Daran Hill is a political commentator and also manages Wales' fastest growing public affairs firm, Positif Politics, which he founded in 2006. After twelve years in the profession, he is one of the most authoritative public affairs consultants in Wales, and is well-connected across the political spectrum. In 2011 Daran was the Campaign Director of Yes for Wales, the cross party and non party campaign which united Wales in securing primary legislative powers for the Assembly. In 1997 he was National Organiser of the similar campaign which won the referendum that led to the establishment of the National Assembly. He is also a past Chair of Public Affairs Cymru, the umbrella body for public affairs professionals in Wales, and is respected and well known throughout Welsh civic life. He is a Trustee of the Bevan Foundation, a Fellow of the Institute of Welsh Affairs and a member of the Consultative Committee of the Welsh Political Archive at the National Library of Wales.

Hellstinki

Our grumpy editor arrives at a place that makes him really miserable

Viva Estonia

Our grumpy gourmand editor arrives in Tallinn and gives his take on a modern, aged Baltic capital that gets things right

A walk on the wild side

Our grumpiest and most authoritarian editor talks and walks us through some of the major cities of the old Russian Empire over coming weeks. Here’s a background to his Russophilia

Ten things I’ve learnt about you

With the first term of the fourth Assembly now over, here are ten observations on how the character of this one differs from its predecessors

Why we’ve not heard much from the blue corner

Here’s ten reasons why those outside the Welsh Conservative Party haven’t yet heard much about the Davies/Ramsay rumble

Lenin: the power of the individual

Vladimir Lenin demonstrates more clearly than any other figure in twentieth century history the power of a single individual to change the world

A national question

Ever wondered what life would be like with a national list of AMs rather than five Assembly regions?

The quietest day in Welsh politics – not

A new title and a new team – the new Welsh Government is formed and as one man leaves it he indicates he will also leave another post. Today was a big day in Welsh politics

The bittersweet symphony

Where do the Welsh Conservatives go from here?

‘Elections are bastards’

Politics is about people – and people who care about one another. Whoever loses, they are always more than just a number or a name to those who have sat close to them

A week to change the game that won’t change

There’s a little over a week to go, and my instincts tell me Labour is heading into majority territory

The end of monogamy?

Last Autumn my view was that One Wales Two was the only realistic shape of any future Welsh coalition government. My view has changed