The pandemic has seen us change our daily habits, including our work, our family lives and our social lives, a period that saw households across Wales tune in to weekly Welsh Government press conferences, eager to know more about the pandemic in Wales and our response to it. The word 'our' is significant here. I believe that it is by no means an exaggeration to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has truly shown the value and vital importance of a strong, independent Welsh media.

We saw glimpses of Wales's potential to achieve this throughout the pandemic, but they were only glimpses. Our media and news outlets were continuously competing and often drowned out by UK-wide, England-focused outlets, pumping England-only information to the whole of the UK, either unaware of or indifferent towards the variations in restrictions and responses to the pandemic by the devolved administrations.

We only have to reference the trumped-up Freedom Day in July last year, with the usual Boris bluster and hyperbole. Despite being urged to make it clear that the lifting of restrictions only applied to England, he refused, meaning that millions of people in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were left totally confused. This Anglo-centric news and sharing of public information was not only irresponsible and reckless, but also dangerous, as it had a direct impact on people's health, and, possibly, lives.