For Wales, See Wales

This week the pod welcomes the Welsh Government’s transport minister Mark Hooper.  The gang talks M4 congestion, a third Menai bridge, buses, trains and automobiles.  They dig into what the plans are to tackle Wales’ creaking transport network and what conversations have been had with Andy Burnham’s UK Government on Cymru getting the cash it is owed.  Oh and Wagon Wheels, lots of Wagon Wheels. Abo...

Another week in Welsh politics and Robin, Will and Mel are back together to digest everything that is going on. They start with hero of greyhounds Jane Dodds stepping down as leader of the Welsh Lib Dems.  They also look at Reform leader in Wales Helen Jenner’s video where she paid tribute to the victims of Aberfan while also saying she wanted to ban face coverings.  The gang then breaks down NHS...

We have a guest on the pod this week. Jess Blair from the Electoral Reform Society Cymru joins the gang to break down how Welsh democracy is broken and how we can fix it. They discuss how, despite everyone agreeing that systems need to change, it never seems to happen how it should.  Plus Will dazzles with his “cool” knowledge of Welsh local authorities - rock n’ roll… About FWSW 100 years ago if...

In this week’s episode, the For Wales See Wales trio discuss travel in both north and south Wales! Will, Mel and Robin dissect the discussions surrounding the Newport junction closures on the M4, as well as a third bridge from Ynys Môn to the mainland. With the King and Queen arriving in Cardiff Bay for the Ceremonial Opening of the Seventh Senedd, the trio divulge their feelings on the Royals. Pl...

This week’s episode marks two years of For Wales See Wales! Between celebratory cupcakes, Will debriefs Mel and Robin on everything that went down at the Plaid Cymru conference - the Party’s first since winning the Senedd Election. 140 days (ish) into the new Welsh Government’s term, the trio discuss whether the electorate will feel that Plaid Cymru are doing enough. About FWSW 100 years ago if yo...

With conference season underway, Will regales Mel and Robin of the goings on at UK Labour Conference. The trio dissect what the Prime Minister’s first conference speech means for Wales, and whether Ken Skates has a plan to turn the Welsh Labour Party around. The For Wales See Wales team review Welsh Reform leader Helen Jenner’s new shadow cabinet, with Joe Martin seemingly being appointed to a ver...

Recorded on the day that Nigel Farage arrived in Cardiff to announce Helen Jenner as the party’s new leader in Wales, the For Wales See Wales trio discuss his dramatic polling slump in popularity. Will, Mel and Robin dissect the ‘press conference’ called by James Evans to rule himself out of the leadership.  The team also return to Sarah Cooper-Lessad’s defection from Reform to Plaid Cymru and wha...

In a week where Plaid Cymru, Sinn Fein and the SNP met to declare that "Westminster's time is coming to an end" the gang look at the new agreement and the latest polling on Welsh independence.  They also explore the idea of identity in Wales. Are you Welsh? British? British and Welsh? None of the above? Let us know in the comments. Remember this podcast was recorded BEFORE the resig...

The emergency pod lever has been pulled as not one, but two big Reform stories hit Wales on the same day. Leader of Reform in Wales, Dan Thomas, resigns from his leadership post after he is arrested and released on bail. On the same day Sarah Cooper-Lesadd, a former Reform MS defects to Plaid Cymru…what does all this mean for Nigel Farage’s party in Wales, Welsh democracy and the people living wit...

The summer is in the rear view mirror and the For Wales, See Wales gang are here to chow down on some serious politics chat.  The team dive into the revelations from the undercover investigation into Reform as well as how they are using a two year old picture of some flags to provide a distraction. Will takes Mel and Robin through Plaid Cymru’s first three months leading the Welsh Government and a...

This week the For Wales See Wales trio are back in the studio! Robin shares his experience of speaking at an event outside the Senedd regarding paternity leave, or rather…the lack of! And Will makes an exciting announcement regarding a project he is part of to encourage more regional-focussed reporting in Wales. About FWSW 100 years ago if you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked...

This week there is no Robin, however his seat is not empty. Sitting in is none other than Fiona Stewart! The director of Green Man Festival discusses why this annual event is a key week in the UK’s music calendar, and the opportunities it brings to further showcase Wales as the land of song. Will and Mel quiz Fiona on Green Man’s initiative for developing new artists, the impact the project has on...

Robin, Mel and Will talk about fires, data centres and second homes. As fire rage around Wales we ask why some politicians have divorced themselves from reality?  The gang then looks at the masses of new data centres and breakdown the insane amount of electricity they are going to need. One planned centre will require more electricity than all of the solar power generated in Wales per year! Finall...

The gang are all back in the same room and the world is right again.  This week Robin, Mel and Will are talking about hundreds of millions of pounds being spent on a Welsh bridge (which is often closed).  They then discuss Dr Squeegee stepping away from his role in Reform as well as the fact that many in the Reform group seem to be falling out with each other. About FWSW 100 years ago if you had p...

In this episode, Robin and Mel are let loose without Will to keep an eye on them! The pair discuss the flooding in Gwaelod Y Garth and what this could mean for trust in Rhun Ap Iorwerth.  Mel launches into a horrifying impression of a Welsh Darth Vader as it is announced that Star Wars Cymraeg will be landing on Christmas Day. The FWSW duo ask what impact this could have on brand Wales on a world...

This week the For Wales See Wales team are joined by the Future Generations Commissioner, Derek Walker.  Derek breaks down the Well-being of Future Generations Act whilst the trio discuss how impactful the changes will be for Wales. Will, Mel and Robin test Derek on whether he sides with his principles or his sweet tooth…turns out balance is best. About FWSW 100 years ago if you had picked up the...

Oh good lord we have had 100 episodes of this podcast! How the hell has that happened?  To celebrate our centenary Mel, Will and Robin take listeners' questions across on a whole heap of topics from the best podcast guests to is there a space for a new party in politics. Thanks to everyone who has come along for the ride over the last two years. We couldn’t do this without you. Looking forwar...

This week the trio dive into the bizarre reality where Nigel Farage could lose to a bin. Could it happen? And most importantly, what would happen in Wales. They also explore what an Andy Burnham premiership would look like and why he is already off to a rocky start when it comes to devolution. The most important revelation is whether Frankee and Eamon had the better tune (if you know, you know). A...

This week, the For Wales See Wales team are joined by Dr Matt Morgan, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Honorary Professor for the Public Understanding of Medicine at Cardiff University. Matt discusses what life within the Welsh NHS is really like. Will, Mel and Robin quiz him on whether change can effectively be applied, and what the new government in The Senedd should be prioritising. As...

Will is feeling too hot and “struggles” (apparently). This week the trio look at the recent heat wave in Wales and how certain politicians are acting like nothing is happening.  They also ask the question why Reform are opposed to climate action as well as how much of their party's funding comes from fossil fuels… They also look more at what Prime Minister Burnham is going to mean for Wales....

Keir Starmer has announced he is stepping down as Prime Minister and Andy Burnham seems odds on to replace him. Robin, Mel and Will get together with special guest former First Minister Mark Drakeford to chew the fat on what has just happened and what it means for Wales. Mark Drakeford breaks down what he would expect from a Burnham UK Government as well as why he thinks things went wrong for Star...

In this week’s episode the For Wales See Wales trio get their teeth into even more data. Will, Mel and Robin compare which demographics voted for Reform in the Senedd Elections compared to the last General Election. In light of the Makerfield by-election, the trio ask ‘who should be a politician?’, and ponder the all-important question: Does driving a van make you a misogynist? About FWSW 100 year...

In this week’s episode of For Wales See Wales, Will, Mel and Robin dive into some juicy data on which demographic of voters turned their backs on Welsh Labour during the 2026 Senedd Elections. Spoiler alert: almost all of them! The trio then discuss Will’s interview with Welsh Labour’s interim leader, Ken Skates, and question whether his plan for rebuilding the party will save them by the time the...

This week the gang are joined by Dr Louis Bromfield of Swansea University to look at whether anyone could have predicted what happened in the Welsh election and to discuss their polling project: Horse Race Politics They then turn their attention to a Reform member of the Senedd, who said that people in Wales weren’t good at running things efficiently! About FWSW 100 years ago if you had picked up...

The trio are out in the wild with nearly 400 (yes 400) listeners at the Cardiff Glee Club to unpack everything from the recent Welsh election. They ask the big questions. What would have happened if Reform had won? Is this the best result for Plaid? Will Rock and Slaughter really come together to fight crime?  Mel, Robin and Will then put their credibility on the line to open their pre-election pr...