List of political parties in Wales

There are a number of political parties registered to the Electoral Commission in Wales. Some of these parties have elected representation in the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; Welsh : Senedd Cymru) and/or in Westminster (UK Parliament) and some have elected representation in one or more of the 22 Welsh local authorities, while others have entirely no elected representation. This Wikipedia page lists all of the above and some relevant Welsh political parties that formerly existed but have since disbanded. The largest political parties typically reside^{[ clarification needed ]} in either the House of Commons or the Senedd, the current largest party in Wales is Welsh Labour, followed closely by the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru.

House of Commons/Senedd

House of Commons

The Parliament of the United Kingdom is a legislative body in the United Kingdom and creates primary legislation. ^[1] There are two chambers within the Parliament of the United Kingdom: the House of Commons (the elected chamber) and the House of Lords. This article focuses on the House of Commons. Three parties have elected representatives in that house (MPs): Welsh Labour, Welsh Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru. Since the 2024 general election, here has been no elected MPs from the Welsh Conservatives. ^[2]

Senedd

The Senedd was formed under the Government of Wales Act 1998, by the Labour government, following a referendum in 1997. It was given greater powers under the 2011 Welsh devolution referendum. In 2021, four parties have elected representatives in the Senedd: Welsh Labour, Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and Welsh Liberal Democrats.

House of Commons/Senedd parties

Party		Translation	Leader		Political position	Ideology	MSs	MPs	Local government	Membership [a]
	Welsh Labour [b]	Welsh : Llafur Cymru		Eluned Morgan	Centre-left	Social democracy British unionism	30 / 60	27 / 32	499 / 1,234	18,000 [3]
	Welsh Conservatives	Welsh : Ceidwadwyr Cymreig		Darren Millar	Centre-right to right-wing	Conservatism Economic liberalism British unionism	15 / 60	0 / 32	107 / 1,234	Unknown
	Plaid Cymru	English: Party of Wales		Rhun ap Iorwerth	Centre-left	Welsh nationalism Welsh independence Social democracy	12 / 60	4 / 32	201 / 1,234	10,100 [4]
	Welsh Liberal Democrats	Welsh : Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru		Jane Dodds	Centre to centre-left	Liberalism Social liberalism British unionism Pro-Europeanism	1 / 60	1 / 32	65 / 1,234	3,133 [5]

Local government

Several parties in Wales have no national representation, but have elected representation at the local government level.

County councils

Party		Translation	Elected members of local government	Political position	Ideology
	Reform UK	Welsh : Diwygio DU	14 [6]	Right-wing	Right-wing populism Euroscepticism
	Wales Green Party [7]	Welsh : Plaid Werdd Cymru	8 [8] [9]	Left-wing	Green politics Progressivism
	Llantwit First Independents	Welsh : Annibynwyr Cyntaf Llantwit	4 (Vale of Glamorgan Council)	N/A	Localism
	Uplands Party [10]	Welsh : Plaid Uplands	4 (Swansea Council)	N/A	Localism
	Newport Independents Party	Welsh : Plaid Annibynwyr Casnewydd	3 (Newport City Council)	N/A	Localism
	Propel		1 (Cardiff Council)	None [11]	Welsh nationalism Welsh independence Localism Sovereignism
	Gwlad	English: Country	1 (Ceredigion County Council)	Centre-right [12]	Welsh nationalism Welsh independence

Community and town councils

Party		Translation	Elected members of local government	Political position	Ideology
	Gwlad	English: Country	2	Centre-right [13]	Welsh nationalism Welsh independence

Council control

Council	Control		Web	Total	LAB	PC	CON	LD	GP	Other	Vacant
Blaenau Gwent	LAB	maj	URL	33	21					12 [w 1]
Bridgend	LAB	maj	URL	51	27	1	1			22 [w 2]
Caerphilly	LAB	maj	URL	69	45	18				6 [w 3]
Cardiff	LAB	maj	URL	79	55	2	9	10		3 [w 4]
Carmarthenshire	NOC	IND+PC	URL	75	19	37				19 [w 5]
Ceredigion	PC	maj	URL	38		21		7		10 [w 6]
Conwy	NOC	IND+PC+LAB	URL	55	9	8 [w 7]	10	4	1	23 [w 8]
Denbighshire	NOC	LAB+PC	URL	48	15	8	9		2	14 [w 9]
Flintshire	NOC	IND+LAB	URL	67	29		1	3		30 [w 10]
Gwynedd	PC	maj	URL	69	1	46		1		21 [w 11]
Isle of Anglesey	PC	maj	URL	35	3	20				12 [w 12]
Merthyr Tydfil	NOC	LAB min	URL	30	14 [w 13]					16 [w 14]
Monmouthshire	NOC	LAB min	URL	46	21		19		1	5 [w 15]
Neath Port Talbot	NOC	IND+PC	URL	60	27	11		2	1	19 [w 16]
Newport	LAB	maj	URL	51	34		7	1	1	8 [w 17]
Pembrokeshire	IND	IND+LAB+PC	URL	60	10	2	11	2		35 [w 18]
Powys	NOC	LD+LAB	URL	68	9 [w 19]	4	15	22 [w 20]	1	17 [w 21]
Rhondda Cynon Taf	LAB	maj	URL	75	59	8	2			6 [w 22]
Swansea	LAB	maj	URL	75	45		6	11	1	12 [w 23]
Torfaen	LAB	maj	URL	40	28					11 [w 24]
Vale of Glamorgan	NOC	LAB+IND	URL	54	25	8	13			8 [w 25]
Wrexham	NOC	IND+CON	URL	56	16	7	8			23 [w 26]
Total				1,234	512	201	111	63	8	338	1

Parties with no elected representation

Notable registered parties

Party		Translation	Political position	Ideology
	Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party	Welsh : Plaid Diddymu Cynulliad Cymru	Single-issue	Welsh Parliament abolition Anti-devolution
	No More Lockdowns	Welsh : Dim Mwy O Gloi Lawr	N/A	Anti-lockdown
	Social Democratic Party		Syncretic	Social democracy Social conservatism Communitarianism Euroscepticism
	Socialist Party Wales [14]	Welsh : Plaid Sosialaidd Cymru [14]	Far-left [15]	Revolutionary socialism Trotskyism Marxism
	The Cynon Valley Party	Welsh : Parti Cwm Cynon	N/A	Localism
	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC)		Left-wing [16] [17] to far-left [18]	Socialism Trade unionism
	UK Independence Party	Welsh : Plaid Annibyniaeth y DU	Right-wing to far-right	Euroscepticism Right-wing populism National conservatism Economic liberalism British nationalism
	Welsh Christian Party	Welsh : Plaid Gristnogol Cymru	Right-wing [19]	Christian right Social conservatism British unionism Euroscepticism
	Communist Party of Britain	Welsh : Plaid Gomiwnyddol Prydain	Far-left [20]	Communism Marxism–Leninism

Defunct parties

• South Wales Socialist Society (1911–1920) - amalgamated with the Communist Party of Great Britain in the 1920s.
• Communist Party of South Wales and the West of England (1920) - set up by those who opposed amalgamation with the Communist Party of Great Britain.
• Welsh Republican Movement (1949–1966) - most members either returned to Plaid Cymru or joined the Labour Party.
• Welsh Socialist Republican Movement (1979–1986) - succeeded as a political party in 1986 by Cymru Goch, however it still exists as a publication.
• Cymru Goch (1986–2003) - evolved into Forward Wales.
• Democratic Alliance of Wales (1999–2008).
• John Marek Independent Party (2003) - short lived party which became Forward Wales.
• Forward Wales (2003–2010).
• Blaenau Gwent People's Voice Group (2005–2010) - party set-up in Blaenau Gwent. Its leader, Dai Davies, retired from politics and the party disbanded.
• Putting Llanelli First (2011–2016) ^[21] - Siân Caiach (now a councillor for Gwlad) ran for the party in the Welsh Assembly seat of Llanelli in 2011 and 2016.
• Respect - The Unity Coalition (2004–2016) - a party established by Salma Yaqoob and George Monbiot and built out of the Stop the War Coalition, its most notable candidate was George Galloway.
• Welsh Socialist Alliance (1999–2016) an alliance between the Socialist Party and Cymru Goch and some independents, which fell apart when the Socialist Party left the grouping.
• Women's Equality Party (2015–2024) a feminist political party in the United Kingdom.

See also

• Elections in Wales
• Politics of Wales
• Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
• List of political movements in Wales
• Political make-up of local councils in Wales
• Welsh devolution
• Welsh republicanism

Notes

1. 11 Independents
2. 21Independents
3. 6 Independents
4. 1 Propel
5. 19 Independents
6. 9 Independents and 1 Gwlad
7. 1 ex-Independent
8. 23 Independents including 1 ex-Plaid, 2 ex-Conservative
9. 14 Independents
10. 34 Independent Alliance including Plaid Cymru and Independents
11. 21 independents, 6 Llais Gwynedd
12. 12 Independents
13. 1 ex-Independent
14. 16 Independents
15. 5 Independents
16. 19 Independents leading administration
17. 8 Independents, 5 Non aligned & 3 Newport Independents
18. 19 Independents, 16 non-aligned
19. 1 ex-Conservative
20. 1 ex-Conservative
21. 17 Independents
22. 6 Independents
23. 12 Independents, 4 non-aligned Uplands Party
24. 8 Independents and 3 Reform UK
25. 8 dependents, 4 Llantwit Independents and 1 non-aligned in administration with Labour, 4 non-aligned.
26. 23 Independents, 22 ruling Independent Group & 3 non-aligned

1. Political parties are under no legal obligation to publish membership statistics and there is no uniformly recognised definition of membership.
2. Some candidates stand as Labour and Co-operative joint candidates due to an electoral alliance with the Co-operative Party.

References

1. "Understanding legislation". Legislation.gov.uk.
2. "Major changes to cut number of Welsh MPs published". BBC News. 8 September 2021.
3. Williams, Darren (16 September 2023). "Meeting of the Welsh Executive Committee (WEC), 16 September 2023 (Joint report with Belinda Loveluck-Edwards)". Darren Williams.
4. "Plaid Cymru see 25% membership boost following Adam Price's leadership victory". Nation.Cymru . Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
5. "Jane Dodds is new Welsh Liberal Democrat leader". BBC News. 3 November 2017.
6. "Open Council Data UK - compositions councillors parties wards elections emails".
7. "View registration - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
8. "Wales Local Elections 2022". BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
9. Mosalski, Ruth; Youle, Richard; O'Neill, Ryan (6 May 2022). "The Green Party gets its first councillors in Cardiff as it grows its representatives across Wales". WalesOnline. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
10. "View registration - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk.
11. "Independent AM Neil McEvoy to launch new Welsh National Party". ITV News. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
12. "Gwlad Gwlad standing in four seats where Plaid Cymru have withdrawn 'to offer people a pro-independence vote'". Nation.Cymru. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
13. "Gwlad Gwlad standing in four seats where Plaid Cymru have withdrawn 'to offer people a pro-independence vote'". Nation.Cymru. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
14. "Socialist Party Wales – Socialism In Wales" . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
15. WalesOnline (11 August 2003). "New Welsh Socialist dawn?". WalesOnline. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
16. Waugh, Paul (20 September 2019). "Harriet Harman Urged To Pull Out Of Commons Speaker Race By Local Labour Party". Huffpost. Retrieved 7 April 2020. The motion by Nick Wrack, who was readmitted to Labour after standing against Harman for the left-wing TUSC party four years ago, cites the precedent of Tories warning they would stand a candidate against John Bercow if he stayed on.
17. Prest, Victoria (18 April 2015). "Trade Union and Socialist Party (TUSC) to contest eight seats in York council elections". The Press . Retrieved 7 April 2020. The left-wing party Trade Union and Socialist Party (TUSC) is fielding eight would-be councillors for seats on City of York Council, as well as a parliamentary candidate in York Central.
18. Cohen, Tamara (2 June 2017). "Can far-left fringe parties make a difference to Labour's election push?". Sky News. Retrieved 7 April 2020. Britain's largest far-left party, the Trade Union Socialist Coalition (TUSC), founded by the late Bob Crow, is standing no candidates this year.
19. "Former Llan'dod mayor stands for Christian Party in General Election". County Times. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
20. Barberis, Peter; McHugh, John; Tyldesley, Mike (2000). "Far Left". Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the 20th Century. London: A&C Black. p. 145. ISBN   0826458149.
21. People First - Gwerin Gyntaf (De-registered 03/11/16), The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 2018-09-23.