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 in either the House of Commons or the Senedd, the current largest party in Wales is Plaid Cymru, followed closely by Reform UK Wales. With Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives, the Wales Green Party and Welsh Liberal Democrats all having representation in the Senedd.

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, there 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. As of 2026, six parties have representation in the Senedd with Plaid Cymru being the largest party, albeit short of a majority with 43 seats. The Welsh Labour Party, traditionally dominant in Wales, holds 9 seats. Reform UK Wales is currently the second largest party with 34 seats. In the 2026 Senedd election the Welsh Greens obtained their first seats, winning two. The Welsh Liberal Democrats currently have only one seat, held by Jane Dodds. The Welsh Conservatives have a comparatively low seat share, having only seven seats.

House of Commons/Senedd parties

Party Leader Political
position		 Ideology MSs MPs Local
government[3]		 Membership[a]
(date)
Plaid Cymru
English: Party of Wales		 Rhun ap Iorwerth Centre-left to
to left-wing		 Welsh nationalism
Welsh independence
Social democracy
43 / 96
4 / 32
201 / 1,234
 c.10,000[4]
(2022)
Reform UK Wales
Welsh: Diwygio DU Cymru		 Dan Thomas Right-wing to
far-right		 Right-wing populism
Euroscepticism
British unionism
34 / 96
0 / 32
23 / 1,234
 7,800[5]
(January 2025)
Welsh Labour[b]
Welsh: Llafur Cymru		 Ken Skates Centre-left Social democracy
British unionism
9 / 96
27 / 32
482 / 1,234
 18,000[6]
(2023)
Welsh Conservatives
Welsh: Ceidwadwyr Cymreig		 Darren Millar Centre-right
to right-wing		 Conservatism
Economic liberalism
British unionism
7 / 96
0 / 32
102 / 1,234
 Unknown
Wales Green Party[c]
Welsh: Plaid Werdd Cymru		 Anthony Slaughter Left-wing Green politics
Progressivism
Welsh independence
2 / 96
0 / 32
14 / 1,234
 8,000+[7][8]
(March 2026)
Welsh Liberal Democrats
Welsh: Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru		 Jane Dodds Centre to
centre-left		 Liberalism
Social liberalism
British unionism
Pro-Europeanism
1 / 96
1 / 32
67 / 1,234
 Unknown

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
Llantwit First Independents Welsh: Annibynwyr Cyntaf Llantwit 4 (Vale of Glamorgan Council) N/A
Newport Independents Party Welsh: Plaid Annibynwyr Casnewydd 3 (Newport City Council) N/A
Uplands Party[9] Welsh: Plaid Uplands 2 (Swansea Council) N/A
Propel 1 (Cardiff Council) None[10] Welsh nationalism
Welsh independence
Sovereignism
Gwlad English: Country 1 (Ceredigion County Council) Centre-right[11] Welsh nationalism
Welsh independence
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 1 (Wrexham County Borough Council) [12] Left-wing[13][14] to far-left[15] Socialism
Trade unionism

Community and town councils

Party Translation Elected members of local government Political position Ideology
Gwlad English: Country 2 Centre-right[16] Welsh nationalism
Welsh independence

Council control

Council Control Web Total LAB PC CON LD GP REF Other Vacant
Blaenau Gwent LAB maj URL 33 19 1 1 12[w 1]
Bridgend LAB maj URL 51 26 1 24[w 2]
Caerphilly LAB maj URL 69 42 19 1 7[w 3]
Cardiff LAB maj URL 79 50 2 9 10 1 1 6[w 4]
Carmarthenshire NOC IND+PC URL 75 15 37 1 2 20[w 5]
Ceredigion PC maj URL 38 21 7 10[w 6]
Conwy NOC IND+PC+LAB URL 55 7 8 [w 7] 8 4 1 2 25[w 8]
Denbighshire NOC LAB+PC URL 48 14 8 8 2 15 1
Flintshire NOC IND+LAB URL 67 27 1 3 4 31[w 9] 1
Gwynedd PC maj URL 69 45 1 23[w 10]
Isle of Anglesey PC maj URL 35 3 19 1 1 11[w 11]
Merthyr Tydfil NOC LAB min URL 30 14[w 12] 1 15[w 13]
Monmouthshire NOC LAB min URL 46 21 19 1 5[w 14]
Neath Port Talbot NOC IND+PC URL 60 26 11 3 1 19[w 15]
Newport LAB maj URL 51 33 7 1 2 8[w 16]
Pembrokeshire IND IND+LAB+PC URL 60 9 3 11 2 1 33[w 17] 1
Powys NOC LD+LAB URL 68 9[w 18] 4 13 22[w 19] 1 4 15[w 20]
Rhondda Cynon Taf LAB maj URL 75 58 8 2 1 6[w 21]
Swansea LAB maj URL 75 43 4 13 1 1 11[w 22] 2
Torfaen LAB maj URL 40 28 4 8[w 23]
Vale of Glamorgan NOC LAB+IND URL 54 24 8 13 9[w 24]
Wrexham NOC IND+CON URL 56 14 7 7 1 27[w 25]
Total[17] 1,234 482 201 102 67 14 23 340 5[18]

Parties with no elected representation

Notable registered parties

Party Translation Political position Ideology
Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party Welsh: Plaid Diddymu Cynulliad CymruSingle-issueWelsh Parliament abolition
Anti-devolution
Communist Party of Britain Welsh: Plaid Gomiwnyddol Prydain Far-left[19] Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Social Democratic Party Syncretic Social democracy
Social conservatism
Communitarianism
Euroscepticism
Socialist Party Wales[20] Welsh: Plaid Sosialaidd Cymru[20] Far-left[21] Revolutionary socialism
Trotskyism
Marxism
UK Independence Party Welsh: Plaid Annibyniaeth y DURight-wing to far-right Euroscepticism
Right-wing populism
National conservatism
Economic liberalism
British nationalism
Welsh Christian Party Welsh: Plaid Gristnogol Cymru Right-wing[22] Christian right
Social conservatism
British unionism
Euroscepticism

Defunct parties

See also

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. ↑ 34 Independent Alliance including Plaid Cymru and Independents
  10. ↑ 21 independents, 6 Llais Gwynedd
  11. ↑ 12 Independents
  12. ↑ 1 ex-Independent
  13. ↑ 16 Independents
  14. ↑ 5 Independents
  15. ↑ 19 Independents leading administration
  16. ↑ 8 Independents, 5 Non aligned & 3 Newport Independents
  17. ↑ 19 Independents, 16 non-aligned
  18. ↑ 1 ex-Conservative
  19. ↑ 1 ex-Conservative
  20. ↑ 17 Independents
  21. ↑ 6 Independents
  22. ↑ 12 Independents, 4 non-aligned Uplands Party
  23. ↑ 8 Independents and 3 Reform UK
  24. ↑ 8 dependents, 4 Llantwit Independents and 1 non-aligned in administration with Labour, 4 non-aligned.
  25. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ The Wales Green Party is not an individually registered party, but rather a subdivision of the Green Party of England and Wales

References

  1. ↑ "Understanding legislation". Legislation.gov.uk.
  2. ↑ "Major changes to cut number of Welsh MPs published". BBC News. 8 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "Open Council Data UK – compositions councillors parties wards elections". www.opencouncildata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  4. ↑ Burton, Matthew; Tunnicliffe, Richard (30 August 2022). "Membership of political parties in Great Britain" (PDF). UK Parliament House of Commons Library. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "Reform UK's membership numbers in Wales rocket, group claims | Wales Online". www.walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Williams, Darren (16 September 2023). "Meeting of the Welsh Executive Committee (WEC), 16 September 2023 (Joint report with Belinda Loveluck-Edwards)". Darren Williams.
  7. ↑ "Labour is finished in Wales, Green leader Zack Polanski says". BBC News. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  8. ↑ John, Lucy (14 March 2026). "Green Party leader Zack Polanski says people want to talk about politics not his past". WalesOnline. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "View registration - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk.
  10. ↑ "Independent AM Neil McEvoy to launch new Welsh National Party". ITV News. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "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.
  12. ↑ "Wrexham councillor resigns from Labour and joins TUSC - TUSC". www.tusc.org.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ "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.
  17. ↑ "Open Council Data UK - Welsh Council Compositions 2026". opencouncildata.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Open Council Data UK - Welsh Council Compositions 2026". opencouncildata.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. 1 2 "Socialist Party Wales – Socialism In Wales". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  21. ↑ WalesOnline (11 August 2003). "New Welsh Socialist dawn?". WalesOnline. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  22. ↑ "Former Llan'dod mayor stands for Christian Party in General Election". County Times. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  23. ↑ People First - Gwerin Gyntaf (De-registered 03/11/16), The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
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