Senedd election TV debate: Welsh Parliament parties face off in Wrexham Politicians fighting for seats in the next Welsh Parliament are answering questions from an audience in Wrexham.

Live Welsh political debate tonight on BBC 1 Wales - tune in! www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg...

The Senedd has passed legislation paving the way for a ban on lying in Welsh Parliament election campaigns (50 votes for, 1 against), and for a ban on greyhound racing. (39 for, 2 abstentions and 10 against)

Good question - I think there may have been stage 3s that have gone on so late the lights switched themselves off

In addition to the above thread

Today's plenary is the penultimate of the term and is one of the busiest for legislation we've seen in a while. The debate on greyhounds could be as late as 9pm

Not enough evidence to ban Welsh greyhound racing, officials warned The Senedd will vote on whether to ban the sport but the decision faces a legal challenge.

Despite all this, I would have thought the legislation will pass today, with support among much of the Plaid Cymru group. Whether it has any effect though is a different matter and will be down to the courts. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Officials had recommended preparing a system of licensing for owners instead, rather than heading towards a ban, and warned of a potential judicial review which now seems to be happening

The ministerial advice note has emerged as the Senedd prepares to vote tonight for the legislation that will ban the sport, and as the industry tries to stop that having any effect via a judicial review process (which has, in turn, revealed the advice)

On 18 February 2025 a Welsh government minister announced that his administration would ban greyhound racing.

It came a day after officials, in a note signed off by the chief vet Richard Irvine, told him they hadn't gathered enough evidence to justify it

Storyville - Mr Nobody Against Putin A Storyville documentary that follows a Russian schoolteacher as he risks everything to expose rising militarism in his classroom.

Mr Nobody Against Putin, which has won a Bafta tonight, is on iPlayer. Profound doc self shot by a Russian school teacher who filmed as his school was forced to inject propaganda into its classrooms www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002kx2d

Lyse Doucet: In Tehran, rallies for Iran's revolution overshadowed by discontent and defiance The BBC visits the Iranian capital for the first time since authorities used unprecedented force to put down protests last month.

#BBCNews - Lyse Doucet: In Tehran, rallies for Iran's revolution overshadowed by discontent and defiance
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Comes not long after Plaid lost a by-election in their Ynys Mon backyard, to Reform

Plaid have gained a seat on Pembrokeshire council via a council by-election in Fishguard North East. It had been won by Labour at the election in 2022

My understanding is that Plaid Cymru will go first today, and Tories second (an arrangement that switches every week and has come about because of James Evans' sacking from the Tory group)

Focus in the Senedd & Welsh politics today will be on FMQs, where if the opposition doesn't challenge the FM on her stance on the UK Labour leadership I'd be very surprised. Starts at 1330.

Peter Fox, who is now health spokesman, said it would focus the system on putting "its best efforts" into "driving the change we need to see".

Former Tory MS James Evans, in Senedd debate on NHS where Tories are calling for a health emergency to be declared, says he didn't know what that meant in the 12 months he was a health spokesman.

Stop watching Netflix to save pubs, Welsh first minister Eluned Morgan says Eluned Morgan said her government can't be expected

Get off Netflix and go to the pub if want to save them, Eluned Morgan told FMQs in the Senedd today, as she came under fire over business rates www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

There has been speculation that if the Senedd votes it down a private enterprise or organisation of some description could step in - but that's pretty unclear.

Backers of the legislation emphasize that the vote is not about assisted dying itself, but the parts of the bill that impact the devolution settlement. As far as I can work out, that's really about how a voluntary assisted dying service would work in the NHS.

It has promised though to spell out more of its thinking before that 24 Feb vote (although the legislative committee now want that to happen in March and have asked Jane Hutt for a delay)

The Welsh government has come in for criticism as well because it has refused to tell MSs its reasoning for what the Senedd is actually voting on (i.e what parts of the law are devolved), citing legal privilege.

It has never done this before, we're told.

I have been told that if the Senedd voted the legislation down then Lord Falconer plans to table amendments deleting some sections relating to how it would work in Wales from the bill.

Tricky, given the drama that now surrounds the process in the Lords.

Senedd politicians unclear what Welsh vote on assisted dying means, says MS Labour's Alun Davies said members are in a "legislative fog", with the bill facing more than 1,000 amendments in Westminster.

The Senedd vote on assisted dying will come close to the end of this term (at least, its currently scheduled to be) and will be one of the most important things that this cohort of MSs will do. We're looking at 24 Feb at the moment. Its delayed from Jan

Labour MS Alun Davies says there is no perfect time for the Senedd to vote on assisted dying, telling BBC Radio Wales that it might be too late to wait until the next term.

He says the consequences of voting (like how assisted dying would happen in Wales) are still not known

Welsh Conservatives pledge grandparents £4,800 for childcare Grandparents in Wales could get £4,800 a year to look after grandchildren if party wins Senedd election.

Tories promising grandparents £4.8k to help with childcare in an election pledge announced today www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Can Scotland's Ukrainian refugees ever go home? With no progress in peace talks and Russia continuing to bomb Ukraine, refugees in Scotland look to the future.

What would you do if your home was destroyed? For many Ukrainians in Scotland, that's the situation they find themselves in. Amid peace deal talks, will they have a choice about staying or returning? Our latest story across BBC Scotland

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

On the Today programme she was asked if he was doing a good job. Morgan wouldn't say.

Morgan also suggested that voters were not interested in whether Wales's parliament, the Senedd, should take control of policing in Wales - days after she made the request herself in a speech in London.

Wales' first minister Eluned Morgan refuses to support Sir Keir Starmer Eluned Morgan repeatedly refused to say if the prime minister is good at his job in a BBC interview.

On national radio the first minister Eluned Morgan repeatedly refused to offer support to the prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, telling voters the May election is not a time for a protest vote against his government www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Vibes

"I'm sure people are waiting with baited breath to read all parties manifestos - I particularly encourage that if you struggle with insomnia" - Sam Rowlands, who is the Welsh Tory policy director, on Radio Wales