One year to go until a Senedd election all about change In a year’s time, voters across Wales will head to the polls to elect a new Senedd for the seventh time since devolution was first established over 25 years ago. However, this election promises to... Posted 07 May 2025
Why the next Senedd could be the least representative of women ever The Senedd hit the headlines back in 2003 when it became the first legislature in the world to reach 50:50 gender parity between men and women. It was a proud moment for our country and... Posted 08 Apr 2025
In discussion with Plaid Cymru leader Rhun Ap Iorwerth MS: Threats, Challenges and Opportunities for Welsh Democracy Last weekend, Plaid Cymru members gathered in Llandudno for their Spring Conference as they begin to set their sights on the 2026 Senedd election. As part of the event, ERS Cymru Director, Jess Blair, hosted... Posted 27 Mar 2025
Why the Senedd’s new recall system might hurt accountability Last week, the Senedd’s Standards of Conduct Committee published a report recommending the introduction of a recall procedure, allowing voters to remove and replace Members of the Senedd (MSs) who have seriously breached the Code... Posted 05 Feb 2025
Listen to our conversation with Mark Drakeford MS on Welsh democracy Back at Welsh Labour party conference in November, ERS Cymru hosted an ‘in conversation’ with Mark Drakeford MS where he reflected on the past, the present and the future of Welsh democracy. In a wide... Posted 16 Jan 2025
Where next for Welsh democracy as Plaid Cymru top Senedd voting intention poll? The latest Barn Cymru poll released earlier in December by YouGov for ITV Wales and Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre suggests that Plaid Cymru could be the largest party in the Senedd come 2026. The... Posted 18 Dec 2024
What to expect from the upcoming Senedd Reforms The Welsh Parliament is going through a raft of changes ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections. Here’s all you need to know: Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 On the 24th of June, the... Posted 18 Sep 2024
Senedd expansion is a pivotal moment for devolution Something historic happened yesterday, something good. What happened in the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) was the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill passed and did so with over 2/3rds of the chamber voting in favour. News... Posted 09 May 2024
New Senedd Bill is an investment in Welsh democracy Yesterday in the Senedd, the First Minister, Mark Drakeford, said “democracy only flourishes if you tend the garden to which it is sowed”. He was speaking in a statement around the recent publication of the... Posted 31 Jan 2024
Voters prefer decisions made by panels balanced between men and women Men still dominate political decision-making in the United Kingdom. Women hold just one or two seats on prestigious select committees in the House of Commons, like Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Justice. No women sit on... Posted 21 Nov 2023