In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom, Sidd and Lily turn their attention to Wales, ahead of what many are calling the most consequential Senedd election since devolution began in 1999.

For listeners joining from outside the UK, the team starts from the beginning — where Wales is, what shapes it, and why a country of three million people with a language older than most nations on earth has only had its own parliament since the turn of the millennium. It's a story of industrial extraction, cultural resilience, and a referendum won by the slimmest of margins.

From there, the team walk through the sweeping changes coming on 7 May: a bigger parliament, a brand new voting system, and sixteen new constituencies, before mapping out a political landscape that would have been unimaginable even five years ago. 

Sidd draws a striking comparison between Welsh Labour's decline and the fall of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party after fifty years of unbroken rule, asking whether dominant parties ever truly die. The team profiles all six main parties and looks beyond the election itself to the bigger questions Wales is asking about its democratic future.

If you're in Wales and not yet registered to vote, you can do so here: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Voter registration closes at 23:59 on 20th April 2026. 

Find out more about the parties featured in this episode:

Plaid Cymru: https://www.partyof.wales/

Reform Wales: https://www.reformparty.uk/view-pdf/welsh-manifesto

Welsh Labour: https://www.welshlabour.wales/manifesto-2026/

Welsh Greens: https://wales.greenparty.org.uk/

Welsh Liberal Democrats: https://www.libdems.wales/

Welsh Conservatives: https://www.conservatives.wales/

Key dates for the 2026 Senedd election: https://research.senedd.wales/research-articles/what-are-the-key-dates-for-the-2026-senedd-election/

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To get connected with Tom, Lily or Sidd, please find them on Instagram: @sparetom, @lilymott3, and @siddkurapati.

For more information about the show, please find Be the Change. Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork.

Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change. Media Network.