Leighton Andrews
@leightonandrews.bsky.social
Prof Cardiff Uni. Ex Education Minister then Public Service Minister in Welsh Government. Ex-Chair, Cardiff City FC Community Foundation.
Books:Ministerial Leadership; Facebook, the Media and Democracy.
Cymro/Welsh.
Substack: ukania.substack.com
Books:Ministerial Leadership; Facebook, the Media and Democracy.
Cymro/Welsh.
Substack: ukania.substack.com
Pinned
Welcome to Ukania! | Leighton Andrews | Substack
Notes from a country in denial. Click to read "Welcome to Ukania!", by Leighton Andrews, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
Ukania.substack.com
For new followers, as well as my academic work, I write a weekly Substack on politics and sometimes tech regulation.
Ukania.substack.com
Ukania.substack.com
Remembering Sarge, eight years on.
November 7, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Remembering Sarge, eight years on.
on.ft.com/49B25Ne US election results live: Zohran Mamdani wins New York City as Democrats also take Virginia and New Jersey races
US election results live: Zohran Mamdani wins New York City as Democrats also take Virginia and New Jersey races
Results in off-year elections deliver rebuke to Donald Trump
on.ft.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:50 AM
on.ft.com/49B25Ne US election results live: Zohran Mamdani wins New York City as Democrats also take Virginia and New Jersey races
on.ft.com/48Zd5E2 Don’t let Europe’s deregulatory temptations weaken its democracies
Don’t let Europe’s deregulatory temptations weaken its democracies
A good tech strategy would aim not just to catch up but to cultivate better alternatives
on.ft.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:46 AM
on.ft.com/48Zd5E2 Don’t let Europe’s deregulatory temptations weaken its democracies
This should be a worry for @WelshGovernment - if you don’t get literacy right, it’s hard to get anything else right in education, no matter how impressed you are by your new Curriculum
Exclusive: A member of the Welsh Government’s expert literacy panel has resigned, warning the new £8.2m national programme to improve reading is “flawed” and “not fit for purpose”.
Full story below
🧵 1/
Full story below
🧵 1/
October 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
This should be a worry for @WelshGovernment - if you don’t get literacy right, it’s hard to get anything else right in education, no matter how impressed you are by your new Curriculum
Caerphilly just popped Reform's bubble.
Caerphilly, Senedd constituency by-election result:
PC: 47.4% (+19.0)
REF: 36.0% (+34.2)
LAB: 11.0% (-34.9)
CON: 2.0% (-15.3)
GRN: 1.5% (+1.5)
LDEM: 1.5% (-1.2)
GWL: 0.3% (+0.3)
UKIP: 0.2% (+0.2)
Plaid Cymru GAIN from Labour.
PC: 47.4% (+19.0)
REF: 36.0% (+34.2)
LAB: 11.0% (-34.9)
CON: 2.0% (-15.3)
GRN: 1.5% (+1.5)
LDEM: 1.5% (-1.2)
GWL: 0.3% (+0.3)
UKIP: 0.2% (+0.2)
Plaid Cymru GAIN from Labour.
October 24, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Caerphilly just popped Reform's bubble.
Reposted by Leighton Andrews
Caerphilly, Senedd constituency by-election result:
PC: 47.4% (+19.0)
REF: 36.0% (+34.2)
LAB: 11.0% (-34.9)
CON: 2.0% (-15.3)
GRN: 1.5% (+1.5)
LDEM: 1.5% (-1.2)
GWL: 0.3% (+0.3)
UKIP: 0.2% (+0.2)
Plaid Cymru GAIN from Labour.
PC: 47.4% (+19.0)
REF: 36.0% (+34.2)
LAB: 11.0% (-34.9)
CON: 2.0% (-15.3)
GRN: 1.5% (+1.5)
LDEM: 1.5% (-1.2)
GWL: 0.3% (+0.3)
UKIP: 0.2% (+0.2)
Plaid Cymru GAIN from Labour.
October 24, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Caerphilly, Senedd constituency by-election result:
PC: 47.4% (+19.0)
REF: 36.0% (+34.2)
LAB: 11.0% (-34.9)
CON: 2.0% (-15.3)
GRN: 1.5% (+1.5)
LDEM: 1.5% (-1.2)
GWL: 0.3% (+0.3)
UKIP: 0.2% (+0.2)
Plaid Cymru GAIN from Labour.
PC: 47.4% (+19.0)
REF: 36.0% (+34.2)
LAB: 11.0% (-34.9)
CON: 2.0% (-15.3)
GRN: 1.5% (+1.5)
LDEM: 1.5% (-1.2)
GWL: 0.3% (+0.3)
UKIP: 0.2% (+0.2)
Plaid Cymru GAIN from Labour.
On the way into Copenhagen we had to undergo the new EU ETIAS ststem.
Contrary to all the doom and gloom, it took 30 seconds to have faces and fingerprints scanned.
Contrary to all the doom and gloom, it took 30 seconds to have faces and fingerprints scanned.
October 21, 2025 at 5:12 PM
On the way into Copenhagen we had to undergo the new EU ETIAS ststem.
Contrary to all the doom and gloom, it took 30 seconds to have faces and fingerprints scanned.
Contrary to all the doom and gloom, it took 30 seconds to have faces and fingerprints scanned.
This is very good from Stephen Bush
on.ft.com/4pq7NHo Starmer and Badenoch are handling the far-right march all wrong
on.ft.com/4pq7NHo Starmer and Badenoch are handling the far-right march all wrong
Starmer and Badenoch are handling the far-right march all wrong
A look back to the days of Enoch Powell suggests a better model
on.ft.com
September 16, 2025 at 7:16 AM
This is very good from Stephen Bush
on.ft.com/4pq7NHo Starmer and Badenoch are handling the far-right march all wrong
on.ft.com/4pq7NHo Starmer and Badenoch are handling the far-right march all wrong
An historical note from me….
September 5, 2025 at 5:59 AM
An historical note from me….
Perpetual story of at least the last 60 years, but great for teaching.
September 2, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Perpetual story of at least the last 60 years, but great for teaching.
Reposted by Leighton Andrews
An interesting overview from @leightonandrews.bsky.social of the first meetings of the Welsh ‘cabinet’ in 1999 as it sought to navigate its role and working practices amidst the broader infancy, and constitutional complexities, of Welsh devolution
#senedd #devolution
#senedd #devolution
How do new political institutions evolve their practices? I take a look at the first meetings of the Welsh Cabinet in 1999.
ukania.substack.com/p/the-first-...
ukania.substack.com/p/the-first-...
The first meetings of the Welsh Cabinet
May to July 1999
ukania.substack.com
August 24, 2025 at 8:34 PM
An interesting overview from @leightonandrews.bsky.social of the first meetings of the Welsh ‘cabinet’ in 1999 as it sought to navigate its role and working practices amidst the broader infancy, and constitutional complexities, of Welsh devolution
#senedd #devolution
#senedd #devolution
Just read a wonderful quote from James C. Scott on Bourdieu
August 15, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Just read a wonderful quote from James C. Scott on Bourdieu
How do new political institutions evolve their practices? I take a look at the first meetings of the Welsh Cabinet in 1999.
ukania.substack.com/p/the-first-...
ukania.substack.com/p/the-first-...
The first meetings of the Welsh Cabinet
May to July 1999
ukania.substack.com
August 8, 2025 at 9:30 AM
How do new political institutions evolve their practices? I take a look at the first meetings of the Welsh Cabinet in 1999.
ukania.substack.com/p/the-first-...
ukania.substack.com/p/the-first-...
Reposted by Leighton Andrews
Transforming Government - new @carr-lse.bsky.social discussion paper on contemporary public sector reform. With @leightonandrews.bsky.social, Roland Koch, Daniel Werfel and Richard Mottram
www.lse.ac.uk/accounting/a...
www.lse.ac.uk/accounting/a...
www.lse.ac.uk
August 5, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Transforming Government - new @carr-lse.bsky.social discussion paper on contemporary public sector reform. With @leightonandrews.bsky.social, Roland Koch, Daniel Werfel and Richard Mottram
www.lse.ac.uk/accounting/a...
www.lse.ac.uk/accounting/a...
I have a short essay in this collection on Transforming Government from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) CARR centre. My theme is ‘Priductive Government’ - and of course, its opposite! @martinlodge.bsky.social
www.lse.ac.uk/accounting/a...
www.lse.ac.uk/accounting/a...
www.lse.ac.uk
August 6, 2025 at 1:52 AM
I have a short essay in this collection on Transforming Government from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) CARR centre. My theme is ‘Priductive Government’ - and of course, its opposite! @martinlodge.bsky.social
www.lse.ac.uk/accounting/a...
www.lse.ac.uk/accounting/a...
Reposted by Leighton Andrews
“We need public debates about AI governance that go beyond technical jargon to examine fundamental questions about power, justice and human agency”
Thanks for sharing this article @leightonandrews.bsky.social👇🏻
Thanks for sharing this article @leightonandrews.bsky.social👇🏻
on.ft.com/40hM8Gw Why politicians need to get over their tech insecurity
Why politicians need to get over their tech insecurity
Those in the political sphere should not be ridiculed for asking important questions — even if they do lack technical expertise
on.ft.com
July 17, 2025 at 5:21 AM
“We need public debates about AI governance that go beyond technical jargon to examine fundamental questions about power, justice and human agency”
Thanks for sharing this article @leightonandrews.bsky.social👇🏻
Thanks for sharing this article @leightonandrews.bsky.social👇🏻
on.ft.com/40hM8Gw Why politicians need to get over their tech insecurity
Why politicians need to get over their tech insecurity
Those in the political sphere should not be ridiculed for asking important questions — even if they do lack technical expertise
on.ft.com
July 17, 2025 at 4:48 AM
on.ft.com/40hM8Gw Why politicians need to get over their tech insecurity
Not just England
on.ft.com/4ePKVfy Universities in England at risk of long-term decline, says British Academy
on.ft.com/4ePKVfy Universities in England at risk of long-term decline, says British Academy
Universities in England at risk of long-term decline, says British Academy
Outgoing president Dame Julia Black calls on ministers to overhaul their ‘confused’ approach to higher education
on.ft.com
July 15, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Not just England
on.ft.com/4ePKVfy Universities in England at risk of long-term decline, says British Academy
on.ft.com/4ePKVfy Universities in England at risk of long-term decline, says British Academy
New post from me on ukania.substack.com
July 5, 2025 at 7:07 AM
New post from me on ukania.substack.com
Very sad news. I met David a number of times when I worked for the BBC and subsequently. Great mind and commitment to a pragmatic progressive politics.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Lord David Lipsey dies while swimming in River Wye
Lord David Lipsey previously worked as a journalist and Downing Street adviser.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 4, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Very sad news. I met David a number of times when I worked for the BBC and subsequently. Great mind and commitment to a pragmatic progressive politics.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
July 1, 2025 at 4:33 PM