, and Lord Elis-Thomas, the Assembly’s presiding officer, have called for its abolition and replacement by a ‘department of nations and regions’; that has been rejected by the current Secretary of State, Cheryl Gillan, and her shadow and predecessor, Peter Hain. There are news reports from BBC Wales here and here. (My own views about the issue are set out HERE.) Read more...

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Beyond cuts, beyond borders, by John Tizard and Michael Burnett

18 February 2011 | John Tizard and Michael Burnett

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The yes or no question for Wales, by Alan Trench

13 January 2011 | Alan Trench

The state of both ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns in the referendum on primary legislative powers in Wales has been a cause of concern for some time.  On the ‘Yes’ side, the problem has been the length of time it has taken to put together a campaign organisation and launch it.  Finding common ground took most of the autumn, but a chairman – Roger Lewis of the Welsh Rugby Union – was named before Christmas, and the campaign ‘Yes for Wales’ formally launched just after the New Year. (The ‘Yes for Wales’ website is here, for those interested.) Read more...

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Tuition fees: why Wales leads the way, by Malcolm Prowle

3 December 2010 | Malcolm Prowle

There have been several blogs (including my own) on the PF blog recently about the decision to alter the structure of higher education funding in England and impose much higher fees on university students. Read more...

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Welsh councils win out, by Tony Travers

24 November 2010 | Tony Travers

The Welsh Assembly Government has given councils in Wales an early Christmas present. Yesterday’s Revenue Support Grant settlement provides local authorities with an average reduction in grant of 1.4%, ranging from a rise of 0.1% in Cardiff to a ‘floor’ of -1.7% for most authorities.  While it is important to note that the Welsh RSG includes schools’ funding (removed in England in 2006-07), the relative generosity of the settlement will be viewed with envy in England. Read more...

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