, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary
for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: In November I announced the
appointment of Dr Anwen Elias as Chair of the new Innovating
Democracy Advisory Group (IDAG). The Group is being
established in response to the recommendations of
the Independent Commission on
the Constitutional Future of Wales. It proposed a set of
reforms to strengthen democracy in Wales, including establishing
an expert panel to explore innovative ways to increase
understanding of democracy.
Following an open recruitment process, I am pleased to announce
that the following members have been appointed to the
group:
Mo Alamgir is a technology entrepreneur and
dedicated community leader who has spent the past 17 years
working pro bono to drive meaningful social change. His
initiatives focus on upskilling young people from Black and
ethnic minority backgrounds, bridging faith and non-faith
communities, and tackling workplace inequality and unconscious
bias.
Sarah Allan is one of the UK's leading
specialists in deliberative democracy. She has over a decade of
experience designing, delivering and advising on public
engagement in decision making, including as Director of Capacity
Building and Standards and Director of Climate Programmes at
public participation charity Involve.
Jess Blair has been Director of ERS Cymru since
2017. She has led campaigns on votes at 16, increasing the size
of the Senedd and deliberative democracy. She was a member of the
Expert Panel to the Independent Commission on the Constitutional
Future of Wales. She co-managed the Blaenau Gwent
Climate Assembly and was on the Advisory Group of the Citizens
Assembly for Northern Ireland.
Mike Corcoran is a specialist in communication,
engagement and co-production, having worked with clients across
three continents, ranging from micro-enterprises to government
departments. Presently, he holds positions including as a
Consultant with Co-production Lab Wales and with the
Co-production Network for Wales, as a Visiting Researcher at
Wrexham University, and as a co-production and involvement
advisor to bodies including the Wrexham City Board and North
Wales Public Services Boards.
Tomos Dafydd Davies is an experienced policy and
public affairs professional with a strong background in both the
public and private sectors, spanning the UK and international
contexts. Elected as a councillor in Monmouthshire in 2022, he
serves on the authority's democratic services committee, focused
on enhancing democratic engagement.
Professor Sally Holland is Professor of Social
Work in the CASCADE Children's Social Care Research Centre,
Cardiff University. She is also Director of Equality, Diversity
and Inclusion in the School of Social Sciences. Her current
research includes evaluating the Basic Income Pilot for care
leavers in Wales and measuring the outcomes of Flying Start
services for children.
Yvonne Murphy is the Artistic Director and
Executive Producer of Omidaze Productions and the creator of The
Democracy Box and The Talking Shop which are innovative creative
approaches to democratic education, information and deliberation.
Yvonne is also the author of The Democracy Box report Beyond the
Ballot Box.
Julie Sangani is a public servant and community
leader with extensive experience in policy development, citizen
participation, and inclusive governance. As a Cardiff City
Councillor and Cabinet Member for Public Health, Equality, and
Diversity, she has championed initiatives that amplify
underrepresented voices, including the development of a city-wide
Equality and Diversity network and a new Community Participation
Strategy.
Professor Diana Stirbu is a well-established
scholar with research interests and expertise in devolved and
territorial governance, constitutional politics, and
participatory democracy. She joined London Metropolitan
University in 2010 and since 2023, she has been co-leading the
Centre for Applied Research in Empowering Society
(CARES). She was a member of the Expert Panel to the
Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales.
Daisy Thomson brings expertise in public
engagement across a range of contested policy areas. She
currently works for Involve where she leads deliberative
democracy processes for local and national governments and NGOs.
A former civil servant, Daisy has worked in both Welsh and UK
Governments on policy including devolved tax policy, court
reform, and community-led decision making.
has more than 25
years' experience as a political activist. She has held many
roles in political life including local councillor, MS for the
Rhondda and leader of Plaid Cymru. She was the first woman to
represent the Rhondda and the first woman to lead Plaid Cymru.
She was a Commissioner for the Independent Commission on the
Constitutional Future of Wales
Full biographies are available on the Welsh Government
website. I will continue to update the Senedd on the group's
work, and there will be an opportunity for Members of the
Senedd to engage directly with IDAG in the coming months.
