Nick Bourne was first elected to the Assembly in 1999 and served as leader of the Welsh Conservative group from August 1999 to May 2011. His political interests include the economy, foreign affairs, health and education. He is currently preparing his own political diaries for publication.

Dickens and London: a chance to celebrate

THE CURRENT year is not just of international significance because of the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, 2012 is also the bicentenary of Charles Dickens’ birth. This seems extraordinary in many ways. Dickens has never gone out of fashion, and a lot of what he has to say remains extremely relevant today. Charles Dickens [...]

Bregenz: The Austrian Bexhill or Harrogate

The beauty of Lake Constance and the town of Bregenz have charmed a former politician this summer

An Outstanding Railway Walk: Dolgellau to Barmouth

Walking from Dolgellau to Barmouth is a truly enjoyable experience and is getting more coverage and more walkers

Why we didn’t go the Consignia way

The Conservative who led his party from rout to second-largest Assembly group offers some pointers for his beleaguered Scottish colleagues – particularly on a name change

Aberaeron: an extremely attractive sum total

As the Summer fades, there’s still a chance to enjoy one of the real gems of the Welsh coastline, the splendid harbour town of Aberaeron

The Giles Radice diaries

Former Welsh Conservative group leader Nick Bourne reviews the diaries of another politician as he continues editing his own for publication

It is time to do the right thing

The 21-year-long battle for a public inquiry into the death of Ystradgynlais boy Robbie Powell needs taking in hand by the First Minister, who must deliver on the promise of his predecessor

Welsh Conservative public spending priorities

The Welsh Conservatives last week took the unexpected step of releasing details of how they would have costed Welsh Assembly Government spending. Here, their leader explains the logic behind their budget

The authentic radical

The Conservative leader in the Assembly reviews a former Labour luminary’s take on the life of a great Liberal – and arguably Wales’ greatest statesman of the 20th Century

The Spending Review is challenging, but WAG can meet the challenge

The doom mongers in Labour and Plaid have been proved wrong: the CSR will deliver for Wales and invests in our future rather than the bills of past failure

A Conservative whose ideas flourish now

Nick Bourne remembers Peter Walker, former Welsh Secretary and a man whose Conservatism now finds form in David Cameron’s government

Progressive government and the next challenge for devolution

A month in to the new UK government, Wales’ leading Conservatives rates progress that has been made and argues that a watershed in British politics has been reached which will benefit Wales