John Osmond
Encyclopedia
John Osmond is the director of the independent Welsh
think-tank, the Institute of Welsh Affairs
. He has contributed to numerous books on the subjects of Welsh politics, culture and devolution
, and is also a former journalist and television producer.
in 1946. He attended King Henry VIII Grammar School
, before moving on to study for a Bachelor of Arts
(BA) in Philosophy and Politics at the University of Bristol
. In 2004 he was awarded an honorary MA
by the University of Wales
.
. He returned to Wales in the 1970s to work for the Western Mail newspaper as a reporter and Welsh Affairs Correspondent. During the 1980s he worked for HTV Wales, helping launch the current affairs programme Wales this Week and producing a number of documentary series, including The Divided Kingdom for Channel 4
. He was Deputy Editor for Wales on Sunday between 1988 and 1990.
In the 1990s Osmond formed his own television company, Agenda Productions, producing programmes for the BBC
, HTV
, Channel 4, S4C
and STV.
In 1996 Osmond became the director of the Welsh think-tank, the Institute of Welsh Affairs
, a position that he still holds. In May 2007 he stood for election for the Preseli Pembrokeshire
constituency in the National Assembly for Wales Election
, representing Plaid Cymru
. However, Conservative candidate Paul Davies
won the seat, defeating Tamsin Dunwoody, the Welsh Labour incumbent.
He currently holds a number of notable positions:
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
think-tank, the Institute of Welsh Affairs
Institute of Welsh Affairs
The Institute of Welsh Affairs is an independent, membership-based think-tank based in the capital of Wales, Cardiff, owing no allegiance to any political or economic interest group...
. He has contributed to numerous books on the subjects of Welsh politics, culture and devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
, and is also a former journalist and television producer.
Personal life and education
John Osmond was born in AbergavennyAbergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
in 1946. He attended King Henry VIII Grammar School
King Henry VIII Grammar School
King Henry VIII Grammar School, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire was one of a series of schools founded during the Reformation in England and Wales in 1542 from property seized from monasteries and religious congregations...
, before moving on to study for a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(BA) in Philosophy and Politics at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
. In 2004 he was awarded an honorary MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
by the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
.
Career
Upon leaving University, Osmond began working as a reporter for the Yorkshire PostYorkshire Post
The Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company owned by Johnston Press...
. He returned to Wales in the 1970s to work for the Western Mail newspaper as a reporter and Welsh Affairs Correspondent. During the 1980s he worked for HTV Wales, helping launch the current affairs programme Wales this Week and producing a number of documentary series, including The Divided Kingdom for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. He was Deputy Editor for Wales on Sunday between 1988 and 1990.
In the 1990s Osmond formed his own television company, Agenda Productions, producing programmes for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, HTV
HTV
HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales & West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England, which operated from studios in Cardiff and Bristol. The company provided commercial television for the dual-region 'Wales and West' franchise, which it won from TWW in 1968...
, Channel 4, S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
and STV.
In 1996 Osmond became the director of the Welsh think-tank, the Institute of Welsh Affairs
Institute of Welsh Affairs
The Institute of Welsh Affairs is an independent, membership-based think-tank based in the capital of Wales, Cardiff, owing no allegiance to any political or economic interest group...
, a position that he still holds. In May 2007 he stood for election for the Preseli Pembrokeshire
Preseli Pembrokeshire
Preseli Pembrokeshire was one of six local government districts of Dyfed in West Wales from 1974 to 1996. Until 1987 the name of the district was Preseli...
constituency in the National Assembly for Wales Election
National Assembly for Wales election, 2007
The 2007 National Assembly election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the National Assembly for Wales. It was the third general election. On the same day local elections in England and Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament election took place...
, representing Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
. However, Conservative candidate Paul Davies
Paul Davies
Paul Charles William Davies, AM is an English physicist, writer and broadcaster, currently a professor at Arizona State University as well as the Director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science...
won the seat, defeating Tamsin Dunwoody, the Welsh Labour incumbent.
Notable positions
Osmond was the editor of a radical magazine, Arcade: Wales Fortnightly, which was published between 1980 and 1982.He currently holds a number of notable positions:
- Honorary Senior Research Fellow with the Constitution Unit, School of Public Policy, University College, London.
- Fellow of the University of Wales Institute, CardiffUniversity of Wales Institute, CardiffCardiff Metropolitan University is a university situated in Cardiff. It operates from three campuses: Llandaff on Western Avenue, Cyncoed, and Howard Gardens in the City Centre. The university serves over 12,000 students...
. - Member of Academi Literature Promotion Agency for Wales.
- Board Member of Pembrokeshire Darwin Centre for Biology and Medicine.
- Board Member of Cynnal Cymru: the Sustainable Development Forum for Wales.
Publications
Osmond has contributed to a number of books on Welsh politics, culture and devolution; the titles of which are given below.- Crossing the Rubicon: Coalition Politics Welsh Style (IWA, 2007)
- Myths, Memories and Futures: The National Library and National Museum in the Story of Wales (Editor, IWA, 2007)
- Time to Deliver: The Third Term and Beyond (Editor, IWA, 2006)
- Welsh Politics Come of Ages (Editor, IWA, 2005)
- Birth of Welsh Democracy (Editor, IWA, 2003)
- Building a Civic Culture: Institutional Change, Policy Development and Political Dynamics in the National Assembly for Wales (co-Editor, 2002, IWA)
- The National Assembly Agenda (Editor, IWA, 1998)
- Welsh Europeans (Seren, 1995)
- The Reality of Dyslexia (Cassell, 1993)
- The Democratic Challenge (Gomer, 1992)
- The Divided Kingdom (Constable, 1988)
- The National Question Again - Welsh Political Identity in the 1980s (Editor, Gomer, 1985)
- Work in the Future (Thorsons, 1986)
- Police Conspiracy (Y Lolfa, 1984)
- Alternatives (Thorsons, 1983)
- Creative Conflict: The Politics of Welsh Devolution (Routledge, 1978)
- The Centralist Enemy (Christopher Davies, 1974)
Sources
- Institute of Welsh Affairs 'Staff' page, October 2007
- UWIC News Release, June 2003
- Plaid Cymru Candidate Profile, May 2007