The Welsh Politics Pod

With two weeks of dust settling and bad takes crumbling under scrutiny following the dramatic by-election result in Caerphilly, we look at the consequences of the resounding victory for Plaid Cymru, a bitter defeat for an ambitious Reform UK campaign and catastrophic losses for Labour and the Conservatives.

And as we start to turn our attentions to May 2026 we look at what the new numbers in the Senedd mean for the most important part of government business - the budget. Are there enough votes to get it over the line, or at least are there insufficient votes to stop it?

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, political commentator and former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

Wales has two governments, a national one in Cardiff and a union one in London. How they work together is crucial to improving the economy and public services. However, since national devolution in 1999, the formal structures of working between governments have yet to be built and the former territorial offices still act as a conduits or blockers to progress, depending on your point of view.

The reality is that the factors that have determined success often come down to party politics, personal relationships, or personalities of those in key roles. Is this any way to get the best out of each government for the benefit of Wales? We discuss!

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

So we know that the voting system for the 2026 Welsh Parliament election is new, moving to a full proportional list system that is the same as the 'top up' lists used since 1999.

But how are the parties choosing who can stand on these new regional lists, and in what order? And importantly, what type of person puts themself forward for the arcane and arduous process of candidacy in the first place? We discuss it all in this episode, recorded in the Senedd itself.

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

You can learn how the new voting system works using Dr Jac Larner's modeller here: https://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wales/the-2026-senedd-election-simulator-one-year-to-go/

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

In this pod, we take a look at the package of reforms that mean the Welsh Parliament is expanded to 96 members in 2026 and has a significant - and universally unpopular - new voting system. No party seems to like it, academic researchers don't rate it, and electoral reform campaigners didn't want it. So how did we end up with a system like this?!

#Senedd26 #Wales #cymru

You can learn how the new voting system works using Dr Jac Larner's modeller here: https://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wales/the-2026-senedd-election-simulator-one-year-to-go/

Your hosts:

Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

Lauren McEvatt, former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

It's October 2025, there is an absolutely crucial Senedd by election on the horizon that Welsh Labour has to win to retain a governing majority and pass a budget. But there's an unprecedented election on the horizon using a new voting system and new constituencies. Welsh Labour is trailing in the polls to a buoyant Plaid Cymru and an insurgent Reform UK, its links to a struggling UK Labour Govt are weighing it down, and no-one will be minded to be seen helping them pass a budget in the months before the election.

It sets the stage for a financial crisis and potentially the end of the longest election-winning streak in the democratic world, and will put Wales front and centre of the UK's political news for the first time. We set the scene drawing on our hosts experience and insight!

Your hosts:

- Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

- Lauren McEvatt, former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

- Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

We're delighted to announce The Welsh Politics Podcast, our new pod that we hope will look at the latest political events in Wales with no pulled punches.

Our hosts are some of the most well known names in the politlcal space in Wales and have very different backgrounds and perspectives on events. They are:

- Prof Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, former national football team captain and Vice President at UEFA

- Lauren McEvatt, former Conservative Special Advisor to the Wales Office in UK Govt

- Lee Waters, Labour Party Member of the Senedd for Llanelli and former Welsh Govt Minister

Between them they will debate and challenge in analysing the latest political events in Wales and the UK as well as taking a look at some of the biggest questions and ideas dominating debate and trying to explain what it all means.

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: www.x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Web: www.welsh-politics.com

Produced by Richard Martin for Mimosa Cymru

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]

Join Member of the Senedd Lee Waters, Professor Laura McAllister of the Wales Governance Centre and former Conservative Wales Office Special Advisor Lauren McEvatt as we look at what is happening in Welsh Politics - and why.

Find us on the socials:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WelshPoliticsPod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@welshpolitics

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/welshpoliticspod/

X: https://x.com/WelshPolitics99

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/welshpolitics.bsky.social

Produced by Richard Martin

Artwork by Alison Hurren

Music: Where Is It Instrumental by Jonworthymusic

Press/Media queries to [email protected]