Don’t just exclusively focus on Cardiff to grow Wales.

The news that furniture company Triumph has entered administration is a timely reminder that the Welsh economy remains threatened by the unprecedented cuts in public spending. The company blamed a slump in orders from the public sector for its problems, and immediately laid off 110 workers, with a…

Getting the community involved must not increase inequality

Headlines around the Big Society dominate the media. These seem to principally concern the devolving of decision-making and the running of community facilities by an army of willing volunteers. The people of Wales have a strong tradition and history of challenging inequality.  The pioneers of mutualism and cooperation looked…

Where next for the Assembly and older people?

Since gaining primary law-making powers in 2007, the National Assembly has legislated in a number of areas.  However, three pieces of legislation stand out as being particularly relevant to older people in Wales:  the Carers Strategies Measure; the Social Care Charges Measure; and the Mental Health Measure. In reality…

What’s the point of careers advice?

As this year’s school-leavers gear up for their GCSEs and A levels, the prospects ahead are pretty bleak, with limited job opportunities, and fewer FE and HE places.  At such a time, advice on options ought to be absolutely critical….

What ‘yes’ will mean for workers in the public sector

In the run up to the 3 March, UNISON Cymru/Wales campaigned hard to ensure that a ‘Yes’ vote was returned in the referendum for more effective law making powers for the Welsh Assembly. UNISON firmly believed that a ‘Yes’ vote would be of benefit to our members and their…

It isn’t just fees that put people off university

In an effort to ensure that fees of £9,000 won’t deter people from poorer backgrounds going to university, those institutions that wish to charge the full amount will have to spend 10 per cent of that fee on improving access for poorer students. The new guidelines from the…

Online and On Message

Part of the success of the Yes for Wales campaign last week was that we used social media effectively. Our approach combined traditional and modern campaigning tactics to persuade people to vote in the referendum on Assembly powers. In the absence of officially designated campaigns, thanks to the decision…

Happy Birthday

No, it’s not a post about the referendum – it’s celebrating our birthday instead. The Bevan Foundation is 10 years old this week, and it’s as a good a moment as any to take stock.  Not only are we still here but our income, membership and staff have all…

A Raw Deal for Wales

Since the Coalition came into being it has liked to talk about transparency and fairness in politics. However, the passing of the Constituencies Bill is anything but and represents a raw deal for Wales.

The reduction in the number of Members of the House of Commons proposed by the Bill…

Next time there is a boom, we need to make sure all areas benefit.

The news that the growth forecast has been revised down further offers additional evidence that the economy is not currently working (pun intended). The news of continued flat or negative growth is joined by growing inflation, and rising unemployment. These are three factors in a wider…