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David Deans

@deansofcardiff.bsky.social
4.7K followers 1.8K following 691 posts

BBC Wales online political reporter. Email: david.deans@bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by David Deans
Alex Partridge @alexpartridge87.bsky.social · 7h
RAF Fairford incident "highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran" by the IRGC, Andy Burnham tells parliament
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
More www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Reform's Wales leader Dan Thomas 'would consider a donation from a criminal for security'
Dan Thomas says he would take money from someone with a criminal past if it was his "only option".
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Lib Dem Jane Dodds said the comments were an "absolute embarassment to Welsh politics" and an "insult to the public". Mims Davies of the Tories said it defied belief two years after the Gething donations scandal
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Later, in a separate interview with the BBC, he accused us of asking a "gotcha" question about a hypothetical scenario.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
When he was asked if he would have accepted money from a convicted criminal to help with his security, he said: "Well, if it was the only option for me to have security that I badly needed, I would consider it, yes."
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Reform Wales' Dan Thomas has told the BBC he would consider a donation from a criminal if it was his only option to pay for security - prompting scorn from some of his political rivals
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Reposted by David Deans
Scott Bryan @scottygb.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Radio 4 Long Wave ends tomorrow www.bbc.com/mediacentre/...
bbc.com
Radio 4 broadcasts on Long Wave to end on 27 June 2026
Long Wave infrastructure owned and operated by a third party is coming to the end of its life as a technology
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Ooh ooh ooh I had one of these - they used to be ubiquitous back in the 00s
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Welsh Labour to find new leader by November But we've learned of a split at the top of the party and an argument over when that timetable should take place www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Welsh Labour to have new leader by November but party split
BBC Wales is told the party's ruling body argued over how quickly the contest should take place.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
The constituent is hoping for an apology from the MP. The MP has not responded to multiple approaches from us. More here www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Man accuses Labour MP Steve Witherden of stealing ventilator idea
Steve Witherden MP has been accused of plagiarism over a letter written to him about the ventilators.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
MP Steve Witherden has been accused by a constituent of stealing an idea to have unused ventilators released from a Welsh hospital. The constituent says he asked the MP for help for them to go to Ukraine, but found out the MP later asked if they could go to Cuba.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
But if a left-bloc of sorts dominates the Senedd, even if Reform wins, then some or all four might find themselves in a marriage of necessity, as they might see it, even if some MSs would have rather spent this term sitting it out x.com/DeansOfCardi...
x.com
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Not all those parties would necessarily even need to work together - it would be down to the maths, and polling stations don't open until May 7, so we don't really know. There are lots of combos involving coalitions or ad hoc deals - Plaid would prefer a minority gov of some kind
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Last night, the leaders of Plaid Cymru, Labour, the Welsh Lib Dems and the Greens all ruled out working with Reform - with the Lib Dems and the Greens going further in saying they wouldn't work with the Tories either.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Some recent polling has suggested that Reform could come first. But the party's path to government is hard- it would need to over perform compared to the polls, an its only potential partner in the Senedd is the Tories, who could be tiny and where relations aren't the best
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
At the end of last night's BBC debate the contours of a potential alliance that could keep Reform out of government were apparent It's been obvious to Welsh political anoraks but maybe not the public - four parties ruled out working with reform, but not each other
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Live Welsh political debate tonight on BBC 1 Wales - tune in! www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg...
bbc.co.uk
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
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)
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Good question - I think there may have been stage 3s that have gone on so late the lights switched themselves off
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
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
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
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...
bbc.co.uk
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
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
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
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)
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
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
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
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
bbc.co.uk
Storyville - Mr Nobody Against Putin
A Storyville documentary that follows a Russian schoolteacher as he risks everything to expose rising militarism in his classroom.
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Reposted by David Deans
Kriszta Satori @fulelo.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
#BBCNews - Lyse Doucet: In Tehran, rallies for Iran's revolution overshadowed by discontent and defiance www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Comes not long after Plaid lost a by-election in their Ynys Mon backyard, to Reform
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
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
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
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)
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
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".
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
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...
bbc.co.uk
Stop watching Netflix to save pubs, Welsh first minister Eluned Morgan says
Eluned Morgan said her government can't be expected
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
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)
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
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
bbc.co.uk
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
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
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Tories promising grandparents £4.8k to help with childcare in an election pledge announced today www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
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.
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Reposted by David Deans
Ian Hamilton @ianhamiltonbbc.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
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...
bbc.co.uk
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
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...
bbc.co.uk
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.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Vibes
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
"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
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
More here www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
First minister accused of 'building scaffolding' for independent Wales
Eluned Morgan comes under fire for a speech which demanded new powers to prevent the UK's break-up.
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Meanwhile some of her Labour MSs expressed dismay at the comments of the home secretary. One, Mick Antoniw who is a former counsel general, called her "facile"
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Tories accused her of trying to build the scaffolding for an independent Wales while Plaid said she was powerless after one of her asks - the devolution of policing - was rejected days after she made it
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David Deans @deansofcardiff.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Eluned Morgan took flack from all sides in the Senedd today over her speech calling for more devolution to stop pro-indy parties taking control of the Senedd
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