In a previous blog, we noted the success of a visit to Westminster in January 2025, where MPs, Members of the House of Lords, and parliamentary representatives met with Professor Michael Woods (Director) and me (Rhian Curtis, Engagement Officer), as we presented Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales. At the time, we were excited at the prospect of engaging with political leaders and decision-makers, and seizing this momentum to develop a more strategic approach to political engagement and supporting policy change.
On the back of follow-up discussions and Zoom calls with other MPs, the conversation landed on the topic of child poverty and how that manifested itself in Rural Wales. What can be done? With an agenda driven by a Welsh MP and supported by Welsh members of the House of Lords, the engagement activity from January has, by now, led to the possibility of Professor Woods providing evidence at an All Party Parliamentary Group meeting on the topic (date TBC). A fantastic outcome from our initial exploratory discussions with the politicians, and identifying areas where our research could help make a difference.
Shortly after came the opportunity to attend the launch of the Wales Innovation Network’s (WIN) annual report at the Senedd in Cardiff in March, with a Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales exhibition stand. Though WIN had themselves invited all Members of the Senedd (MS) to attend and engage with the exhibitors, Dr Siobhan Maderson (Innovation Manager) and I wanted to demonstrate to each Member the added value of meeting us. We contacted all Members of the Senedd personally, tapping into their priority areas or their constituency location in Rural Wales, and invited them to discuss our research at the event. It was quite humorous when one MS announced his presence to us: “You emailed me and told me to come and talk to you about Rural Wales, so here I am!” Whilst he may have been overstating the nature of the invitation somewhat, it was a great way to start our conversation about our research projects, and how we could collaborate further, particularly relating to one of his primary concerns about public transport linking rural regions.
Also present at the Senedd event that day were local government officials and representatives from the business and charitable sectors, along with economic regeneration experts. Another successful conversation saw a senior figure from one county council request further information about our research project into growth in rural Welsh towns, wishing to see if the research findings and recommendations could be implemented in her own region.
Springing forward to April, I had the pleasure of meeting with another Welsh Member of Parliament whose constituency has seen a trend in outward migration of young people leaving in search of employment or education elsewhere. However, employers in the region cited unfilled roles, an inability to recruit and the challenge of finding local staff to join their companies. The MP wondered what the true story was. What could be done? Can Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales research help? Indeed, we may be able to, and we are currently exploring the feasibility of collaborating on an employment survey. I believe this is a perfect example of how we can capitalise on the expertise of our Researchers to collaborate with a leading politician on a project that could lead to the creation of a new skills and employment initiative in this area of Rural Wales.
So, where do we go from here? What’s next in our policy engagement calendar? July brings the annual Royal Welsh Show back to Builth Wells, where Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales will be present and undertaking a number of activities. We will be hosting a formal event, inviting all Members of the Senedd, Welsh MPs and Lords to attend, amongst other stakeholders, to not only launch our first Annual Report and share the findings of our research to date, but also to learn more about the priorities of Welsh decision-makers, and demonstrate how we can share evidence, provide analysis and recommendations and, ultimately, collaborate on initiatives to bring about innovative solutions to the challenges facing Rural Wales.
This blog was written by Rhian Curtis, Engagement Officer, Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales.
Image is from Flickr by Michael Livsey – CC BY-SA 2.0
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this analysis post are those of the author and not necessarily those of City-REDI or the University of Birmingham.