The welfare state really does go to the deserving

The cuts announced this week to some benefits have predictably focused attention once again on the UK’s allegedly unaffordable welfare bill. Aside from the discussions on child benefit, which you can find almost everywhere, was the additional announcement that no households, with the exception of those households containing people…

Putting Children First

The Assembly Government’s consultation period for its child poverty strategy has just closed. In the Autumn, the final strategy will be published. The decisions made between now and then will be critical for securing children and young people’s futures and safeguarding the needs of the next generation. Both End…

The end of universal child benefit

The end of universal child benefit is a travesty. The benefit is paid to help families with the costs of bringing up children. Yes, sure a small number of people who get it don’t actually need it but as we know with any means-tested benefit there will be new…

Health and Safety rules are essential

Margaret Thatcher’s former trade secretary Lord Young, who has drawn up a string of proposals accepted by David Cameron, says a decade of Labour laws and regulations will now be torn up.

The assault on the excesses of the health and safety culture will form a key part of the…

Ryder Cup Rethink

Hooray! The Ryder cup has been a wash-out!

I’m not saying this because I don’t care about golf or the fans, but because I hope this will be the last time public money is chucked at a sporting event with vague hope that some economic benefit will follow.

Quite how an…

The Afan Valley, what the statistics don’t say.

The Bevan foundation has recently completed work examining 40 years of regeneration efforts in the upper Afan valley. We are launching the full report today at Croserw working men’s club today, and it will be available on our website shortly.

The Upper Afan Valley is one of those places…