For Wales, See Wales
For Wales, See Wales is a podcast helping you better understand the most wonderful country on earth - Wales.Each week we shine a light on the utterly bizarre (and often hilarious) world of Welsh politics and issues. So many people care deeply about Cymru but very little attention is given to it by the wider UK media. This podcast aims to help fill this gap.Guardian columnist Will Hayward along with comedians Mel Owen and Robin Morgan are here to pick apart the political scene in Wales with a combination of journalistic insight and satirical sideswipes. For Wales, See Wa...
The thing in Wales everyone agrees needs to change…
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 you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen four words - ‘For Wales, see...
King Charles comes to Wales
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.
Plus, exciting Christmas Live Show news!
https://www.wmc.org.uk/en/whats-on/2026/for-wales-see-wales-christmas-live-show-2
About FWSW
100 years ago if...
What Wales is demanding from Andy Burnham
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 you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen four words - ‘For Wales, see England.’
This implied that Wa...
What Andy Burnham’s conference speech means for Wales
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 very vague role.
Mel asks Robin and Will how they approach the tough discussion about the epidemic of male violence against women and the role men have...
Nigel Farage Polling Slump
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 what that could mean for both parties’ make up.
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “W...
Do people in Wales want independence from the UK?
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 resignation of Dan Thomas and the defection of Sarah Cooper-Lesadd from Reform to Plaid Cymru. If you want to hear more about that listen to the e...
Reform leader in Wales resigns - Emergency Pod!
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 within these two MS’s constituencies? Robin, Will and Mel discuss!
The usual weekly pod will be out Friday morning.
About...
Reform in Wales are angry about flags…again
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 asks whether they have done a good job so far?
The trio also break down the decision to pause gender-affirming sur...
Why parents are protesting in Wales...
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 up “Wales” you would have seen four words - ‘For Wales, see England.’
This implied that Wales was no different to England. Not worthy of its own...
Inside Wales' biggest independent music festival
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 the Welsh arts and how this can affect relationships with the local community.
About FWSW
100 years ago if you...
Wales engulfed in wildfires and are data centres actually a good thing?
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!
Finally they talk about second homes, the huge impact they are having in Cymru and how the Welsh Government plan to tweak the rules.
Reform in Wales are falling out with each other…
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 picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen four words...
Wales leads the way again
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 stage.
Robin divulges his friend’s most ‘right-wing policy idea’ which turns out not to be all that outrage...
Future Generations Commissioner on the pod
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 Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen four words - ‘For Wales, see England.’
This implied that Wales w...
100th episode big question blow out! Is there a space for a new party in Wales?
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 forward to many more episodes in your company.
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had picked up the Enc...
What does Burnham mean for Wales?
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).
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen...
How do we fix the NHS in Wales?
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 the Snacks-for-Guests tradition continues, it turns out an apple a day really does keep the doctor away…
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had pi...
Stop pretending the weather is “normal”!
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.
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen four words - ‘Fo...
Emergency Starmer resignation pod with Mark Drakeford
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 Starmer.
The group also discussed whether MSs were right to walk out of the Senedd chamber after a controversial Reform speech?
Fo...
Who is voting Reform?
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 years ago if you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen four words - ‘For Wales, see England.’
This implied...
How will Welsh Labour rebuild?
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 next elections roll around.
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen...
Why would you talk like that about your country?
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 Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen four words - ‘For Wales, see England.’
This implied that Wales was n...
Welsh Senedd Election Review Live Show!
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 predictions in front of a live audience. What could go wrong?
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had picked up t...
What should Wales be demanding from Westminster?
In this week’s episode, the For Wales See Wales trio discuss Rhun ap Iorweth’s first discussion as First Minister with the Prime Minister. Will, Mel and Robin discuss what a nationalist government can demand from Westminster, and whether prioritising independence should be raised straight off the bat.
With Mark Drakeford’s admission that he thinks the Prime Minister should step down, the team ponder what the near future holds for Kier Starmer and Andy Burnham.
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would...
Plaid Cymru are in charge of Wales with Reform as the opposition - what happens now?
As the dust settles on a historic night in Welsh politics Robin, Mel and Will break down what happens next.
They look at how Plaid plans to govern. Ask whether Reform will be a good opposition and predict what direction Labour are heading.
In a world first Robin also finds a talking turtle...
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen four words - ‘For Wales, see England.’
This implied that Wales was no different to England. Not worthy...
Welsh Senedd Election Reaction Show!
The day is here. The votes are counted. Eluned is gone. The Rhunicorn has entered the stable.
Mel, Will and Robin look back at the day that Welsh politics changed. Why did Labour lose? What happened to the Greens? Did the Tories have a good night? Will Reform show up?
Robin is recording this from a cruise ship in Greece (working not clubbing) so the audio is a little patchy. But we didn’t want you to miss out on such a seismic day!
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had pic...
Senedd election preview
With mere hours to go until the Senedd’s most important election yet, the For Wales See Wales trio tackle the contentious issue of tactical voting.
Will, Mel and Robin look at which areas are most likely to be strongholds for the bigger parties, whilst also throwing down some predictions of their own.
The next episode will be dropping on Friday evening after the majority of the results have been announced. Keep your eyes and ears peeled!
In the meantime, some tickets are still left for our LIVE show at The Glee Club in...
Could Wales be independent?
This week the gang does a deep dive into Welsh independence.
With so much of day to day politics being nasty and personal they decided to have a friendly conversation about an issue that is being talked about a lot in this election campaign.
Could Wales go it alone? How would a referendum work? What would political parties look like in an indy Wales?
The trio took audience questions to explore a fascinating subject.
We will be back next week for our election coverage?!
In the meantime, some tickets are...
Would you rather vote for Reform or w***k with a razor?
In this episode, the For Wales See Wales trio take a whistle stop tour of the week’s Welsh political stories. They cover retorts to Reform canvassers, why Eluned Morgan was the only Welsh leader not on Question Time, ex Plaid and Tory members restanding despite suspensions, candidates not living in their prospective constituencies, what on Earth is actually going on with Restore, and the lack of costings in the Lib Dem manifesto…phew! Strap in, the team have a lot to cover.
Some tickets still left to see us at the Glee Club in Cardiff on Satu...
What is Plaid Cymru’s plan for Wales?
This week the gang tackled the big questions around Welsh politics (as well as wondering if a snake could eat a hippo?).
Will has been at the Plaid Cymru manifesto launch and there is a lot to discuss. Plaid are the party most likely to form the next Welsh Government which means it’s important to digest (like a snake eating a hippo) what their plans are.
With just three weeks to go until the people of Wales make their vote the election is feeling very real.
Some tickets still left to see us a...
Why do Reform candidates keep quitting?
The pod is back in the studio following their time in the Senedd!
This week the trio looked at some of Reform’s new candidates for Wales and it is a rich tapestry. Nazi salutes, racist posts and toys been thrown out of prams left, right and centre (though mainly right).
They also take a deep dive into the new polling for Wales to see what the “average” supporter for each party is like. There is also some very uplifting chat about climate change (for a change).
Also!! Come along and see us at the...
Pod from the Senedd (Part Two)
This is part two of a special episode recorded inside the Welsh Parliament on the last day of this Senedd term.
We chatted to politicians from across the political spectrum; some of whom were leaving to begin campaigning and others who were having an emotional last day of term.
Because so many Senedd Members joined us we have split this episode into two parts - check out part one if you've not done so already.
Also!! Come along and see us at the Glee Club in Cardiff on Saturday 23rd May for a pos...
Pod from the Senedd (Part one)
This week the pod was recorded from inside the Welsh Parliament on the last day of this Senedd term.
Just hours before we started recording some bombshell polling dropped that showed Plaid in the lead with Reform snapping at their heels.
We chatted to politicians from across the political spectrum to hear all about their plans, history of typhoid and what it is like when their colleagues defect.
Because so many Senedd Members joined us we have split this episode into two parts with part two coming out over the Easter weekend.
...
Don't say Welsh is a "foreign language"!
Wow there is a lot of talk about this episode. Robin, Mel and Will start by looking at whether Your Party will be standing in the Senedd election.
They then settle to discuss THAT VIDEO where Nigel Farage mocks the Welsh language for £100. Is it a big deal? We break it down.
Finally we tackle the big question raised inside the Sendd - what is a gender neutral tree?
Next week we will be bringing you our show from inside the Senedd where we will discuss the explosive new polling.
Also!! Co...
Leaky Labour
In this week’s episode, the For Wales See Wales trio discuss whether Welsh Labour have meticulously planned how they will budget for key, big ticket developments, or whether they’ll just see how it goes. (Spoiler alert: the plan is a bit lacking).
Will, Robin and Mel then discuss Keir Starmer’s leaked note which suggests Number 10 don’t exactly respect devolution as much as they could.
Also!! Another LIVE show is coming. Come along and see us at the Glee Club in Cardiff on Saturday 23rd May for a post-election round up! Tickets and info...
Launch the Manifestos!
A busy week; you wait for one manifesto launch and then three come along at once.
Deserted by Mel, the plucky boys dig into Labour's manifesto offerings. Will then wonders aloud why he was denied entry to the Reform campaign launch. Turns out, he could have just read it all in the Welsh Conservative Manifesto anyway!
Also!! Another LIVE show is coming. Come along and see us at the Glee Club in Cardiff on Saturday 23rd May for a post-election round up! Tickets and info here...
https://www.glee.co.uk/performer/for-wales-see-wales...
International Women's Day
In this special International Women’s Day episode, Mel sits down with campaigners and advocates Hanan Issa and Athika Ahmed to discuss the experience of being a woman in a public role in Wales, the realities of online abuse, and what Tommy Robinson may be looking for on Tinder.
About FWSW
100 years ago if you had picked up the Encyclopaedia Britannica and looked up “Wales” you would have seen four words - ‘For Wales, see England.’
This implied that Wales was no different to England. Not worthy of its own description. Second fiddle. Frankly, it...
Plaid Cymru’s plan for government, LIVE in Aberystwyth
This week the pod is on the road with a live show at the wonderful Arad Goch, Aberystwyth.
We discuss the Plaid Cymru conference, the Rhunicorn’s speech and why it is going to be SUPER hard for whoever wins the Welsh election.
The great thing about doing the pod live is we get to say things we can’t in a normal show. The bad thing is we can’t put it all in the edit! This pod is a (very) shortened version of our Aber show.
Also!! Another LIVE show is com...
What word would you use to describe Reform?
This week the gang gets lost in a world of word clouds. With the Senedd election only nine weeks away the look at pooling which suggests how voters in Wales actually feel about some of the political parties.
(Spoiler alert) the biggest word for Reform was “racist” which begs the question of why people think this and whether it actually hurts Nigel Farage’s party's ability to win?
And finally they talk about the political hero we never knew we needed - Sir Oink-a-lot…
Also... a small number of tickets are still left for our...
Will Wales be anti-racist by 2030?
In this week's episode, the For Wales See Wales team look at the Welsh Government’s plan to make Wales an anti-racist nation by 2030 and ask whether we’re on track.
The trio look at how Reform's new leader in Wales, Dan Thomas, has a suprisingly progressive past, before asking whether Bangor University really should be defunded for refusing to host a Reform representative.
Also... a small number of tickets are still left for our next live show in Aberystwyth on St David’s Day. Get them while you can here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/f...
