Something Wales should be proud of

Plus an interview with the Lib Dem leader after she makes a deal with Welsh Labour

I am really conscious that this newsletter can occasionally become a bit bleak.

While I am firmly of the belief that it is the job of journalists to highlight issues and hold power to account, it can become a bit relentlessly miserable.

When I started this newsletter I defined its editorial stance as “pro Wales”. I have therefore decided to start this newsletter with something I believe Wales is doing really well. We will then look at some (slightly) positive news around NHS waiting lists before I talk you through some very illuminating conversations I have had with senior Labour figures.

It will finish with my interview with the Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds who has just agreed to support the Welsh Government’s budget and ask the question - did she get a good deal?

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What Wales is doing well - Taith

Obviously Brexit caused multiple examples of national self-harm. Perhaps one of the most frustrating was the decision to leave the Erasmus+ scheme.

If you don’t know, the Erasmus scheme allowed students, staff, and young people to study, train, and volunteer abroad. It was a great way for British people to build links abroad as well as immerse themselves in other cultures. Likewise, it enabled people from Europe to come to the UK. It was culturally and economically enriching.

Taith is providing opportunities for young people across Wales (Copyright: Taith)

As the protracted Brexit negotiations drew to a close the EU offered the UK a chance to remain in the scheme despite the fact we were leaving. In their infinite wisdom the Conservatives refused. Instead they announced they would do their own version called the “Turing scheme” in England. Since it launched it has had several problems including issues with the application process and those from disadvantaged backgrounds receiving less funding from the scheme's average monthly stipend than they would have under Erasmus+.

However, here in Wales we launched our own scheme called Taith (the Welsh word for journey) and it has been, from initial reports, really effective.

Here is some of the data comparing the first three years of Taith to Erasmus+ (2017-19) in Wales.

The number of funded unique Welsh organisations within each sector

As you can see the number of organisations taking part under Taith is higher. It is important to bear in mind that because Taith is ongoing some of those taking part are not yet counted in these figures.

When it comes to learners it’s good news as well but the data takes a bit of explaining:

As you can see Taith is only just behind Erasmus when it comes to total learners BUT, unlike Erasmus+, Taith projects are still ongoing, with many not due to complete until August 2026. There are therefore over 18 months of data which have yet to take place and is still yet to be reported. Taith anticipates that their numbers will significantly exceed those under Erasmus+ for a comparable time period once they have all been completed.

There are a few other parts of the data to which I want to draw your attention:

• The fact Taith exceeds Erasmus in youth is really exciting. Especially given the levels of child poverty in Wales

• The type of organisations using the scheme is also important. It includes many schools based in areas of deprivation, and a number of special schools and pupil referral units. Funds have also gone to a range of organisations who are working with some of the most deprived and disadvantaged people in Wales – including two homelessness charities, a charity supporting individuals with lived experience of addiction, mental health and the justice system, and organisations providing support and opportunities for disabled people. This suggests that Taith is genuinely providing opportunities for those with the greatest barriers, and for whom the impact of such an experience can be genuinely life changing.

• The budget Taith gets is REALLY small compared to Erasmus. They receive significantly more applications than they have money available each year, and as a result are only able to fund a small proportion of potential participants. It would be interesting to see what Taith numbers would look like if they had a budget similar to that available under Erasmus+.

This is an example of how being a small country can be an advantage

One of the biggest frustrations of covering Wales is that we seem to always be subject to the issues of being a small nation but are never able to capitalise on the advantages.

But in Taith I think we see a really good example of how a small but deliberately tailored scheme can really work well for Wales both in terms of enriching our young people but also raising Wales’ profile in the world.

The original budget for Taith was £64.5m. They have received £28.5m up to the 31st December 2024 to fund all their activities and have been subject to significant budget reductions and may find their budget further reduced in the future. It would be a real shame if this great project withered after being starved of funds.

Latest Welsh NHS data

It’s that time of the month wwhere I take you through the latest waiting list figures. I have covered this on social media so will make this brief. This chart shows the latest figures for Wales:

So in a nutshell, the situation is that the longest waits (over two years) are down by 740 in a month. This is good. However there are still over 24k.

Eluned Morgan has set the target that by May the figure will be down to 8k. This means that there needs to be a reduction of just over 3k a month from the next five months. This isn’t impossible. They did something similar between March 2022 to January 2023 where they went down about 30k. However, that was straight after the pandemic when there were lots of people on waiting lists awaiting fairly simple procedures. It may be harder if those still remaining are more complex.

The leaked report still raising questions

You will remember a few weeks ago when I published a leaked report into the culture within parts of the Welsh civil service. Well, within the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee Adam Price questioned Wales’ top civil servant Andrew Goodall on the contents of the report. You can see the transcript from that meeting here.

As you can imagine, if you have ever seen leaders of any large organisation give evidence, it wasn’t exactly the most compelling viewing. But I do think it shows the power of journalism to shine a light on issues that otherwise wouldn’t be highlighted. I hope for both the people within that department and the wider Welsh public that the challenges are being remedied.

“It has the feel of 2010” - Have Welsh Labour given up on being the largest party in 2026?

Before we get on to the Jane Dodds interview I want to give you an insight into some conversations I have been having with people within Welsh Labour over the last few weeks. I always spend at least a day a week in the Senedd in order to get a feel for what is going on and the mood within the parties. I also deliberately don’t spend too long doing this because I think that it’s hard to properly scrutinise people when you spend all your time with them.

During these exchanges I have really sensed for the first time a significant amount of people within Welsh Labour express that, perhaps, a period not as the governing party may not be the worst thing. This is very reminiscent of the last days of Gordon Brown when, after 13 years, the regime was feeling tired and lacking in energy/ideas. When asked about the threat faced by Plaid Cymru one Labour person said that Plaid could be Labour’s “life raft”.

Last week Jane Hutt, who is the UK's longest-serving female minister, announced she was standing down at the Welsh Parliament's election in May next year.

Vale of Glamorgan MS Jane Hutt (Copyright: Senedd Cymru)

This means more than a third (12/30) of Labour members will be quitting next year.

First things first, can I get a hallelujah? Welsh Labour have really needed a clearout and the fact that there will be a churn of politicians standing can be really positive. I am not going to single out anyone in particular but there is absolutely some dead wood in the Senedd that needs to move on (this applies across all parties). There are also some really effective parliamentarians who are stepping away.

It is no exaggeration to say that the number of active Labour Party members manoeuvring to try and get themselves on a list for 2026 is in triple figures. The jockeying and manoeuvring is reaching a level of nausea that only politicos can create. New people bring new ideas and new energy. I really believe that if you are in politics for the right reasons (i.e. you care and want to make a difference) that the pressure of the role is immensely draining and it’s hard to maintain the drive you need long term.

But if a third of the MSs (and a big proportion of the cabinet) are stepping down, is this a sinking ship?

I actually don’t think things are as bad as that (yet). Many within the party are delighted that there will be more space for newer blood. So while people are realistic that 2026 is going to be pretty tough for the party, I am not sensing any white flags (yet).

In Eluned Morgan they certainly have a leader who hasn’t lost her energy (yet). Thursday and Friday every week she spends on visits around Wales meeting and speaking to people outside of Cardiff Bay. Given the amount of time she has spent in politics, this level of energy is something to be applauded. Will it stop Labour having their worst ever Senedd results in 2026? I doubt it.

The Welsh Lib Dems deal - an enormous wasted opportunity or principled politics?