Why is it that Wales - a nation of 3.1 million people with a much smaller government infrastructure than the behemoth of Westminster - has managed to make a tangible offer to end strike action by teachers, when this has eluded England?
The answer, of course, is political will.
While ministers in England have embarked upon anti-trade union legislation on minimum service levels, and postured about the importance of constraining public sector pay in order to meet inflation targets, the Welsh government has, with quiet determination, gone about the business of conducting an actual negotiation.
Jeremy Miles, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, deserves personal credit for the constructive and purposeful manner in which he has conducted negotiations. So too do union negotiators, including our ASCL Cymru team whose position was bolstered by our consultative ballot which showed clearly the strength of feeling of members.
