What do you think?
Rate this book
Who Cares About Wales? Why the Welsh need to get angry
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 11, 2026
I`m now forever one glass of wine away from becoming the Alexander Hamilton of Welsh independence.
May 12, 2026
ma ei saanud siit raamatust suurt midagi teada peale selle, et ma tean Walesi toimimise kohta rohkem kui ilmselt suurem osa inimesi - ses mõttes, et kõike, mis Will siia kirja on pannud, on ta mujal varem ka rääkinud või kirjutanud, ja ma olen alati kuulanud ja lugenud. mis vist näitab, et tasulise newsletteri tellimine on end korralikult ära tasunud :) ühesõnaga, ma kindlasti ei kaeba, aga lugeda soovitaks (soovitangi juba) eelkõige neil, kes veel ei ole teemasse eriti süvenda jõudnud, aga kas tahaks või peaks. ja peaks eelõige kõik inimesed, kes Walesis elavad.
läbi võetakse hulk teemasid - rahandus, tervishoiusüsteem, haridus, põllumajandus, keskkond ja energeetika, kultuur, eluasemepoliitika, majandus jne - ja räägitakse läbi, mis seisus need asjad Walesis on (sisurikkuja: halvas. ei, veel halvemas, kui te arvasite) ja mis on üldjoontes selle põhjused. viimaste osas üldiselt nenditakse, et kuigi ajalooline ebaõiglus mängib ka muidugi suurt rolli, siis on palju, mida saaks ära teha tänase süsteemi muutmisega või isegi olemasoleva parema juhtimise ja haldamisega, ja õhutatakse seda kõike oma valitud rahvaesindajatelt nõudma.
üsna kirglikus toonis on see kõik kirja pandud, aga nagu Will ise ütleb, kui kõike seda tead, mis ta on välja uurinud, siis ei olegi võimalik mitte närvi minna :) nii et f-sõna ikka lendab aeg-ajalt.
saab näha, kui ajakohane ja relevantne see kõik mõne aasta pärast tundub, sest siin on ikka tugevat 2026. aasta kevade vaibi sees (jõudis ilmuda täpselt enne valimisi ja pole võimatu, et mõjutas mingil määral valimistulemusi). praegu igatahes loobin soovitust oma kohalike tuttavate hulgas vasakule ja paremale, sest tegelt ka, päris hämmastav on, KUI vähe inimesed saavad aru sellest, kuidas see riik ja maa, kus nad elavad, toimib.
(alustasin sellest, et ma ei saanud midagi teada, aga tegelikult oli siin vähemalt üks graafik, mida ma polnud enne näinud ja mis pani mu pea plahvatama - selle kohta, milline protsent maksumaksjaid UKs üldiselt ja Walesis konkreetselt millisel maksuastmel on. elus poleks selliseid numbreid aimanud!)
läbi võetakse hulk teemasid - rahandus, tervishoiusüsteem, haridus, põllumajandus, keskkond ja energeetika, kultuur, eluasemepoliitika, majandus jne - ja räägitakse läbi, mis seisus need asjad Walesis on (sisurikkuja: halvas. ei, veel halvemas, kui te arvasite) ja mis on üldjoontes selle põhjused. viimaste osas üldiselt nenditakse, et kuigi ajalooline ebaõiglus mängib ka muidugi suurt rolli, siis on palju, mida saaks ära teha tänase süsteemi muutmisega või isegi olemasoleva parema juhtimise ja haldamisega, ja õhutatakse seda kõike oma valitud rahvaesindajatelt nõudma.
üsna kirglikus toonis on see kõik kirja pandud, aga nagu Will ise ütleb, kui kõike seda tead, mis ta on välja uurinud, siis ei olegi võimalik mitte närvi minna :) nii et f-sõna ikka lendab aeg-ajalt.
saab näha, kui ajakohane ja relevantne see kõik mõne aasta pärast tundub, sest siin on ikka tugevat 2026. aasta kevade vaibi sees (jõudis ilmuda täpselt enne valimisi ja pole võimatu, et mõjutas mingil määral valimistulemusi). praegu igatahes loobin soovitust oma kohalike tuttavate hulgas vasakule ja paremale, sest tegelt ka, päris hämmastav on, KUI vähe inimesed saavad aru sellest, kuidas see riik ja maa, kus nad elavad, toimib.
(alustasin sellest, et ma ei saanud midagi teada, aga tegelikult oli siin vähemalt üks graafik, mida ma polnud enne näinud ja mis pani mu pea plahvatama - selle kohta, milline protsent maksumaksjaid UKs üldiselt ja Walesis konkreetselt millisel maksuastmel on. elus poleks selliseid numbreid aimanud!)
April 8, 2026
Overall, I found this to be an excellent toolkit for questioning political parties on your doorstep ahead of the May elections (I read it in April 2026). It offers a thorough examination of the failures within Welsh politics, whether at the level of the Welsh Government or Westminster.
At points, it feels quite nihilistic, but that’s scattered throughout with some good ideas, along with recognition of some of the things Wales has got right. I appreciate that it’s not Hayward’s role to provide all the answers, and I’m grateful to have this as a go-to resource for holding politicians to account in the future. As a Welshman, it genuinely made me angry at times (objective achieved), definitely not something to read before bed.
This is a MUST-READ for anyone interested in working in politics or government in Wales, and for anyone who wants to help build a better, fairer country.
At points, it feels quite nihilistic, but that’s scattered throughout with some good ideas, along with recognition of some of the things Wales has got right. I appreciate that it’s not Hayward’s role to provide all the answers, and I’m grateful to have this as a go-to resource for holding politicians to account in the future. As a Welshman, it genuinely made me angry at times (objective achieved), definitely not something to read before bed.
This is a MUST-READ for anyone interested in working in politics or government in Wales, and for anyone who wants to help build a better, fairer country.
March 31, 2026
I like Will Hayward - a lot, and think he has an interesting perspective on Welsh politics.
The book was interesting (and got me angry) but at times I felt like it was written in gotcha tweet style.
It is clear throughout the book there is an economic calmity underlying all of these issues but the economy chapter is relegated to the end, is very short. It is also light on ideas (and, in my view) does not question the fact that Wales’ public and third sector is bloated and does not really say what could be done other than “Labour haven’t done enough long term thinking” (which I agree with) and “things are really bad but if we manifest good things through more government, it’ll all be better” (this may be unfair as the book notes the Welsh government must get much better at not just having ‘plans’ and ‘consultations’) but I worry that the book didnt engage with the private sector enough. It didn’t read as a fundamental rethink (which it positioned itself as) but sometimes a bit too much tinkering.
Absolutely agree with the quote “Post-industrial and rural areas have developed self-limiting mindsets rooted in narratives of decline that must be actively countered.” This definitely affects Wales.
The book was interesting (and got me angry) but at times I felt like it was written in gotcha tweet style.
It is clear throughout the book there is an economic calmity underlying all of these issues but the economy chapter is relegated to the end, is very short. It is also light on ideas (and, in my view) does not question the fact that Wales’ public and third sector is bloated and does not really say what could be done other than “Labour haven’t done enough long term thinking” (which I agree with) and “things are really bad but if we manifest good things through more government, it’ll all be better” (this may be unfair as the book notes the Welsh government must get much better at not just having ‘plans’ and ‘consultations’) but I worry that the book didnt engage with the private sector enough. It didn’t read as a fundamental rethink (which it positioned itself as) but sometimes a bit too much tinkering.
Absolutely agree with the quote “Post-industrial and rural areas have developed self-limiting mindsets rooted in narratives of decline that must be actively countered.” This definitely affects Wales.
June 23, 2026
This book is amazing and truly eye opening.
There is so much information in here that i’m ashamed to have not known about until reading this book. The way Wales is being fucked over present day is disgusting and this book does such a good job of highlighting clearly what it is we need to be angry about. What I particularly appreciate about this book is the emphasis on shifting from almost stagnant victimhood to a place of action. There’s somewhat of a belief that because Wales has historically been wronged, we will just continue to be fucked over in that same way. Sometimes it feels like an acceptance of our conditions. Hayward points out in 14 chapters why we shouldn’t be okay with this, and how we should want better for ourselves. Cymru has what it needs to thrive, which is what makes the lip service sham approach of the Welsh Government so frustrating.
There is so much information in here that i’m ashamed to have not known about until reading this book. The way Wales is being fucked over present day is disgusting and this book does such a good job of highlighting clearly what it is we need to be angry about. What I particularly appreciate about this book is the emphasis on shifting from almost stagnant victimhood to a place of action. There’s somewhat of a belief that because Wales has historically been wronged, we will just continue to be fucked over in that same way. Sometimes it feels like an acceptance of our conditions. Hayward points out in 14 chapters why we shouldn’t be okay with this, and how we should want better for ourselves. Cymru has what it needs to thrive, which is what makes the lip service sham approach of the Welsh Government so frustrating.
Review of advance copy
Goodreads tells me that this book has not yet been published and asks where I sourced it from.
It has been published weeks ago and I "sourced" it from Amazon!
Anyway, a brilliantly written book in its way of simplifying the many, many problems that Wales has and tries to identify ways to solve at least some of the.
Highly recommended for everyone who lives in Wales - not just those interested in Welsh affairs.
The biggest problem with the book is that the people who really need to read it - ie large swathes of the Welsh electorate - will simply not be the slightest bit interested in doing so.
It has been published weeks ago and I "sourced" it from Amazon!
Anyway, a brilliantly written book in its way of simplifying the many, many problems that Wales has and tries to identify ways to solve at least some of the.
Highly recommended for everyone who lives in Wales - not just those interested in Welsh affairs.
The biggest problem with the book is that the people who really need to read it - ie large swathes of the Welsh electorate - will simply not be the slightest bit interested in doing so.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Os toeddwn i'm yn flin cynt, dwi'n flin rwan! Dyma'r eglurhad gorau eto am y drefn wleidyddol yng Nghymru. Tydi'r grym ddim gennym i lwyddo, a hynny'n fwriadol!
Guarenteed to raise anyone's blood pressure! This explains the current governance system for Wales in layman's terms, and it's 'set-up to fail', intentionally it seems!
Guarenteed to raise anyone's blood pressure! This explains the current governance system for Wales in layman's terms, and it's 'set-up to fail', intentionally it seems!
Review of advance copy
A brilliant and insightful book that everyone who lives in Wales should read. I learned a great deal, and Will’s clear, engaging writing style makes even complex ideas feel accessible and easy to grasp. Thank you very much Will for all your hard work.
June 25, 2026
Living in a beautiful part of Wales and being married to a proud Welshman, this is a depressing read. One can only hope that with Plaid Cymru now in power in the Senedd, there will be a much louder and less apathetic voice pushing to improve the lot of Cymru's small 3 million population.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I cannot recommend this book enough.
An easy to read and detailed breakdown of the politics of Wales over the last few decades (and why things are so broken, and how we might fix them).
An easy to read and detailed breakdown of the politics of Wales over the last few decades (and why things are so broken, and how we might fix them).
June 15, 2026
An outstanding read that is throughout researched and well put together.
Providing a well balanced look into a variety of topics that directly impact the population of Cymru.
Highly recommend.
Providing a well balanced look into a variety of topics that directly impact the population of Cymru.
Highly recommend.
July 1, 2026
Brilliantly researched and highly readable. Although I am highly engaged with Welsh politics, this book had me at turns angry and sad at how Wales is currently being neglected.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews