The Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) () is an independent charity and membership-based think-tank based Cardiff, Wales, which specialises in public policy and debate around the economy, education, environment and health sectors in Wales.
History
The establishment of the IWA came amid, according to Schofield (2014), the launch and subsequent failure of the 1979 Welsh devolution referendum, and the resulting “tug-of-war between a desire for a measure of independence for Wales and concerns about the country's ability to function under such a system.”
In 1986, controller of BBC Wales Geraint Talfan Davies and Cardiff lawyer Keith James (of Eversheds LLP) set out a paper which established their case for "a body that can provide a regular intellectual challenge to current practice in all those spheres of Welsh life and administration that impact on our industrial and economic performance." An initial £50,000 grant was provided by the Welsh Development Agency Chief Executive David Waterstone, and thus The Institute of Welsh Affairs was established on 22 July 1987. The IWA became registered as a charity on 1 December 1990.
The IWA’s first Chairman was Henry Kroch (1920-2011), a German born industrialist who was president of AB Electronics, while his Deputy Chairman was Sir Donald Walters, the former Council Chair of the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology and an integral figure in the merger of the present day University of Wales, Cardiff. It was overseen by a board of trustees which persists to this day. The think tank has been unaffiliated to political or economic interest groups since its foundation, and was the first membership-funded think tank in the UK.
Until 1996 its Chairman was Geraint Talfan Davies, who led the organisation during its voluntary era. However, with a combination of funding from the now defunct Welsh Development Agency, the Hyder Group, and Cardiff banker Julian Hodge, the IWA received enough funding to hire staff full time. It appointed journalist John Osmond as its full-time director, who oversaw the organisation's output, including the first production of the IWA’s journal, Agenda.
In 2008 the IWA launched Click on Wales as a comment and analysis site for discussion about public policy in Wales. This has since been rebranded as the welsh agenda to maintain brand consistency with the biannual magazine.
In April 2013, John Osmond was succeeded as Director by Lee Waters, who had previously run the environmental charity Sustrans Cymru and had been Chief Political Correspondent for ITV Wales. A year later the founder of the Cardiff law-firm NewLaw, Helen Molyneux, was appointed Chair. The current Chair is Bethan Darwin of Thompson Darwin LLP.
In 2015 Waters stood for election as the Labour National Assembly candidate for Llanelli, which he went on to win. Following the election, he stood down as director of the Institute, and Auriol Miller was named as his successor in July 2016. Miller was prior to appointment the director of Welsh homelessness service Cymorth Cymru and previously worked for Oxfam in Sudan.
Key themes The IWA's stated vision is to develop practical ideas and strategies to improve the economy, education, environment and health sectors in Wales.
Its initial work centred heavily around devolution, following the 1979 referendum and 1980s economic upheaval in Wales. Its focus post-devolution has shifted to more of a public policy advocacy function, facilitating debate by leading industry and political figures on its ClickOnWales platform, as well as preparing reports on specific areas for reform, including the environment, higher education, transport, justice, European Union membership, healthcare, the media, and inequality.
One of the IWA’s central activities is holding events on its reports, public policy issues, and on matters of civic importance in Wales, such as debating whether Brexit is the end of Devolution for the 20th anniversary of Welsh devolution. It notably held a high profile Brexit debate in Cardiff between former First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones and Brexit supporter Nigel Farage.
Funding
The IWA is a membership based organisation, offering individual membership, corporate affiliation, and fellowships. For the year ending 2019-20 it reported income of £302,336 and spending of £340,933.
The organisation is primarily funded by its members and operates as a charity, however in the past it has received funding from a variety of sources. Its reports have in the past been sponsored by businesses, such as AB Electronics and Hodge Bank, as well as Government or voluntary sector bodies such as the former Welsh Development Agency.
The Institute issues fellowships as honorary positions to those deemed to have made contributions to civil society in Wales in their fields of expertise. This has since been followed by honorary Life Fellowships for individuals making an exceptional contribution "to making Wales better".
The IWA previously had three area branches; North Wales, Cardigan Bay and Swansea Bay. The branches were run by volunteers and from time to time arranged events that are of interest to IWA members in their areas. The IWA now has only its headquarters in Cardiff Bay instead of regional branches.
Notable people
A number of figures from across Wales are currently, or have previously, been involved with the Institute, as fellows, board members, or Directors.
Lee Waters John Osmond Helen Molyneux Geraint Talfan Davies Eurfyl ap Gwilym Professor Laura McAllister
Criticism
In 2011 Liberal Democrat AM Aled Roberts argued in a speech at the Eisteddfod organised by the IWA that "house building would strain (the) Welsh language" in north east Wales. The speech proved controversial as it cited similar arguments to those made by Welsh language campaigners that migration of English people to Welsh language speaking areas is harmful for the language, and that it should be stifled through planning objections and legal opposition.
In 2015 the IWA's decision to appoint Labour's Assembly candidate for Llanelli Lee Waters as its director came in for criticism from the Conservatives leader in the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies, for what he said was "the continued stewardship of the IWA by a candidate of the party of government in Wales at next May’s Welsh General Election." The IWA's Chair Helen Molyneux wrote to IWA members as a result of the controversy, to inform them of Mr Waters’ selection as a candidate and "reassure them that the board will be putting in place safeguards to ensure that the IWA’s independent position is protected as we approach the election.”
Leadership
A current list of board members is kept on the IWA's website, as well as at the Charity Commission.
Directors Auriol Miller (2016–present) Lee Waters (2013–2016) John Osmond (1996–2013)
Chairpeople Bethan Darwin (2018–present) Helen Molyneux (2014–2018) Geraint Talfan Davies (1992–2014) Henry Kroch (1987–1991)
Board Members
Original list
Eurfyl ap Gwilym of Principality Building Society and Plaid Cymru Professor Laura McAllister of Cardiff University Frances Beecher of Llamau Sarah Prescott (Honorary Treasurer) experienced CFO in the third sector Alison Copus of the Wales Millennium Centre Shereen Williams of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales Valerie Livingston of Newsdirect Wales Professor Kevin Morgan of Cardiff University Helen Mortlock of Eversheds Sutherland Anthony Pickles formerly Chief of Staff for the Welsh Conservatives Leena Farhat of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Marc Thomas of Doopoll Bethan Darwin of Thompson Darwin LLP Professor Alison Wride of Bangor Business School
Publications
The Institute has published reports on issues across a number of fields relating to Welsh life. However in 2016 the organisation readjusted to focus on four areas of importance: the economy, education, health, governance & the media. The IWA publishes its reports in full online.
1980s
Inaugural paper Prior to its inception, Davies and James produced a 1986 paper on the need for "a body that can provide a regular intellectual challenge to current practice in all those spheres of Welsh life and administration that impact on our industrial and economic performance."
The South Wales Valleys economy Issues which were prominent in the early work of the Institute included reports around the Welsh economy, particularly in light of the miners’ strike of 1984-85. In 1988 the IWA published a report on the South Wales Valleys economy, at a time following the mine closures and de-industrialisation across the UK. The report argued that the Valleys “are at a relative disadvantage compared with the coastal plain (of South Wales) in attracting development” due to problems which are “primarily economic”, stating that any “social problems are related to a lack of jobs and investment,” and that “the future must be based on linking into the relative economic prosperity of the coastal plain: the valleys are no longer a separate economic entity.” The report was covered by the Financial Times in 1989, who widely cited the Institute’s work in their investigation into the economic, social, and business challenges in the Valleys, which the paper noted had “among the most deprived parts of Britain, with an average household income under £4,000."
1990s
Welsh-medium schools In 1996 Reynolds and Bellin wrote a report on Welsh-medium schools, titled “Welsh-medium Schools; why they are Better.” The work was cited by Dylan Jones at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference in 1997, in a paper titled “The assessment of bilingual pupils: observations from recent Welsh experiences.” Davies states that Welsh-medium schools “have constantly featured among the best in Wales… even (accounting) for possible socio-economic differences.” Davies stated that the IWA paper put forward a range of reasons for this overachievement compared to English medium schools.
North-South infrastructure proposals The IWA in 1999 published a report arguing for expansion of the A470 north-to-south-Wales trunk route in order to better facilitate road travel from North to South Wales. The organisation was criticised by Friends of the Earth Cymru in a 30 page critique of proposals to reinstate North-South Wales road links, which the group called "detrimental to road safety," "socially exclusive," and which they argued would "encourage traffic growth."
Devolution During the 1990s, issues relating to devolution formed a large part in the IWA's agenda. It produced reports on the conduct of the referendum, suggested amendments to the 1998 Government of Wales Act, and published reports on the relationship between devolution and economic development, as well as the contentious issue of housing the Assembly.