Image Source: Elliot Brown via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence BY-SA-2.0
More detailed analysis of the manifestos from the six parties expected to win seats in this year’s Senedd election is coming up over the next fortnight or so.
Before that, now that all of the candidates have been confirmed, it’s worth looking at the policy proposals from smaller parties.
As noted several times – here and elsewhere – the chance of a minor party or Independent winning any seats is low under the new voting system. This is because the vote share to win a seat (likely somewhere in the 10-15% range in most constituencies) will be very difficult for them to reach.
But they are there as an option to vote for.
Click on the party logo to open/close each party’s tab.
Independents
Each independent stands on their own platform, so there's no single manifesto or list of policies you can highlight.
If you want an example, Captain Beany is standing on the platform of a "Bean Revolution", promising to turn the Senedd building into a canning factory, ensuring the country only eats Welsh baked beans.
There was a late rush of candidate submissions by Independents. This took me by surprise, as I'm sure it did everyone else looking at the nomination notices. To be blunt, most of them are throwing their money away under this voting system, but it's obviously good for democracy.
Cynically, there are additional pay-offs for sitting MSs who lose their seat when standing for re-election, which may explain some of the late submissions.
Here's a list of the individual candidates, ordered by constituency, then surname. Incumbents seeking re-election are in bold and italics.
- Afan Ogwr Rhondda: Captain Beany
- Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni: Jordan Brace, Mike Whatley, Steve Wright
- Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd: Beverley Baynham, Joe Hale, Dai Richards
- Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf: Lawrence Gwynn
- Caerdydd Penarth: Rhys ab Owen
- Casnewydd Islwyn: Taran Clayton
- Ceredigion Penfro: Aaron Carey, George Chadzy, Paul Dawson
- Fflint Wrecsam: Andrew Williams
- Gwynedd Maldwyn: Russell George, Monty Kennard
- Gŵyr Abertawe: Katon Bouzalakos, Dan Brown, Emma McNamara
- Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg: William Jeffreys, Caroline Jones, Lucia Wyatt
- Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr: Anthony Biddulph, Dai Williams, Beth Winter
- Sir Fynwy Torfaen: Owen Lewis, Welsh Pool
- Sir Gaerfyrddin: Carl Peters-Bond, Jonathan Rose, Stephen Williams
Open Party
Standing in: Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni, Casnewydd Islwyn, Sir Fynwy Torfaen
The Open Party makes its Senedd election debut, having been founded in 2023.
They take a unique approach. Anyone can apply to run for the party. Prospective candidates then put forward their own manifestos before members rank the candidates (where applicable) in primary elections.
Looking at this more broadly, this may be one way for Independents to stand under the new voting system on a level playing field as party candidates.
Unless the voting system changes to something like STV in the future, it might be worth considering an officially sanctioned “Open List” in each constituency.
You can find more information about the party and candidates at the Open Party website.
Heritage Party
Standing in: All (16 constituencies).
The Heritage Party are a socially conservative UKIP splinter party led by former UKIP London Assembly member, David Kurten. Following the withdrawal of Abolish the Assembly, they're the only party standing in the election with an official policy of ending devolution.
This is their Senedd election debut.
They’ve published a manifesto (English – pdf).
Policy Highlights
- Abolish the Senedd; restore historic counties.
- Opposes renewable energy. Would scrap net zero measures; supports reopening coal-fired power stations and small/modular nuclear energy.
- Scrap the "Nation of Sanctuary" programme.
- Opposes LGBT+ themes in the school curriculum; supports the reintroduction of grammar schools.
- Would allow term-time school holidays.
- Would ban foreign nationals from using the NHS; supports a therapy (rather than medicines) based approach to mental health.
- Introduce a ban on new HMOs.
- Reverse the 20 mph default speed limit.
Propel
Standing in: Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf, Caerdydd Penarth
In 2021, Propel stood 11 constituency candidates and a full slate on the regional lists. This had now been cut back to 2 constituencies. Their most high-profile candidate is former MS, Neil McEvoy, who’s also the party’s sole remaining county councillor.
Propel secured a little under 1% of the constituency and regional list vote in 2021, though Neil McEvoy himself received 9.5% of the vote in the (now former) Cardiff West constituency. He would need to increase that by at least a third to stand a chance of winning a seat in the new constituency. Unlikely, but not impossible.
Propel have published a manifesto (English - pdf).
Policy Highlights
- Abolition of the 45% higher rate of income tax; full business rate relief to the hospitality industry.
- Would build the M4 Newport bypass, Third Menai crossing. Would repeal the 20 mph default speed limit in non-school areas.
- Supports creating a Welsh Development Agency-style economic body.
- Backs independent inquiries into the Welsh Government’s response to the Covid pandemic and Children’s Services.
- A "prevention-first" approach to healthcare, including an annual health check for everyone in Wales. Wants triage hubs outside A&E departments.
- All new schools should be Welsh-medium. Statutory reductions in school class sizes to no more than 25 pupils within 5 years; supports home education in principle, and scrapping fines for term-time holidays.
- A parental care allowance of £1,500 per month for parents of 0-2 year olds who care for their child at home.
- Abolish Rent Smart Wales (returning responsibility to local councils) and scrap registration and licensing fees for landlords; wants a national programme to target damp in homes.
- Opposes net zero targets for farmers; opposes large-scale solar farms on agricultural land and nuclear energy. Supports communal recycling points over individual household collections.
- Supports reducing the number of local authorities from 22 to 8.
- Several voting/political reforms, including a directly-elected First Minister, the introduction of Single Transferable Vote (STV), citizens' referendums and recall of politicians.
Gwlad
Standing in: Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, Ceredigion Penfro, Gwynedd Maldwyn, Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr, Sir Fynwy Torfaen, Sir Gaerfyrddin
Gwlad are a pro-independence party which, while officially syncretic (neither left-wing nor right-wing), in practice and in policy is largely centre-right/conservative.
They stood a full slate on the regional lists in 2021 and also stood in 14 constituencies. Gwlad have managed to put up a reasonable number of candidates for a small party. As noted, they face an uphill struggle to get the kind of vote share they need to stand a realistic chance of election.
Gwlad received 0.3% of the constituency vote and 0.6% of the regional list vote in 2021.
They’ve published a manifesto (pdf – English, pdf – Cymraeg).
Policy Highlights
- Cut the higher rate of income tax to 40% (from 45%). Reduce administrative burdens on businesses, including a phased-in replacement of business rates with a land value tax.
- Supports reversing the 20 mph default speed limit. Wants to prioritise north-south transport links, including cutting at least 1 hour from north-south road journeys.
- Wants to scrap the Nation of Sanctuary programme.
- Supports expanding Welsh-medium education until it becomes the norm in Wales (bilingual until age 14/Year 9). Student funding should be restricted to students studying at Welsh universities (except for courses not provided in Wales).
- More direct-salaried GPs and dentists; move towards co-operative businesses in primary care; opposes public funding for gender reassignment surgery except for medical reasons.
- Opposes wholesale reforestation of farmland and uplands, but does support selective planting of native trees.
- Generally opposes onshore wind and solar farms; more favourable towards hydrogen and modular/small nuclear reactors. Supports "clean" coal and gas in principle.
- Establish a National Housing Agency to plan for new housing and regulate the private and social housing sectors.
- Supports a reduction in the number of local authorities.
- Would like to move elements of the Senedd and Welsh Government out of Cardiff.
Welsh Communist Party
Standing in: Bangor Conwy Môn, Caerdydd Penarth
The Communists have stood at every Senedd election since 1999, with their best result coming in 2007 when they secured 0.4% of the regional list vote.
They’ve published a manifesto (English – pdf, Cymraeg – pdf).
Policy Highlights
- Establish a Welsh National Economic Development Authority; nationalise social housing, energy, rail and bus services.
- Supports investment in renewable energy.
- Opposes private involvement in the NHS. Wants to establish a National Care Service.
- Provide free childcare from birth.
- Introduce rent controls.
- Supports the expansion of Welsh-medium education.
- Supports free university education/abolition of tuition fees.
- Replace council tax with a local income tax.
- Supports devolution of the Crown Estate, broadcasting; supports reform of the Barnett Formula and a federal UK.
Trade Union & Socialist Coalition (TUSC)
Standing in: Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf, Gŵyr Abertawe
TUSC have stood at the last three Senedd elections, averaging around 0.2% of the regional list vote.
They've published a manifesto (English – pdf).
Policy Highlights
- Refuse to vote for any cuts to jobs, public services, benefits and workers' terms and conditions and demand that the Welsh Government uses its reserves and borrowing powers to ensure no cuts in public services.
- Supports a ban on zero-hour contracts and casualisation of employment - for implementation in all services funded by the Senedd, including public procurement.
- Supports universal free school meals.
- Opposes privatisation of public services.
- Nationalisation of the steel industry and energy sector.
- Reduce school class sizes to 20 pupils.
- Scrap university tuition fees.
- Build 20,000 council houses; introduce rent controls.
- Supports devolution of welfare and opposes any cuts to disability benefits.
- Supports a voluntary socialist federation with Scotland, England and Ireland.
Single Constituency Parties
Here’s a round-up of the parties standing in only one constituency.
Christian Party
Standing in: Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd
Their policy platform is generally conservative and Eurosceptic – though they support a federal UK and oppose Welsh and Scottish independence.
In terms of devolved policy areas, the party is sceptical of climate change (though it supports measures to protect biodiversity). They also support some sort of insurance or patient-pays-based healthcare (particularly for self-inflicted injuries), as well as stronger Christian themes and teachings in the school curriculum (as you might expect).
Social Democratic Party (SDP)
Standing in: Fflint Wrecsam
The SDP used to be a big deal in UK politics....sort of....merging with the old Liberal Party in the 1980s to form the Liberal Democrats. The legacy SDP continued and now has a mix of economically left-wing and socially conservative policies – including a pro-Brexit stance.
There's no Wales-specific manifesto as far as I can tell, but they do have a list of Wales-specific policies. These include opposition to Welsh independence, Senedd "bloat", as well as the default 20 mph speed limit. Though they do support better north-south transport links and "meaningful" anti-poverty measures.
Socialist Labour Party
Standing in: Bangor Conwy Môn
*Not to be confused with the Socialist Party of Great Britain.
Founded by Arthur Scargill in the 1990s, the Socialist Labour Party – while not appearing to have a Wales-specific set of policies – generally follows the same policy platform as the other socialist parties. The core aim is opposition to public spending cuts and pro-public ownership.
They stood in the first four Senedd elections, with their best result to date being a 2.4% share of the regional list vote in 2011, finishing ahead of the BNP.
Monster Raving Loony Party
Standing in: Bangor Conwy Môn
They last stood in 2016 and got just under 5,800 regional list votes (0.6% of the vote) – getting a larger share of the vote than the Women’s Equality Party, Communists and TUSC.
Senedd 2026
