The Co-operation Agreement between Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru illustrates the maturity of our Senedd in working through consensus. We are pleased to see ambition to tackle to-date intractable issues including council tax, social care and electoral reform.
Whilst we welcome exploration of net zero emissions by 2035 in the deal, it is vital that existing plans to decarbonise our economy remain on track and we urge Welsh Government to deliver the funding required to make this a reality.
The IWA’s work on media in Wales, including our recent media summit, has shown how crucial a thriving, independent industry is to our democracy and it is good to see agreement with our recommendations to further strengthen journalism and broadcasting including increasing funding for local news.
As supporters of the Diverse 50:50 campaign we welcome the proposal to enshrine gender quotas in law and urge further action at all levels of government to ensure our Senedd and councils reflect the diversity of the Welsh people.
IWA impact:
- Our project, Re-energising Wales, set a detailed target in 2019 for Wales to be powered entirely by renewable energy by 2035. In October 2021 we re-assessed the steps required to reach this goal in Renewing the Focus.
- Our April 2021 Media Priorities for the Senedd advocated financial support for independent news and urge a call for devolved powers over broadcasting
- Missing Links, our work on inter-parliamentary relations, suggested improvements more likely to be achieved through an expanded Senedd.
You can read our analysis of the agreement here.