Car crash from
@GMB
presenters. Do they even have researchers on
@GMB
? I've been interviewed on Wales and
#GeneralElection2024
by French and German broadcasters this past fortnight who have far greater knowledge and depth of understanding.
For a strong voice for Wales - vote Plaid Cymru 💚
🏴 Deliver fair funding for Wales
📈 Boost the economy by joining the customs union and single market
🤝 Redesign these islands on a fair footing
Watch
@RhunapIorwerth
’s full
@GMB
interview
So, despite fine words from
@FIFAWorldCup
before event
@Cymru
rainbow Bucket hats confiscated at stadium, mine included. I had a conversation about this with stewards - we have video evidence. This
#WorldCup2022
just gets better but we will continue stand up for our values 🌈
I've just been reading some of the lovely comments on social media after last night's
@bbcquestiontime
. Had to cope with a vomiting child when I got back from Newport last night!, so it was such a boost to read such kind & supportive feedback. But I'm under no illusions that 1/4
That
@BBCSport
piece at HT in
#WALvENG
for
@LGBTHM
with
@JiffyRugby
&
@Nigelrefowens
was beautiful and perfectly pitched. Two old pals, natural banter, no jargon, no politics. Underlines the normality and boring ordinariness of being gay 👏
Diolch i bawb am eich holl gefnogaeth, I'm so touched by so many messages of support. Looking forward to confirmation at UEFA Congress in Lisbon but, for now, I feel incredibly proud & honoured on behalf of
@Cymru
to have the chance to contribute at European football's top table.
The FAW has received confirmation from
@UEFA
that former
@Cymru
player Laura McAllister is standing unopposed to join the UEFA Executive Committee.
#TogetherStronger
Let this sink in: "UK Government has justified giving Scotland & NI extra bank holiday while denying one to Wales because they have 'different histories, economic, social, cultural and legal systems'." . Just underlines absurdity of this not being devolved.
Statement: "I’m obviously disappointed with the result, although we knew it was always going to be an extremely difficult task to unseat an incumbent. The fact that we were just six votes short of winning the election is hopefully testament to the modern, professional 1/4
Just to say diolch enfawr/massive thank you for incredible messages of support ahead of tomorrow's election. Haven't had a sec to reply but believe me, they've given me huge energy & determination. Whatever outcome, been left in no doubt all 🏴is behind me. Pretty emotional tbh
Just under 2 months to go until I stand for election for
@UEFA
's designated women's place on
@FIFAcom
Council & we're excited to launch our brand new campaign website: . Next up will be our election manifesto (watch this space!)
#LauraMcAllisterforFootball
I'm so incredibly touched by all the messages of support & congratulations that I've received this week. Honestly, where else would the national team players celebrate a governance win for the nation? Cymru is genuinely unique. Diolch o galon bawb. This is your success 🏴❤️👊
As we get ready to fly to Montreux, my final
#FIFA
campaign video is winging its way to all 55
@UEFA
nations. If elected, I'll be a genuine, credible voice for football. I've got the experience & passion to do the job.
#LauraMcAllisterForFootball
And I disagree with you both! "Senedd" shows a much overdue self-confidence & national pride, also that the Welsh language belongs to us all, and displays our European heritage side by side with other "minority" languages.
It's a mad whirl here & there's a plane to catch, but must say thank you to the fabulous team who worked so hard with me on this campaign. Names later but pushing a powerful incumbent & coming within six votes of victory is down to them, + the whole 🏴 nation behind me of course!
Wales is losing out on billions of pounds - fact. The rail system is dreadful & dysfunctional - fact. The overwhelming case for proper devolution of rail & why this matters to us all, not just so-called constitutional "anoraks". My
@WalesOnline
column:
"...to avoid Wales becoming the empty vessel, shorn of meaningful identity outside football, rugby & the Eisteddfod, we all need to kickstart that national conversation about our future." My thoughts in
@WalesOnline
on Wales & aftermath of
#GE2019
Paris now on the way home. Diolch o galon pawb for all the messages & love. I really can't express how much they've meant to me. I'm really disappointed & feeling a bit bruised now but that's a sign of our ambition & high expectations more than anything 1/2
Why the modern
@Urdd
is about so much more than the Welsh language. Welcoming refugees, promoting girls' sport, driving equality. My
@WalesOnline
column - in today's Western Mail magazine too - on the biggest youth movement in Europe.
Enjoyed that historic match tonight? Then get your tickets for this huge, huge match for
@Cymru
. Let's fill the stadium and get our girls to the
@FIFAWWC
💪🏴
Already,
@cymru
at
#euro2020
has reinforced the pivotal part that football plays in our national identity.Only a fool would deny football is a symbol of a modern, confident Wales brimming with self-belief- on the sports field at least. How do we bottle it?
football & wider sports family and, touchingly, from lots of people I've never met means a heck of a lot. Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi gyd. Ymlaen!
#bbcqt
I get it... I know all eyes are on
@dafyddiwan
here, but let's just give a standing ovation for these two women, without whom there'd be no
@Cymru
women's national team
#YmaoHyd
Proper credit should go to
@BBCWales
for its serious coverage of
@Cymru
women's qualifiers. It's not just the live game itself, it's the build up, the back stories, the context, the studio line up...It's the profile 👏🏴
It's taken us 22 years but what a joyous celebration we had
@plascilybebyll
. Diolch i bawb am ddod. Diwrnod i'w gofio. A truly unforgettable day with family and friends.
Sometimes people achieve more in a few years than others do in a long lifetime. Steff was one of those. Courageous,principled, passionate,driven,ambitious for our nation. The best tribute we can pay to Steff is to encourage more young people to be like him
"We could be faced with a simple choice: to be part of a cut & shut “England-and-Wales” or independence. Whichever one’s preference, it is surely better to own the decision ourselves." Today's Western Mail
@WalesOnline
column on independence.
I've written here about why
@Cymru
qualifying for
@FIFAWorldCup
is gargantuan, not just for football but for whole nation. But no time to waste if we're to ensure sustainable benefits from
#Qatar2022
. Missing these massive opportunities would be unforgivable
#TogetherStronger
Diolch am yr holl gefnogaeth/thank you for all the support. Big campaign ahead but I can promise you we'll give it our best shot. Cymru represented on the top table of European football is our ambition. Ymlaen
#TogetherStronger
💪🏴
The Football Association of Wales is pleased to support the nomination of Professor Laura McAllister CBE for a position on the UEFA Executive Committee.
#TogetherStronger
Conscious that lots in our political world are feeling elated or devastated today but I came home to this, which puts it all in perspective for me. Disgybl yr wythnos for Annie-awarded for kindness to other children. Couldn't be prouder of her (unless she gets to play for
@cymru
)
Understandably shedding a tear, da iawn and Llongyfarchiadau to my friend
@Tanni_GT
for the
#SPOTY19
Lifetime Achievement Award. Thanks for all you've done for us in Welsh sport too. We're so very proud of you 🏴
Will Boris Johnson go down in history as the PM who provided the biggest single acceleration to the UK's break-up? My Western Mail &
@WalesOnline
column today on
#covid
-19,
#devolution
,
#lockdownvariation
, & the two biggest threats to the union.
Genuinely one of my favourite 🏴 athletes since I saw her win her 1st medal at
#Glasgow2014
. Massive talent across 3 sports,
@LLPrice94
's got it all. But most of all, what you need to win gold-ambition, self-belief, dogged determination & a very big heart. Llongyfarchiadau Lau🥇
If I am successful in tomorrow's election for
@FIFAcom
council,
@uefa
national associations can be 100% confident that I will always back them, & not a small group of elite, self- serving clubs intent on maximising profit at the expense of our game
#LauraMcAllisterforfootball
☑️ The
#UEFAExCo
has approved a new format for club competitions as of the 2024/25 season.
⚽ The reforms come after an extensive consultation across the football family. The changes made are designed to secure the positive future of European football at every level.
#UCL
#UEL
Notwithstanding the content, the fact that the PM rejected the opportunity to confirm he was speaking about England confirms my belief that it's unionists that'll destroy the union. More important for now are the public health risks & public policy challenges this poses for us.
With sound analysis from
@swalesmetroprof
& my
@WalesGovernance
colleagues, this piece shows why HS2 funding scandal is right up there with the greatest post devo political scams. I'm stunned that there's not universal public fury at this 🤷♀️
After so many wonderful & touching messages of support this week (diolch!), I've written my
@WalesOnline
column on why I'm fighting the election for a seat on
@FIFAcom
. It'll be a straight contest between Italian, Evelina Christillin & me 🏴:
🧵 Wholly disingenuous to suggest that it's only language that's the issue in
@UKLabour
manifesto when it comes to Wales. Benefits of devolving police, probation, criminal justice have already been thoroughly & properly researched & evidenced. So, it's insulting to talk about
Today's
@WalesOnline
column on
@Urdd
: "Some bodies funded from the public purse...interpret funds as currency for compliance & conservatism."
@Urdd
is definitely not one of these & its survival is crucial for our future on so many different fronts:
Don't know who was more excited about Annie being a mascot tonight, me or her. And leading
@cymru
out with
@GarethBale11
. Nice point too given the games ahead for both teams.
#WALCRO
Just a small point
@hywel_griffith
@BBCNews
, can you point out that the reason Wales fans are outnumbered in Baku & Rome is because we were effectively stopped from (strongly advised against) travelling by the FCDO and
@WelshGovernment
? It's a bit important!
Absolute nonsense from
@PennyMordaunt
although obviously driven by politics not evidence, so here's some of the latter for her: in the Commons, around 500 MPs do not have either executive or office holder roles. Of these MPs, about 115 are backbenchers🧵
Whilst many on here glibly spout their own expert judgement, this section from the Technical Advisory report to
@WelshGovernment
on the evident balance of harms from any action it takes reveals the harsh truth.
If I'm fortunate enough to be elected to
@FIFAcom
Council, I'll show the same passion, determination and integrity as I did as a player for my club and country
#LauraMcAllisterforfootball
Diolch am bopeth Rob. A passionate, driven coach who was always kind and engaging too. Someone who cared more about
@cymru
than almost anyone I know. You'll have a special place in our football history for everything you achieved for us. Diolch 🙏🏴
"UK Government’s attitude to Wales has fallen seriously short, verging at times on a dismissive contempt." Plenty more illustrations in recent days. My
@WalesOnline
column on why the governance of our nation has to change. The status quo is unsustainable:
My column on PE & school sport in today's Western Mail
@WalesOnline
: should we tolerate PE being Cinderella subject in many schools, lessons cancelled for concerts or exams & shrinking in duration? Would we tolerate that for maths, Welsh, English, science?
I was anything special. Sportspeople are hypercritical so I know my weaknesses alright. We remember less the perfect pass & more every missed tackle. But I do think it's important that we all show a wider audience that Wales is a smart, outward-looking nation that's 2/4
THREAD: Just listened to second programme by
@BowenBBC
, This Union
@BBCRadio4
: . Hard to know where to start, beyond disappointment & underwhelming. A few points: 1. Bowen is a fine Middle East editor but he brings little of that rigour to 1/7
Now's the time to lick our wounds & yes, we'll look back at this campaign with enormous pride for a whole host of reasons. But now's also the moment to hold feet to the fire and demand more-there can be no standing still in the women's game now & definitely no slipping back 🧵
Social media's not representative of course, but still, this is timely reminder that we need a dose of realism when we trumpet equality in football. In every part of the game, there's men bitter & resentful about the presence of women in "their" sport. I've experienced it too...
Diolch yn fawr iawn am yr holl negesau caredig. Thank you so much for all the lovely messages. Very proud to be included amongst such august company 🏴
#BBC100Women
My
@WalesOnline
column:"Abolish Senedd" elites can be stopped in their tracks with bolder, more competitive politics & bigger ‘asks’-control over welfare, justice, broadcasting + no more shilly-shallying about bilingualism or teaching Welsh history
Over two years of considering detailed evidence from experts in justice & policing, plus forensic analysis against an objective matrix by a cross party Commission (upon which sat a prominent member of the
@Conservatives
and a former Perm Sec), versus a personal judgement 🤔
Also on the programme:
Great piece by
@rhodrilewis5
- After the long-awaited report into devolution by Professor
@LauraMcAllister
and Lord Rowan Williams, claims by Sir Robert Buckland it would be 'calamitous' to give more powers to Wales over justice.
“If there’s going to be a drive for Scottish Independence, I don’t think there’s the appetite for us here in Wales being left with a kind of rump of the UK”:
"Even the tiniest threat to our 143-year status as a proud, independent football nation is too big a risk to take". My views on Team GB football at the Olympics in this week's Western Mail column:
This - at least self-confessed - display of dismissive ignorance by Charles Moore in
@spectator
underlines how weirdly obsessed the English are with other nations' laws & borders, when it suits their arguments.
Hard to write dispassionately before big game but I stand by this: "If we too readily accept the ‘small nation’ tag, we do ourselves a disservice and curtail our ambitions and horizons. Yes, this raises expectations but pressure is a privilege as they say."
sufficiently self-confident to be able to challenge & criticise each other in public - politely & fairly, & always in a spirit of honesty & openness. The messages I've had from colleagues in academia, from students I taught many years ago at Liverpool and Cardiff; from the & 3/4
Thrilled we have 1st statue of woman who shaped our nation but bit ashamed it's taken this long. Da iawn Betty Campbell, well-deserved but come on
@WelshLGA
, let's have the other 4 women & many other invisible heroines properly celebrated in their home patches
#HiddenHeroines
And my election manifesto is out! "I would be
honoured to become UEFA’s first female
member on FIFA Council to have played
international football and to have
captained her country." Have a read here 👇
"I am committed to protecting the integrity of football at every level, to ensure that our game is accessible and available to all and I am ready to be innovative in my approach."
FA Wales nominee for FIFA Council
@LauraMcAllister
, launches election manifesto 👇
After a week & a bit of (mainly network) interviews on divergences in
#Covid_19
lockdown regulations, my principal observation is that journos outside Wales/Scotland are weirdly & mistakenly obsessed with political motivations rather than normal policy decisions based on evidence
"Our future, our decisions. Wales’s political history is one of passive waiting on sidelines until political circumstances change & then cobbling together hasty & usually unsustainable responses." Why our new Independent Commission can help change that.
I'm an experienced football candidate who's been involved in the game at every level, from player to administrator. I'd be a football voice - for women and men in the game - at
#FIFA
Council
#LauraMcAllisterforfootball
Just 10 days to go until the big vote in Switzerland. I've written down some personal - & political - reflections on my
#FIFA
Council campaign and what I've learnt from this election in my
@WalesOnline
column 👇
I know the arguments but surely we can keep our local parks open a bit later in the middle of a lockdown and when the schools are closed
@cardiffcouncil
? Why lock the gates at 4 pm when it's still light and our kids need to let off steam?