A concluding reflection on the themes discussed in the series recorded at a live event in Cardiff. Chaired by Lee Waters the panel was Hannah White Director of the Institute for Government, Prof James Mitchell of Edinburgh University, former First Minister Mark Drakeford and former Education Minister Kirsty Williams. The event was hosted by Cardiff University’s Welsh Governance Centre and recorded at the offices of Capital Law on 13th October 2025 in front of a live audience. You can watch it here:https://youtu.be/NXPEhLC4mNQ?si=TVVjqoYVg8lvZHDY
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8 - Yes, Minister (BONUS)
BONUS EPISODEThe themes of the podcast were picked up by members of the Senedd’s Public Accounts Committee and put to the Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Government to respond.Here’s the unfiltered exchange from 19th February 2025
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7 - Sausages
They say that “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made”.This messy process is one of headaches Welsh Government Ministers face on the Fifth Floor of Ty Hywel . And this episode exposes it to public scrutiny for the first time.Lee Waters speaks with fellow former Ministers, advisers, and civil servants to survey the main frustrations faced by those working inside the Welsh Government in getting things done.The documentary podcast series has previously considered the range of Ministerial responsibilities, the pace of the civil service in delivering change, the relationship with local government, the weakness of scrutiny, and the management of political pressures. The full set of interviews drawn on by this series have been published by Cardiff University :https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/2888677/Cathays-Conversations-Lee-Waters-2025-01-14.pdf
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6 - Politics
Welsh Government Ministers only have an office on The Fifth Floor with the support of their backbench colleagues on the second floor, and with enough votes in the finely balanced Senedd.This episode looks at the art and science of politics that Ministers need to confront to get things done.Former Government Minister Lee Waters talks to former colleagues about the pressures faced inside Government. The full set of interviews drawn on by this series have been published by Cardiff University :https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/2888677/Cathays-Conversations-Lee-Waters-2025-01-14.pdf
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5 - Friction
The Welsh Government sets the policies and spends the money, and the Senedd passes the laws. But it's local government that delivers much of the public services.In this episode of the Fifth Floor former Minister Lee Waters discusses with Welsh Government insiders how the relationship with Councils works - and sometimes doesn't work.The full set of interviews drawn on by this series have been published by Cardiff University :https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/2888677/Cathays-Conversations-Lee-Waters-2025-01-14.pdf
An insider guide to politics and government in Wales. The fifth floor is the where Ministers in the Welsh government are based. For 5 years Lee Waters had an office on Ty Hywel’s fifth floor and in this podcast explores what it’s like to be at the heart of Welsh politics.
UK