Last Thursday saw the launch of a centre-right think tank in Wales called Gorwel (Horizon) chaired by the Conservative Assembly Member, David Melding, and including Lib Dems, such as Russell Deacon, Plaid Cymru members and non-party people.
It’s an attempt to challenge the status quo in Wales try and improve Wales economically.
The new organisation has some clear objectives:
1. Gorwel is an independent, non-party Welsh think-tank whose mission is to set out a better way to deliver public services and economic prosperity in Wales.
2. Where possible it wants to develop Welsh solutions to Welsh problems drawing on the best research and expertise from both Wales and elsewhere.
3. The organisation’s aim is to produce research of outstanding quality on the core issues of the economy, environment, health, education, public sector management, law and order and on the right balance between government and the individual; and to communicate it to politicians and opinion formers in all parties and none in order to create a consensus for reform.
4. The think-tank is determinedly independent and strictly non-party in it’s approach. The group believes that there has been policy failure in relation to public services over a period of years under all governments, and wants to persuade all parties that there is a better way.
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2 Comments
It doesn’t even have a website! I was alarmed at seeing more costing up between the Lib Dems and the Tories – not clever in Wales, and are Plaid Cymru really involved? They are usually to the left of Labour. But I am not sure it really is of right of centre think tank, it could be a forum for ideas from different parts of the spectrum.
However before jumping to conclusions the best thing is to find out more. The most significant thing I know about them is that they do not have a website.
Plaid Cymru often position themselves as being to the left of Labour in South Wales, but also do a very good impersonation of being socially conservative Christian democrats in the rural centre and north. Nationally, they are a mess eg: they oppose nuclear power except for in their former leader’s constitutuency!
David Melding is a fairyl well liked Tory, usually regarded as moderate |(for them) but I think this think-tank is really about trying to get any point of view that isn’t just Labour’s across!