So HS2 does still exist then. I'm sure Wales was told we couldn't have the money we're owed because HS2 didn't exist anymore 🤔

Quite remarkable that you can mess up a landslide victory quite this badly and quite this quickly. Labour had huge potential to achieve whatever it wanted to. Instead they are going the way of the Conservatives - interminable civil war.

Starmer still hasn't answered any question about the advice from Simon Case directly has he? It's a simple question - why was the appointment announced before vetting was complete, which went against advice. Dodging questions a very bad look.

I'm afraid it all stinks. You only had to be paying scant notice to Mandelson's decades long career, punctured with sackings, scandal and sleaze, to know that he was unfit for re-appointment to a Government position. And knowing any of it, you'd ask to see the vetting report at the very least.

The problem with Starmer's argument (well one of them) is that it depends on an assertion that he wouldn't have appointment Mandelson if he'd known he'd failed vetting. But he appointed him before vetting was complete.

Almost 1 in 3 adults don't have the palliative care they need. Palliative and end of life care has to be a top priority for whoever forms the next Welsh Government. We're asking people to join our call for action by signing an open letter that we'll present to the new First Minister 👇

Every time I see an even more unhinged post from Trump, I think nah, that must be fake. But then it turns out, it isn't. Surprised I can still be shocked. High time those with the ability to take action did so. This shit cannot continue to be normalised.

This sounds very similar to what Labour have tried in Wales with Plaid Cymru. And the polls tell you how successful a strategy that has been. Feels like those at the top of Labour still haven't fully grasped why they've lost so many voters from their left flank.

Quite embarrassing that we let this England side put almost 50 points on us...

Absolutely wild that it seemingly took senior Labour folk this long to recognise this. Not convinced Starmer can do anything to win people back though. Personally I don't think i could ever trust him again.

Labour lost three by-elections yesterday - all to different parties mobilising disaffected voters on their liberal left flank: Greens (see below), Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru. Starmer/McSweeney strategy of marginalizing the left flank to go after socially con Reform curious continues to backfire

Under his eye 👁 www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Indeed. It's never comms and part of the problem of the last two years is that this government has all been comms, position, 'strategy' with little to no interest in policy from the key players.

This whole Starmer has a 5 year mandate thing is bugging me. *Labour* have a 5 year mandate, on the basis of the manifesto presented at the election. A manifesto that has been stretched as it is. I really don't think it's helpful to keep playing into this idea we have a presidential system.

A Welsh budget without women? The failure to meaningfully consider women's needs and experiences completely undermines the Welsh Governments ability to budget responsibly and fairly for all, says Hannah Griffiths from @waleswbg.bsky.social Read her reflections on the Welsh Budget in our new blog

Why am I getting adverts mid game ITV?! Wtaf?! As if ITV rugby coverage wasn't bad enough anyway.

Somehow this game is even worse than I expected. And I expected it to be abysmal. What a state Welsh rugby is in. The WRU have so much to answer for 🤬

Yesterday MSs debated hospices and hospice services, and the need to place the hospice sector on a sustainable funding model. Hospices deliver holistic, person centred care to those who are living with a terminal illness and those close to them. These services are highly valued.

Didn't think my opinion of the WRU could get any lower but here we are. An absolute disgrace of a governing body who simply have zero respect for, or understanding of, Welsh rugby fans.

I know there are much bigger things going on in the world but can we ban politicians from saying the phrase "absolutely clear". I swear it's starting to cause me physical pain everytime I hear it

This post budget stuff is blowing my mind. How can so many people seemingly be opposed to lifting children out of poverty? I'm no fan of this UK Labour government, but raising revenue so you can take action to stop children going hungry is something to be proud of.

Today's Autumn Budget provided support for rising living costs and child poverty, but does it go far enough to support women? We break down today's key announcements and what they mean for women in Wales. Read our full analysis here: wwbg.org.uk/autumn-budge...

Join our post-budget analysis to hear from expert speakers from the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Women’s Budget Groups as we break down the key Budget announcements — and what they could mean for women’s economic equality across the UK. Book your place: www.wbg.org.uk/event/autumn...

A sign of some much needed sense from the UK Government finally, perhaps? Shame the same caution and focus on getting things right, and quite frankly fair and proportionate, was not on show immediately after the court ruling. Which has been wilfully over interpreted by too many

Very useful headline analysis from @waleswbg.bsky.social of today's detailed Welsh Government budget proposals. Big risks ahead without some significant effort to protect public services 👇

I see quite a lot of "Reform getting 36% from a standing start is remarkable" and feel I need to point out that it the "standing start" narrative is basically a Reform talking point and needs to be treated with care. It's a consolidation of left and right, in a smart, strategic way.

So it would seem the best way to beat Reform, is to actually challenge Reform. On their rhetoric, their policies and their values. Who could have guessed 🤷🏼‍♀️

As always a a great listen, and articulates well why I've been feeling uncomfortable with the ID card announcement despite probably being broadly in favour of the principle

An important debate in the Senedd yesterday courtesy of Mark Isherwood MS. Our palliative and end of life care system is at breaking point. This is not a sustainable position for our hospice services to be operating within.

Every election is a sort of collective entrance exam into the future. It occasionally happens that populations fail the exam. But for the US to fail essentially a resit of its 2016 exam, featuring the same questions, having studied the answers for eight years, is much rarer and pretty unforgivable.

Why is the whole of central Cardiff currently a building site?! Honestly it's making getting around an absolute nightmare 😭

In Wales, the gender wealth gap stands at 23% Why do men hold more wealth than women & how could a UK wealth tax help address this? Join us to unpack this issue with @fmohiuddin.bsky.social @taxjusticeuk.bsky.social in Episode 1 of our new podcast, WWBG Explains🎙️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMP8...

This is terrifying. 👉 Half of NGOs and charities supporting refugees have faced threats 👉 Some heads of the organisations have received “credible death threats” https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/21/refugee-charities-install-safe-rooms-and-relocate-amid-rise-in-far-right-threats

Good on the Mirror for having the bravery to strike out against this bullshit

I've added my name to the below this morning. If you care about the erasure of trans rights. If you're angry about it being done under the guise of feminism consider adding your name too 👇 chng.it/VswFWG9F2k

If the reporting on the forthcoming EHRC guidance following the supreme court judgement is true, it's an absolute disgrace. If the UK Labour government accept the guidance, without question, it will be proof they have completely lost their soul.

Labour lied

Got to love sitting on hold for 20 mins to make a GP appointment only to be told that they can't make any appointments until next week. System being updated so is currently view only. Would have been too difficult to put that info on the website or the pre-record message when you call i guess

An absolute must read piece 👇 Those of us who care about trans rights, equality and basic decency need to be as loud and organised as the terfs and bigots have been in bringing us to this ridiculous state of affairs.

Hey @cardiffcouncil.bsky.social it's really unhelpful to lock the gates to Bute Park when there's a cricket match on. Not for the first time many people find themselves stuck in the park and doubling back

Getting irrationally angry at posts that don't note that the 10 year health plan being launched today by the UK Government is for England. It's not difficult. The UK has 4 governments making decisions about 4 health services.

Because the changes to PiP, that would have pushed 250,000 people into poverty wouldn't have also impacted child poverty levels?! Child poverty does not exist in a vacuum. If this is the level of policy understanding and critical thinking among senior government personnel we are in real trouble.

There are some very important lessons i hope the UK Government take from the ongoing debacle surrounding the welfare Bill. Principle among them, you cannot rush through complex policy changes, without proper consultation.

And this is why you don't mess about with complex policy areas at the last minute to hit some arbitrary figure determined by a five year forecast.

Labour MP @marietidball.bsky.social delivers a powerful speech: “It is with a heavy broken heart that I will be voting against this bill today. “As a matter of conscience, I need my constituents to know I cannot support the proposed changes to PIP as currently drafted...”

And it's in this context that the UK Government want to make significant cuts to disability and health related benefits, which all evidence suggests will make people poorer. Labour rebels please stand firm and force a proper rethink www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

This isn't a victory, and will only serve to apply a two tier system of welfare and punish people pushed into claiming after November 2026. Ghoulish policymaking focussed only on avoiding an embarrassing rebellion and with zero consideration of fairness. Keir's two tier welfare state.

Protecting existing benefit claimants in no way fixes the fundamental issue with the PiP and UC proposals. The UC proposals already leave young people high and dry, as apparently they are not allowed to get sick. Rebels need to hold firm. This is bad policy. Driven by the wrong priorities.

Just spoke to @timesradio with a bit of myth busting on PIP and response to rebel deal. Yes, big concessions from govt for current claimants but this is a political fix that creates unequal policy. All it takes is illness or life event for any of us to need PIP. People will have less.

Welcome to see a growing number of MPs publicly opposing the planned PiP and UC cuts. If those on the fence need any more evidence of what the right thing to do is this should focus the mind. 👇 Sincerely hope the UK Government rethink these plans.