The Welsh Conservatives survived the Senedd election – now they must decide what they stand for

The Welsh Conservatives survived the Senedd election – now they must decide what they stand for

The 2026 Senedd (Welsh parliament) election has transformed Welsh politics. Much of the attention has focused on the rise of Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, and on Welsh Labour’s dramatic losses. But another political story has unfolded more quietly in the background. The Welsh Conservatives achieved 10.7% of the vote, giving them seven seats in the expanded 96-member Senedd. In the 2021 Senedd election, the party won 16 seats out of a possible 60. O…

The Welsh Conservatives survived the Senedd election – now they must decide what they stand for

Lewis Norton, of Aberystwyth University, analyses the Welsh Conservatives' performance in last week's Senedd election.

Beyond the polls: How Wales voted in the 2026 Senedd election

The vote count in the Senedd election at Ysgol Bro Teifi, in Ceredigion. Photo Ben Birchall/PA Wire Jessica Blair, Director Electoral Reform Society Wales On Thursday 7th May, Wales headed to the polls for the Senedd election. This was an election that delivered seismic change for Wales; seeing Welsh Labour lose their position as largest party in the Senedd for the first time ever, and putting Plaid Cymru in government, with Reform UK Wales as t…