Another Christmas is done and dusted and it is time to look forward. 2026 is going to be a big year for Wales and arguably the United Kingdom as a whole. The potential for a real shock isn’t far away. With a fascist dictator on the rampage in Eastern Europe, we are just one misstep away from descending into wider conflict. Given our current Government, God help us if that came to pass. Whilst praying it doesn’t, let’s focus on matters closer to home.

Almost thirty years down the line we could reasonably ask whether devolution has been a success, or even worth it? Perhaps more pertinently, we should ask whether Wales has the ability to govern itself well? It is a question all political parties need to address, particularly those who believe that an independent Wales would be our best future.

What Wales (and arguably the UK) really lacks is a vision for where we want to go; put bluntly how do we pull ourselves up by our bootstraps? How do we play to our strengths and overcome our weaknesses? We need to look for more than a nebulous promise that a combination of Independence and Modern (Magic?) Monetary Theory will turn Wales into a land of milk and honey overnight. It won’t!

There is a profound immaturity in our political discourse. Like Boris Johnson, we all want to have our cake and eat it. We demand instant results and please can someone else pick up the tab. Sadly the world doesn’t work like that. Led by political minnows we have allowed ourselves to buy into delusions.

If we want cheap green energy then we have to accept on shore wind turbines, pylons and solar panels. If we don’t want the lights to go out then we have to back that up with reliable baseload (nuclear could be the least worst option) and dual cycle gas turbines to meet peak demand. We can put the wind turbines off shore, but then our electricity may be too costly to support a thriving economy.

That’s important, because if you really believe that good public services like healthcare and education are important, then the only thing more important is to be able to pay for them. That’s not a controversial political argument; it’s like pointing out that night follows day.

A recent holiday in Northern Spain opened my eyes to what aspiration could do for West Wales. It is a region with many similarities to us including its own culture and language (Basque), a post-industrial legacy and a beautiful hinterland between coast and mountains. Visionary architecture like the Guggenheim in Bilbao has precipitated renewal of a once burnt out old steel town. Service industries and tourism have flourished. The company that owns Scottish Power (Iberdrola) is headquartered there. Tourism is celebrated. Beautifully maintained coastal resorts, along with a renovated railway (ring any bells locally?) help to drive a wealth importing industry. The tourists support a lot of top end restaurants which in turn celebrate and support local produce.

Perhaps the most striking difference is a modern road network; a dual track carriageway with proper junctions, tunnels and viaducts providing reliable and efficient transport infrastructure. Linking rural communities, this brings jobs, opportunity and easier access to things like modern healthcare. Might be useful in Ceredigion? You bet!

The Llettytwpa Farm/Lampeter University Campus Project shows a spark of local ambition. I am sure we will hear more about it in 2026. It is a big task for a cash strapped council to take on. Do they have the executive “bandwidth” to progress it? Is it ambitious enough? In isolation could it achieve anything positive? These are all valid questions. Positive criticism is fine, but let’s not have the standard negative sniping from the sidelines.

In five months’ time Welsh politics will be very different. No party is going to have a majority; our politicians will have to work in coalitions, chosen by us and not them!

Wouldn’t it be great to have a Welsh Government with a long-term vision, rooted in economic reality.

Aspiration and infrastructure; is it too much to ask for?