Will Hayward - Wales Journo
@willhaycardiff.bsky.social
27K followers 380 following 690 posts
Multi-award winning journalist and author based in Cardiff. I conduct investigative journalism and help people better understand Wales/Cymru. You sign up to my newsletter here: willhaywardwales.substack.com Columnist at The Guardian.
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willhaycardiff.bsky.social
There were over 100,000 views on my newsletter last month.

Thank you so much to everyone who supports my journalism. I am so grateful.
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
One today, and the other three years ago.

She said she defected from the Conservative party because it was "unrecognisable" to her.

This suggests that perhaps it's also herself who has changed.

Just fyi, the Nation of Sanctuary costs costs of 0.038% of the Welsh Gov's budget.
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
This is Reform's only Senedd Member Laura Anne Jones.

She is very angry about the Wales' Nation of Sanctuary that mainly supports Ukrainian refugees.

However she didn't always feel this way. Here are two speeches she has given where she says opposite things.
Reposted by Will Hayward - Wales Journo
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
Remember that pic of the Caerphilly Reform candidate which looked edited?

Well I asked Reform UK about it.

Apparently it wasn't edited. The party indicated that the camera "glitched" which happened to "glitch out" of the photo the former UKIP politician and Reform supporter Mark Reckless...

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willhaycardiff.bsky.social
Politicians are using Ukrainian refugees as a political football.

The Welsh Conservative leader says he is against Wales' Nation of Sanctuary policy.

But this wasn't always his position...

It seems his morals have changed because he is worried about Reform taking his votes.
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
How unlucky that a camera would "glitch", edit out one person and replace them with a giant walnut.

On the same day that photo was taken and the camera "glitched" it seems that a man named Stan Robinson from the group "Voice of Wales" was in Reform's Caerphilly office.
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
Remember that pic of the Caerphilly Reform candidate which looked edited?

Well I asked Reform UK about it.

Apparently it wasn't edited. The party indicated that the camera "glitched" which happened to "glitch out" of the photo the former UKIP politician and Reform supporter Mark Reckless...

1/2
Reposted by Will Hayward - Wales Journo
cymruwanderer.bsky.social
It is very difficult, indeed almost impossible, to find good coverage of Welsh politics. @willhaycardiff.bsky.social newsletter is always worth reading.

The level of hypocrisy shown by Welsh Conservatives here is breathtaking .....and depressing

willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/outrageous...
Outrageous Welsh Conservative hypocrisy
This is shameless
willhaywardwales.substack.com
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
Mr Powell had previously worked for Mr Gill though wasn't at the time of this photo. He was a volunteer as a counting agent for the Brexit Party.

Mr Powell has denied any knowledge of Mr Gill's crimes at the time saying he "found it a complete and utter betrayal".

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willhaycardiff.bsky.social
Here is a pic of former Reform leader in Wales Nathan Gill, who has admitted taking Russian bribes between December, 2018 and July, 2019.

He is alongside the current Reform candidate for Caerphilly Llyr Powell at the EU election count in May 2019.

(Copyright: Matthew Horwood)

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willhaycardiff.bsky.social
There is something odd about this picture that the Reform candidate for Caerphilly Llyr Powell has put out.

It looks edited. Someone removed perhaps?

Can't imagine his former employer Nathan Gill (who has just pleaded guilty to accepting Russian bribes) would have been there🤣
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
Really powerful Gaza protest outside the Labour conference in Liverpool.

Over 20k kids have been killed in Gaza and protesters placed red stained blankets to look like babies were placed on barriers at the entrance.

A sign read: “20k dead kids. None had guns.”
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
Keir Starmer is expected to say that the UK is “an astonishing relationship between four great nations” in his speech tomorrow.
"I’m not just proud of the Union Jack and the cross of St. George, I’m also proud of the Saltire, proud of the Red Dragon, proud of our union. This astonishing relationship between four great nations, four different nations, but four nations that time and again have been through the fire, together, built so much, together. A country forged by the solidarity of working people.
 
“So let’s fly all our flags, because they are our flags, they belong to us all and we will never surrender them. This is the time for bringing the whole country together. That’s how we will fight next year’s elections, as patriots of our great nations. That’s who we are, who Eluned is, who Anas is, what we stand for. A campaign to renew Wales, renew Scotland and Renew Britain.”
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
Reform keeps arguing immigration is an issue when it isn’t.

There is a by-election right now in Caerphilly and Nigel Farage’s party keeps saying that immigration is an issue there.

BUT over 97% percent of people in the area were born in the UK.

We need to debate based on facts not scaremongering.
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
Reform UK are pushing immigration hard as an issue in the Caerphilly by-election.

Just for context, Caerphilly has the THE LOWEST, immigration rate of all Wales' 22 councils.

97.1% of people there were born in the UK.

Only Cardiff and Newport have move that 10% born overseas.
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
I am in Liverpool for a couple of days reporting from the Labour conference.

Analysis and updates in the next newsletter...
Reposted by Will Hayward - Wales Journo
cardiffbites.bsky.social
Just a reminder that I have 3 free month subscriptions for the @willhaycardiff.bsky.social newsletter to share with mutuals. Pop me a PM if you’re interested.
willhaycardiff.bsky.social
I sat down with Wales' First Minister Eluned Morgan.

After some brutal polling I asked her what Labour's offer was to the people of Wales if they were to win in 2026.

I think Labour are in real trouble.

willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/the-eluned...

(Pics: Rob Norman/HayMan Media)
The Eluned Morgan interview
I sat down with the First Minister of Wales who took a subtle dig at Keir Starmer’s administration in Westminster
willhaywardwales.substack.com
Reposted by Will Hayward - Wales Journo
mimosacymru.bsky.social
This section of @willhaycardiff.bsky.social ‘s latest newsletter is extraordinary painful reading. FM Wales, like her predecessors, spent 2010-2024 using the UK Govt as a shield from criticism.

Making that the central case against a potential Plaid Cymru-led govt simply isn’t credible. #Senedd26
Reposted by Will Hayward - Wales Journo
winidavies.bsky.social
@willhaycardiff.bsky.social 's latest newsletter has very revealing and insightful (on Will's part) interview with Eluned Morgan. Do consider subscribing if you haven't already