Caerphilly Does It: Welsh Politics, Russian Bribes, & Chinese Spies

Special guest Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville-Roberts, discusses the week's big stories with Alex, Naomi, and Kenny. Chinese Spy Trial: cock-up, cover up, or nothingburger? Nathan Gill bribe story: why is Farage not being asked difficult questions? Musk funding Yaxley-Lennon: wake up UK. Caerphilly By-Election: Plaid to the rescue? Labour vote collapse in Wales. Senedd elections in a few months. PLUS - regular features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “The world’s richest man funding the UK’s most prominent far-right agitator isn’t normal and should not be treated as such. This dangerous merging of wealth and power and extremist politics, is made worse when coupled with the media’s indifference. If this isn’t a wake-up call, I don’t know what is.” “When it became apparent that the case against Nathan Gill was going to go to court, it was listed to be heard after the Senedd elections. That he has chosen to plead guilty now, in a way that comes before those elections is extremely interesting.” “Government ministers and departments not leaving X is the political equivalent of failing to evacuate a burning building because the wi-fi is still working.” “Starmer, as an experienced former DPP, will have considered those witness statements quite carefully, before rowing out to precisely a distance that means he gets to have a lovely day fishing, while anyone trying to swim after him risks drowning.” “Badenoch is trying to reestablish herself as leader of her own party. She seems to have pleased her own backbenchers simply by landing a punch.” “Having always had Labour in charge in Cardiff, we haven’t really tested what we [Plaid] can do as an ‘awkward’ party in relation to Westminster. The SNP, by being difficult, has always secured better concessions for Scotland than we have had in Wales.” “I’ve been campaigning in Caerphilly. It’s neck-and-neck, a two-horse race between Plaid and Reform and I couldn’t tell you what will happen. The one thing I am comfortable saying, empirically, is that the Labour vote has collapsed.” “This is part of Labour’s problem: they are not prepared to meet parties elsewhere. Collaboration is not their way. And what is really interesting about the change of the electoral system in Wales is that Labour are going to have to learn to work with others.” “I’ll speak candidly. I’m not keen on the ‘closed list’ system of Proportional Representation. I don’t like the idea that elected representatives have more of an eye on what the party thinks of them, as the people who select where they are on the list.” “The Senedd is unlikely to end up with a majority government. So, we are going to have to work together. I think this is a very good thing in politics. The winners, losers, yah-boo adversarial-ness of Westminster does not reflect how we are in real life. There’s something immature about it.” CALLS TO ACTION: Find out more about Open Democracy here⁠. Take a ride with the Heritage Railways Association. GRIN AND SHARE IT: Find out about Wicken Fen Nature Reserve. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices