Opinion

The National Wales is closing. Diolch am ddarllen, thank you for reading.

Hwyl fawr from The National - Thanks for reading, diolch am ddarllen
Writing this is not easy. Today The National is closing and no words can express how sad this makes us as an editorial team.

The National Wales news services closes today after 18 months. Photo: Michael Williams

Diolch a hwyl fawr - Thank you and goodbye

We have sought to publish a wide range of views, from, and about Wales at The National.

The National: A place for strong opinions

Leigh Jones shares one final opinion piece. Photo: Huw Evans Picture Agency

One final opinion 'It's a sad day for Wales' - but why?

Liz Truss’s likely move into No 10 will bring no comfort to those waiting for credible solutions to a crisis that has become existential

opinion 'Liz Truss will soon be the new prime minister - God help us all'

Wrexham AFC co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds at The Racecourse last week. How does their new documentary, 'Welcome to Wrexham' present this part of Wales? (Image: Wrexham AFC).

Welcome to Wrexham: Can Hollywood pair give the town an authentic voice?

Cineworld in Glasgow during lockdown

opinion 'Will anyone care about the real life tragedy of Cineworld's demise?'

Approximately 235,000 properties in Wales are leaseholds. This means that about 16% of the total housing stock in this country follow this archaic model of ownership. Notably, both Cardiff and Swansea are hotspots for leaseholds. Photo: Senedd

opinion Lease holding is abolished in most of the world, so why is Wales being left behind?

Jonathan Williams looks at the legal right to strike. Photo: PA

opinion The right to strike explained

Jonathan Edwards’ words 'were an old Jerry Sadowtiz joke ran through a PR person' according to Leigh Jones.

OPINION Jonathan Edwards' statement was like the PR version of a Jerry Sadowitz joke

Confederal-Federalism: A 21st century partnership of modern sovereign states

opinion Confederal-Federalism: A 21st century partnership of modern sovereign states

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss before taking part in the BBC Tory leadership debate, Our Next Prime Minister

opinion 'Tories seem more interested in internal feuds than cost of living crisis'

Spare a thought for James Howells, who lost out on the Bitcoin goldrush

COMMENT Roxanne Sorooshian: Mining for Bitcoin in a Welsh rubbish dump

Rail strikes are set to continue this month. (Picture: PA Wire)

OPINION 'As a Labour MP, it's my job to stand with workers fighting for a pay rise'

Margaret Thatcher visiting Lothian And Borders Police HQ at Fettes in 1987.

opinion 'Margaret Thatcher’s ghost haunts the Tory leadership feast'

A man carries an English national flag as he walks along Westminster Bridge on January 31, 2020 - the day Brexit took effect

opinion 'How the ‘England as Britain’ fairytale damages all nations of the UK'

Cuts to the criminal justice system have fuelled racial inequality, says Plaid Cymru's Rhys ab Owen.

OPINION 'Bad pre-sentencing reports fuel horrendous racial injustice: We need to fix it'

Liz Truss appears set to win the Tory leadership race

COMMENT 'Truss will be gone before next election'

Issues such as addressing violence against women are not niche and should be central to the independence movement, says Leanne Wood.

PREMIUM 'If independence isn't about improving people’s lives what is the point? '

Mel Owen isn't impressed with either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak. Pictures: Ian Forsyth/Joe Giddens/PA Wire

PREMIUM 'Have Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss forgotten they’re minorities?'

Farming is reliant on public support and the first minister should be willing to make the case for it, Plaid Cymru's Mabon ap Gwynfor. Picture: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency

PREMIUM 'First minister should throw his weight and support behind Welsh farming'

Sprinter, and current Great Britain athletics coach, Christian Malcolm celebrates his 200m silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Picture: Huw Evans Agency

PREMIUM Enter the dragon as the friendly, political and complex Commonwealth Games get underway

A united Labour Party can defeat the Tories and make Sir Keir Starmer prime minister, says Carwyn Jones as he asks Welsh Labour members to return him to the party's ruling body. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Carwyn Jones: 'I want to help Keir Starmer lead a Labour UK government'

Who will fill Welsh Labour's place on the Labour Party's ruling body, the National Executive Committee? Lynne Jones has criticised Keir Starmer's leadership. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

OPINION Labour's 2019 defeat 'was more about Brexit than anything else'

Foreign Secretary and Tory leadership candidate, Liz Truss.

opinion 'Human hand grenade Truss would lead the Tories to their worst defeat since 1997'

Do you trust politicians?

Opinion 'Do you trust politicians?'

Why are broadcasts in Gaelic considered “promotion” of the language but those in English are not? David Leask looks at some of the Scottish narratives on the minority language. Photo: Colin Mearns

opinion 'Why Scotland needs to rethink its attitude towards Gaelic and its speakers'

Liz Truss appears to be attempting to burnish her supposed economic credentials. Photo: PA

opinion 'Liz Truss' declarations on economy almost laughable given her track record'

A farmer washing down cattle during the Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd. Picture: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency

PREMIUM 'The Royal Welsh Show is my Glastonbury but farming needs a friend'

Girlguiding included in their latest campaign a video of a seven-year-old member who was born a boy but now lives as a girl and were dragged into a row over trans rights. Photo: PA

PREMIUM Transphobic parents aren’t ‘scared’ for their children’s safety, they’re scared of progress'

'Does anybody at the WRU care about the unquantifiable magic of Welshness?' Leigh Jones on this week's Rugby Sevens Team GB row. Photos: Huw Evans Picture Agency

opinion 'Does anybody at the WRU care about the unquantifiable magic of Welshness?'

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch

opinion 'In the war of ideas, the triumph of the left is now being televised'

Leanne Wood has recalled giving Alun Cairns a row over a remark he made about Plaid Cymru supporters and concerns over housing in Welsh speaking communities. Picture: Huw Evans/Archive

PREMIUM Leanne Wood: 'The time I gave Alun Cairns a good b******ing'

'There is only one way we will get there, and that’s together' - Adam Price

opinion 'There is only one way we will get there, and that’s together' - Adam Price

#BeKind should not get in the way of accountability for bad behaviour, says Mel Owen, who has an online troll.

opinion #BeKind should not get in the way of accountability for bad behaviour

Dominic Cummings is the kompromat king.

OPINION 'The nastiest Tory contest yet is about to get even worse'

Extinction Rebellion protesters occupied the Aberpergwm mine on Sunday July 11. Photo: XR

PREMIUM 'A Basic Income for heavy industry could help workers on the way to net zero'

The Tory leadership contest will soon be televised - a quiz-show format could turn blue-on-blue squabbles into top-quality television.

OPINION 'Get fingers on buzzers for Tory squabbles on TV debates'

Westminster's historic norms were stretched to breaking point last week. Is reform possible? (Image: PA Wire)

OPINION 'The Eton-ectomy of Westminster won't happen. Wales needs an alternative'

The chaos of Westminster presents an opportunity for the independence movement, says Leanne Wood. (Pictures: PA Wire; Huw Evans Agency)

OPINION 'British unionism is in crisis - and in crisis lies opportunity '

Prime Minister Boris Johnson reads a statement outside 10 Downing Street Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

opinion 'The Tories are irreparably damaged by Johnson and them's the breaks'

Mel Owen wants to know why Buckingham Palace conducted an inquiry into Meghan Markle's behaviour before Prince Andrew's. Photos: PA

PREMIUM 'Why is Meghan Markle treated so differently to Prince Andrew by the Royal Family?'

Neil Mackay discusses the possibilities of prosecuting Johnson for his many sins

PREMIUM 'Let's talk about prosecuting Johnson'

As Plaid Cymru leads a debate in the Senedd on Fuel Payment Support in the Senedd, Sioned Williams MS makes the case for the Welsh Government’s Winter Support Scheme to be expanded throughout the year.

opinion 'Fuel Payment Support is not just for Christmas – we need it all year round'

Thousands marched for Welsh independence in Wrecsam last weekend. But how many? And does it really matter?

OPINION What's the point of independence marches? Why the numbers matter

Half a ton of rubble painted as coal dumped by climate change activists from XR Insurance outside Lloyd's of London, in the City of London earlier this year in a protest against continued coal extraction. Picture: Insurance Rebellion

PREMIUM 'We can keep 42m tonnes of coal in the ground - exactly what climate targets are failing to do'

An All Under One Banner independence march in Cardiff, 2019. (Picture: Huw Evans Agency)

OPINION 'The Wrecsam march was a turning point for the Welsh Independence movement'

'As our economy changes, women are at risk of being left behind'

Opinion 'As our economy changes, women are at risk of being left behind'

Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to public health, second only to smoking. Picture: Huw Evans Agency

Opinion 'Now is the time to deliver on a clean air act for Wales'

In the wake of the Supreme Court judgement in the USA, Leanne Wood details the far right Christian organisations that are targeting abortion services in the UK. Photo: PA

opinion 'Where the US goes, others follow': Leanne Wood on the threat to UK abortion rights

Powys is suffering from a dentistry crisis writes Welsh Liberal Democrat leader, Jane Dodds MS.

People in this part of Wales are 'turning to DIY dentistry and it's Labour's fault'

Mel Owen on the 'rampant misogyny of Dominic Raab's wink'

Opinion Mel Owen on the 'rampant misogyny of Dominic Raab's wink'

Six of the 10 neighbourhoods with the highest rates of child poverty in Wales are in Cardiff's 'southern arc'. Picture: Crown Copyright

Opinion 'A child-friendly city cannot allow so many children to grow up in poverty'

What is more important - the Union or Trade Unions?

opinion What is more important - the Union or Trade Unions?