Wales (Cymru)

The more things change, the more they stay the same – an old adage which has taken on a new salience in the wake of the recent Labour leadership election in Wales.

Vaughan Gething’s victory may herald a new era in the history of his party, but the shadow of the former Economy Minister and former Health Minister’s less than inspiring record looms large.

Next month marks twenty five years of devolved government in Wales. A quarter of a century dominated by Labour rule and defined by a failure to realise the full potential of the autonomy granted to us over health, education, the economy, transport, the environment and more.

Autonomy which is severely curtailed by Westminster’s stubborn objection to more devolution for Wales, but nonetheless, Labour’s half-hearted half-measures approach to addressing some of the unique challenges facing our nation certainly hasn’t helped.

The spirit of 1999 was one of ambition and expectation – a chance to devise Welsh solutions to Welsh problems. An ageing population, an antiquated transport network, lower wages and higher rates of child poverty than many other parts of the UK formed the backdrop to the inception of an institution which dared politicians in the then-Assembly to do things differently and to do them better.