On 7 May 2026, Wales will elect its Senedd using an entirely new electoral system. The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 replaces the previous mixed-member system with closed-list proportional representation, allocating 96 members across 16 constituencies of six seats each, using the D’Hondt divisor method. The shift to a proportional system has been widely welcomed, and for good reason. Removing the first-past-the-post element of the previous arrangement better suits the fragmented, multi-party reality of contemporary Welsh politics....

Early Returns: First Thoughts & Reflections on Senedd 2026 Election Almost three weeks since the Senedd election have passed and here I share some reflections and early analysis to pull out a few points I’ve been thinking about. What follows is an attempt to draw together four threads: what the bloc structure of Welsh politics now looks like after the election, what role cultural attachment and national identity played in structuring the result, what the attitudinal landscape might mean for the Senedd term ahead, and an afterthought on polling....