00:00 2023 has been a massive year for Welsh politics. For better or worse, people have been engaging
00:06 with the Senedd more and more in recent years compared to before, so things that happened
00:10 in the Senedd are heard about, and of course there are a few things that happened this
00:13 year that everyone at home will certainly have heard about. More on that later though.
00:18 There have been plenty of ups and downs this year, there have been some laughs in the Senedd,
00:22 some very choice words shared, high profile resignations, new faces, controversial decisions,
00:28 so we'll do our best to sum up the highlights and lowlights from the year.
00:32 Starting in February, the Welsh Government decided to put an end to large-scale road
00:36 projects due to climate issues, which caused a bit of a stir, with some fiercely backing
00:41 the plan and others fiercely against. In May, the Presiding Officer, Ellen Jones, caused
00:47 even more controversy when she rejected an invitation to the King's coronation. She
00:51 said as a Republican, it was for other people to celebrate.
00:55 Shreenap Yorwerth eventually took over as Plaid Leader in June, ready to take a stand
00:59 and bring in a new era for Plaid Cymru, aiming to put an end to some internal controversy
01:03 at the party.
01:05 In July, Mark Drakeford very controversially decided to stop free school meals through
01:09 the summer holidays, despite universal free school meals for younger learners across the
01:14 country, leading to uproar from other parties and some councils stepping in to fund free
01:18 school meals for residents.
01:21 And then in September, after the summer recess, the moment we were all waiting for. Of course,
01:25 the most controversial thing to happen in the Senate quite literally ever. The 20 mile
01:30 an hour speed limit change. Hours of debates, countless questions, half a million signatures
01:35 on a petition against it later, and we're still talking about it months and months down
01:39 the line.
01:40 Of course, Mark Drakeford and Andrew R.T. Davis have been the double act we all love
01:44 to hate and hate to love, and they've had some great exchanges all year, with their
01:47 bust up over allegedly misogynistic comments one of the best we've ever seen. Some serious
01:53 finger pointing going on there.
01:54 The minute you draw attention to his own record, he's on his feet complaining about it. There
02:01 we are, yeah. There we are. I can tell you. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:10 The ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel has dominated headlines for a while, especially
02:13 through November, and Wales became one of the first nations in the world to call for
02:17 a ceasefire, leading to some impassioned words shared in the Senate.
02:22 If I believed for a moment that a ceasefire today would create peace tomorrow, I'd vote
02:29 for it. Good God, I'd vote for it. Of course I would. Do you think that as a parent, I
02:34 don't see the same images that you see? Do you think I don't see my children in those
02:38 faces?
02:39 Of course, just as 2023 must come to an end, 2024 will see us say goodbye to the central
02:44 figure of Welsh politics for this year and for the last few years, as Mark Drakeford,
02:48 the most high profile First Minister in Welsh history, announces resignation on the 13th
02:52 December, five years ago to the day when he took over the role.
02:56 2023 has given us a little bit of everything, and there's no doubt 2024 will be no different.
03:01 James H. Watkins, reporting from Wales.
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