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 ‘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…

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…

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…

Metro system? or local investment?

Last night’s Week in Week out documented the reality of what cuts will mean for disadvantaged people living in areas of Wales that have long been in decline. The documentary, partly made by two sisters from Merthyr, brilliantly exposed the reality of what will happen with benefit cuts….

Assembly powers via the backdoor

Two bills currently progressing through Parliament, the Education Bill and the Localism Bill are, I sustpect, not getting much attention in Wales because they are ‘only about England’.  This is not, in fact, the case.  Whilst the headline provisions in the Bills are indeed about English ideas about free schools…

The third sector should be a complement to the public sector, not its replacement.

 

I was a little concerned to read last month  that the WCVA wanted third sector organisations to be granted the right to request the chance to bid and run public services.  In principle, there is nothing wrong with using third sector organisations to deliver some public services when…

Westminster still matters

Whatever the outcome of the referendum, Westminster will continue to be extremely important to the well-being of the people of Wales. Taxation, benefits and pensions, the economy, justice, defence, broadcasting, many aspects of transport and much more besides…

Student protestor too harshly treated?

Am I alone in feeling that Edward Wollard the 18 year old, A-level student who received a 32-month prison sentence last week for throwing an empty fire extinguisher of the roof of Millbank during the student demonstrations in November last year – was too harshly treated?

Wollard, like thousands of…