Wales Green Party Plaid Werdd Cymru | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Anthony Slaughter[1] |
| Co-deputy leaders | Phil Davies[2] Linda Rogers[3] |
| Preceded by | Green Party (UK) |
| Headquarters | The Gate Keppoch Street Cardiff CF24 5TR[4] |
| Youth wing | Wales Young Greens |
| LGBT wing | Welsh Green Pride |
| Membership(November 2025) | ~6,000[5] |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Left-wing[11] |
| European affiliation | European Green Party |
| International affiliation | Global Greens |
| UK Parliament affiliation | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Colours | Green |
| House of Commons | 0 / 32 (Welsh seats) |
| Senedd | 0 / 60 |
| Councillors in Wales[12][13] | 13 / 1,234 |
| Councils led inWales | 0 / 22 |
| Website | |
| wales.greenparty.org.uk | |
TheWales Green Party (Welsh:Plaid Werdd Cymru) is an autonomous national party within theGreen Party of England and Wales (GPEW) coveringWales.[14][15] The Wales Green Party puts up candidates for council,Senedd, andUK Parliament seats.
Since 2018, the Wales Green Party has been led byAnthony Slaughter.
The current Leader of the Wales Green Party isAnthony Slaughter,[16] with Phil Davies[2] and Linda Rogers[3] as co-deputy leaders. Wales-wide decisions are taken by the Wales Green Party Council, which is composed of the spokespeople, elected officers, and a representative from each local party.
| Role | Name | First elected |
|---|---|---|
| Leader | Anthony Slaughter | 2018 (re-elected in 2021 and 2024)[17][18] |
| Deputy Leaders | Phil Davies | 2024[18] |
| Linda Rogers | 2024[18] |
As of 2023, the Wales Green Party is represented internally within the GPEW by Adam Turner and John Matthews,[19] on theGreen Party Regional Council (GPRC).
In April 2023, one of the Wales Green Party's Co-Deputy Leaders, Amerjit Kaur-Dhaliwal, stepped down from their role, saying that "volunteering at this time has become a luxury I can no longer afford, given the cost-of-living crises."[20]
Pippa Bartolotti became Wales Green party leader in January 2012. She stood (unsuccessfully) for the leadership of the GPEW later that year.[21] After four years of leadership, Bartolotti decided against standing for a further term as leader in the 2015. The leadership election was won byAlice Hooker-Stroud, while Hannah Pudner became deputy leader. Alice was then re-elected in 2016 along with Grenville Ham and a returning Pippa Bartolotti as deputy leaders.[22] Alice resigned in 2017, stating that her position had become "untenable" due to the voluntary nature of the role.[23]Alice was succeeded in early 2017 by Grenville Ham. Grenville defected toPlaid Cymru in late 2018 citing the party's vote to remain a part of the Green Party of England and Wales rather than to become an independent party (as theScottish Greens had previously done) as his reason. Like Alice, Grenville described his position as "untenable".[24] Mirka Virtanen was elected deputy leader in 2016 to begin in 2017, replacing Pippa Bartolotti, and Benjamin Smith was co-opted to the vacant deputy leader role in July 2017.[25]
Anthony Slaughter (former deputy leader) was named the leader of the Wales Green Party in December 2018, beating Mirka Virtanen (deputy leader at the time) and Alex Harris in the leadership election. Duncan Rees was elected deputy leader. Mirka was co-opted back into the deputy leader role until December 2019. Lauren James was selected to replace her in April 2020.
| Leader | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martyn Shrewsbury | 2004 | 2006 |
| 2 | Ann Were | 2006[26] | 2007 |
| 3 | Leila Kiersch | 2007 | 2009 |
| 4 | Jake Griffiths | 2009[27] | 2011 |
| 5 | Pippa Bartolotti | 2011[28] | 2015 |
| 6 | Alice Hooker-Stroud | 2015[29] | 2017[23] |
| 7 | Grenville Ham | 2017[30] | 2018[31][32] |
| 8 | Anthony Slaughter | 2018[33] | Present (incumbent) |
The Wales Greens are represented on a Green Isles Alliance which includes Green parties fromEngland and Wales (Plaid Werdd),Scotland,Ireland (Comhaontas Glas),Northern Ireland and theIsle of Man (Partee Glass Vannin). The alliance acts as a forum for the parties to advance shared political goals.[34]
In July 2018, the Wales Green Party had around 1,500 members. In April 2023, the Wales Green Party was reported to have over 1,800 members.[35] By the end of 2019, the Green Party in England and Wales had a combined 49,013 members (up from 38,707 in 2018).[36] In October 2024, the Wales Green Party had 2,006 members.[18] By November 2025, the party had reached just under 6,000 members.[5]
The Green Parties in the United Kingdom have their roots in thePEOPLE Party which was founded in 1972, which became theEcology Party in 1975, and then theGreen Party in 1985.[37]
In 1973, three Welsh Green candidates (P. Jones, W. Jones and V. Carney) won seats in the inaugural Welsh district council elections in the Gadlys and Town wards on Cynon Valley Borough Council. The party narrowly missed out on a fourth seat to the Labour Party.[38][dubious –discuss]
In 1990, the Scottish and Northern Irish branches left theUK Greens to form separate parties. The English and Welsh parties became the Green Party of England and Wales, with the Welsh branch being autonomous.[14]
In 1991, Marcus Hughes and Brian Stringer were elected to represent the Bynea and Dafen wards onLlanelli Borough Council[39] In 1995, both then stood unsuccessfully as 'Independent Green' candidates, losing their seats to Labour on the newCarmarthenshire County Council. In 1993, the Party won a county council seat on Anglesey (Ynys Môn) after a sitting councillor in the Aethwy ward had joined the Greens, but the Party did not defend this seat or stand any other candidates at the 1995Isle of Anglesey County Council election two years later.[40]
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As pro-environmental positions became more prominent inPlaid Cymru, both Plaid Cymru and the Wales Green Party began exploring the prospects of greater co-operation with each other.[41] At a conference inDenbigh, Plaid Cymru invited representatives from the Wales Green Party to discuss potential common ground between the two parties, with a similar event being held in Cardiff the following year.[42]
For the1992 general election, the local Greens entered an electoral alliance with Plaid Cymru in the constituency ofCeredigion and Pembroke North.[43][44][45] The electoral alliance had begun by a joint policy document drafted in 1991, and agreed following both the constituency Green branch and constituency Plaid Cymru branch's members voted to approve the alliance.[44] The alliance was successful withCynog Dafis being returned in a surprise result as theMP, defeating theLiberal Democrat incumbent by over 3,000 votes.[46][47][48]
Official cooperation between the two parties began to break down by 1995 due to policy disagreements,[43] and disagreements within the Welsh Green Party over endorsing another party's candidate.[49] Despite this there were still some joint candidates in the1995 UK local elections.[50] Dafis would go on to serve in parliament as a Plaid Cymru member until 2000, and in theNational Assembly for Wales from 1999 until 2003. Dafis later stated that he did not consider himself to be the "first Green MP".[45]
On 29 August 1997, the Wales Green Party issued a joint declaration with the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru, supporting the 'Yes for Wales' campaign and the establishment of a new National Assembly for Wales in the1997 Welsh devolution referendum.[51]
In the1999 Welsh local elections, Klaus Armstrong-Braun became the first Green Party councillor to be elected to one of Wales' twenty two unitary councils, winning a seat onFlintshire County Council.[52] In 2006, the party elected Ann Were as party leader, the first female leader of a Welsh political party.[26]
In2010, the party became the only Green party within the United Kingdom to have not elected a Green candidate to a UK or devolved legislature, afterCaroline Lucas was elected to the UK Parliament. In 2011, the Green Party campaigned in support of a yes vote in the2011 Welsh devolution referendum.[53] In 2013, the Wales Green Party archive at theNational Library was damaged in a fire with some historical material either destroyed or permanently damaged.[54]
In 2015, the Party agreed to support as many powers for Wales as possible, 'up to and includingindependence'.[55] In the2017 Welsh local elections, the Wales Green Party had their first county councillor elected toPowys County Council, for theLlangors ward.[56]
In July 2018, the party held a vote on whether to split from the GPEW to form a separate organisation. Of those members who voted, 65% voted against the proposal, despite the leader Grenville Ham campaigning for independence.[57] In October 2020, party members voted that they would campaign to support Welsh independence if a referendum was called on the matter, with party leader Anthony Slaughter arguing that many green policies could not be implemented in Wales without further devolved powers or independence.[58]
In September 2021, Matt Townsend called for the party to become independent from its Westminster counterpart, despite members voting against it three years earlier. Writing inBright Green, Townsend pointed out that the Scottish and Northern Irish Green parties were both independent from the GPEW. "This has left Wales as one of very few nations around the world to not have its own Green Party," he said. Townsend also noted that whilst the Scottish Greens had now entered government with theSNP, the Wales Green Party failed to win any seats at the2021 Senedd election.[59] Slaughter toldNation.Cymru in August 2023 that, with the expansion of the Senedd in 2026, he expected Green MSs to be elected for the first time.[60]
In their manifesto for the2024 United Kingdom general election, the party committed itself to Welsh independence, and would first seek for the Senedd to have equal powers to the Scottish Parliament as a first step.[61][62]
In September 2024, the party said that the steel industry should be publicly owned.[63]
While associated mainly withenvironmentalist policies, the party has a history of support for communitarian economic policies, including well-funded, locally controlled public services within the confines of asteady-state economy. It is supportive ofproportional representation voting systems and takes a progressive approach to social policies, including supporting auniversal basic income and transitioning to afour day working week.[64] It also supports thedevolution of further powers to Wales.[65] In October 2020, the party announced that it would campaign for Welsh independence should a referendum be held.[58][66][67] In their manifesto for the2024 United Kingdom general election, the party later committed itself to Welsh independence in general.[61][62]
The party emphasises expanding localised renewable energy projects. Other policies within itsPolicies for a Sustainable Society in Wales include: phasing out waste incineration, improving public transport and supporting newsafe standing areas in Welsh sports stadiums.[65] Also included within the party's policies is the commitment to "bring the rail system, including track and operators, back into public ownership".[68]
The party supports universal free school meals, both during school term time and during school holidays.[69] The party also supports ending the two child benefits cap.[3]
The Wales Green Party wants to raiseUniversal Credit by £40 per week, increase Pension Credit and provide an immediate uplift in disability benefits by 5%.[70] The party also supports increasing the minimum wage to £15 an hour, with the cost to small businesses offset by reducing their national insurance.[70]
In terms of state funding, the party is in favour of a yearly 1% tax on assets above £10 million and a 2% yearly tax on assets above £1 billion. It would also scrap the upper earnings limit so that high income earners pay more national insurance. Furthermore, the party would reform taxes on taxable gains from capital so that it equates to taxes earned from income. Another state revenue source it would seek is a £120carbon tax per tonne of emitted carbon, as well as carbon taxing fossil fuel imports and fossil fuel extractions.[70]
The party supports the creation of a free at the point of use National Care Service.[71]
Wales Young Greens is the youth and student 'local group' of the Young Greens of England and Wales.[72]
The current co chairs of theYoung Greens of England and Wales are Callum Clafferty and Luanne Thornton.[73]
Welsh Green Pride is the LGBTIQA+ Liberation group within the Wales Green Party. The group started a UK wide review of the discriminatory blood ban 'which excludes any LGBTIQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex & Queer) people who have had sexual relations in the past 12 months from donating blood'.[74] The group ran a petition and later met withMark Drakeford[75] which resulted in a review later being produced, and in 2021 the legislation was changed to allow men who had sex with men to give blood.[76]
| Year | Votes | Share of votes | Seats won | Seats contested[77] | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991[77] | 10,804 | 1.2% | 2 / 1,364 | 31 | Two councillors elected to Llanelli Borough Council (Bynea and Dafen wards). Last election to 37 district councils before 22 new unitary councils were established. |
| 1993 | 4,078 | 0.6% | 1 / 502 | 31 | Councillor elected to Gwynedd County Council (Aethwy ward, Anglesey), with a new high of three councillors across Wales. Last election to eight county councils before 22 new unitary councils established. |
| 1995 | 10,161 | 1.1% | 0 / 1,272 | 57 | First elections to 22 new councils underLocal Government (Wales) Act 1994. No Greens elected. |
| 1999 | 8,328 | 0.8% | 1 / 1,270 | 31 | First councillor elected to Flintshire County Council (Saltney Stonebridge ward). |
| 2004 | 10,799 | 1.2% | 0 / 1,263 | 65 | |
| 2008 | 6,568 | 0.7% | 0 / 1,270 | 37 | |
| 2012 | 10,310 | 1.2% | 0 / 1,235 | 68 | Results include 21 out of 22 councils. No Green candidates stood for the 30 seats in the delayed2013 Isle of Anglesey County Council election. |
| 2017 | 12,441 | 1.3% | 1 / 1,271 | 79 | First seat won on Powys County Council (Llangors ward). |
| 2022[78] | 22,193 | 2.3% | 8 / 1,231 | 117 | The party's highest number of votes, candidates and seats in a Welsh local election.[79] First councillors elected to six councils: Denbighshire, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Newport and Conwy.[80] |
| Year | Constituency Votes | Share of votes | Seats contested | Regional Votes | Share of votes | Seats won | Position | Outcome | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1,002 | 0.1% | 1/40 | 25,858 | 3.6% | 0 / 60 | 5th | No seats | First election to theSenedd, initially known as the National Assembly for Wales. Only Green candidate was in the Ceredigion constituency. |
| 2003 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 30,028 | 3.5% | 0 / 60 | 5th | No seats | |
| 2007 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 33,803 | 3.5% | 0 / 60 | 7th | No seats | |
| 2011 | 1,514 | 0.2% | 1/40 | 32,649 | 3.4% | 0 / 60 | 6th | No seats | Only Green candidate was in the Ceredigion constituency. |
| 2016 | 25,202 | 2.5% | 36/40 | 30,211 | 3.0% | 0 / 60 | 7th | No seats | The party's highest number of constituency votes in a Welsh general election. |
| 2021 | 17,817 | 1.6% | 13/40 | 48,714 | 4.4% | 0 / 60 | 5th | No seats | The Greens received more regional votes than the Liberal Democrats, but finished one place lower in fifth position after that party won a Mid and West Wales regional list seat.[81] |
| Year | Votes | Share of votes | Seats won | Seats contested | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 5,273 | 0 / 38 | 11 | Seats contested exclude joint Plaid Cymru - Green candidates. Three joint candidates are referenced on the UK Parliament website, whilst five (Ceredigion and Pembroke North,Islwyn,Monmouth,Newport West &Torfaen) are recorded on Wikipedia.[47][82]Cynog Dafis was elected in the Ceredigion and Pembroke North constituency. | |
| 1997 | 1,718 | 0.1% | 0 / 40 | 4 | |
| 2001 | 3,753 | 0.3% | 0 / 40 | 6 | |
| 2005 | 7,144 | 0.5% | 0 / 40 | 11 | |
| 2010 | 6,293 | 0.4% | 0 / 40 | 13 | |
| 2015 | 38,344 | 2.6% | 0 / 40 | 35 | The party retained deposits for the first time: inCeredigion,Cardiff Central and most notablySwansea West with 4.0% swing. |
| 2017 | 5,128 | 0.3% | 0 / 40 | 11 | |
| 2019 | 15,828 | 1.0% | 0 / 40 | 18 | TheVale of Glamorgan seat was contested as part of theRemain Alliance.[83] |
| 2024 | 61,662 | 4.7% | 0 / 32 | 32 | Best result to date. First time contested every constituency in Wales. 9 out of 32 deposits retained. Outperformed Northern Irish (1.1%) and Scottish Greens (3.8%) on vote share, with lower vote share than English Greens (7.3%).[84] |
The party did not field candidates in the2012,2016 or2021 police and crime commissioner elections in Wales.
| Year | Votes | Share of votes | Seats won | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 19,413 | 2.0% | 0 / 5 | First election contested by theGreen Party of England and Wales. Result reversed gains from the 1989 election (11.1% and 99,546 votes).[85] |
| 1999 | 16,146 | 2.6% | 0 / 5 | |
| 2004 | 32,761 | 3.6% | 0 / 4 | |
| 2009 | 38,160 | 5.6% | 0 / 4 | |
| 2014 | 33,275 | 4.5% | 0 / 4 | |
| 2019 | 52,660 | 6.3% | 0 / 4 | Last election before Wales left the European Union. |
The 2021 Welsh local elections were postponed until2022 to avoid a clash with the2021 Senedd election, with the future electoral cycle also changed from four to five years by the Welsh Government.[86] The Wales Green Party formed an electoral pact withPlaid Cymru to fightseats in Cardiff.[87]
The party won eight seats in the election, exceeding a previous high of three seats held in the early 1990s (prior to the two tier system of county and district councils being abolished and replaced by twenty two new unitary councils in 1995).[12] A further two were elected via an alliance with Plaid Cymru in Cardiff.[88]
In the2017 Welsh local elections, the Welsh Greens elected their first ever councillor. In 2021Powys councillor Emily Durrant defected toPlaid Cymru.[89]
The Green Party stood a full set of regional list candidates as well as thirteen constituency candidates in the2021 Senedd election.[90]
Some of the party's key policies for the 2021 Senedd election included: ending fees for people's first university degree, targeting Wales to be carbonnet zero by 2030 by replacing fossil fuels with onshore and offshore renewable energy, and introducingfree public transport for local journeys for people in Wales aged under 21.[91] The party also said it would build 12,000 homes to the highest environmental standards and would start a transformation fund to invest in local communities and create thousands of green jobs.[92]
During the campaign, it was initially announced the party would be excluded from taking part in theBBC One Wales leaders debate scheduled for 29 April 2021.[93] However, BBC Wales later announced that a revised format would allow the party to participate in the second half of the TV debate.[94]
Regional list
| Region | Number of votes | Proportion of votes | Change | Candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid and West Wales | 10,545 | 4.4% |  0.6% | Emily Durrant, Tomos Barlow, Harry Hayfield, Marc Pearton-Scale | |
| North Wales | 6,586 | 2.9% | 0.6% | Iolo Jones, Duncan Rees, Adam Turner, Linda Rogers | |
| South Wales Central | 14,478 | 5.7% | 2.3% | Anthony Slaughter, Helen Westhead, David Griffin, Debra Cooper | |
| South Wales East | 9,950 | 4.8% | 2.3% | Amelia Womack, Ian Chandler, Lauren James, Stephen Priestnall | |
| South Wales West | 7,155 | 3.9% | 1.3% | Megan Poppy Lloyd, Chris Evans, Alex Harris, Tom Muller | |
Constituencies
| No. | Constituency | Votes | % | Change % ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monmouth | 2,000 | 5.6 | 2.7 | |
| 2 | Cardiff Central | 1,552 | 5.4 | 1.0 | |
| 3 | Cardiff North | 1,957 | 4.8 | 2.6 | |
| 4 | Brecon and Radnorshire | 1,556 | 4.8 | 2.5 | |
| 5 | Swansea West | 1,109 | 4.6 | 0.6 | |
| 6 | Cardiff South and Penarth | 1,643 | 4.5 | 0.3 | |
| 7 | Ceredigion | 1,356 | 4.4 | 0.3 | |
| 8 | Newport West | 1,314 | 4.4 | 1.5 | |
| 9 | Neath | 1,038 | 3.8 | 1.5 | |
| 10 | Cardiff West | 1,287 | 3.5 | 0.3 | |
| 11 | Gower | 1,088 | 3.3 | 0.9 | |
| 12 | Vale of Glamorgan | 1,262 | 2.9 | 0.8 | |
| 13 | Pontypridd | 655 | 2.4 | 0.4 | |
In September 2015,Amelia Womack, Deputy Leader of GPEW, announced her intention to stand in the National Assembly elections for Wales Green Party. An ITV article titled "Green deputy leader wants to switch to Welsh politics" wrote of Newport-born Womack's intention to stand in the Welsh elections saying; "She's seeking the nomination for the Cardiff Central constituency and – more significantly – hoping to be top of the Wales Green Party's regional list forSouth Wales Central." Notably, the article went on to say "Opinion polls have occasionally suggested that the Greens could gain a list seat in the Senedd".[95]
On 10 February 2016, Welsh Greens abandoned progressive alliance negotiations a few months before the Senedd elections.[96] The manifesto included plans to scrap the M4 relief road, build 12,000 new homes a year and provide free childcare to every child in Wales.[97]
Regional list
| Region | Number of votes | Proportion of votes | Change | Candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid and West Wales | 8,222 | 3.8% |  0.3% | Alice Hooker Stroud, Grenville Ham, Pippa Pemberton, Frances Bryant, Brian Dafydd Williams | |
| North Wales | 4,789 | 2.3% |  | Duncan Rees, Martin Bennewith, Petra Haig, Gerry Wolff | |
| South Wales Central | 7,949 | 3.4% | 1.8% | Amelia Womack, Anthony Slaughter, Hannah Pudner, Chris von Ruhland | |
| South Wales East | 4,831 | 2.5% | 0.2% | Pippa Bartolotti, Ann Were, Chris Were, Katy Beddoe, Andrew Creak | |
| South Wales West | 4,420 | 2.6% | | Lisa Rapado, Charlotte Barlow, Laurence Brophy, Mike Whittall, Russell Kennedy, Thomas Muller | |
Constituencies
| No. | Constituency | Votes | % | Change % ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff Central | 1,158 | 4.4 | NA | |
| 2 | Cardiff South and Penarth | 1,268 | 4.2 | NA | |
| 3 | Ceredigion | 1,223 | 4.1 | 1.1 | |
| 3 | Preseli Pembrokeshire | 1,161 | 4.1 | NA | |
| 5 | Swansea West | 883 | 4.0 | NA | |
| 6 | Montgomeryshire | 932 | 3.9 | NA | |
| 7 | Dwyfor Meirionnydd | 743 | 3.7 | NA | |
| 8 | Cardiff West | 1,032 | 3.2 | NA | |
| 9 | Aberconwy | 680 | 3.1 | NA | |
| 9 | Cynon Valley | 598 | 3.1 | NA | |
| 11 | Torfaen | 681 | 3.0 | NA | |
| 12 | Monmouth | 910 | 2.9 | NA | |
| 12 | Newport West | 814 | 2.9 | NA | |
| 14 | Caerphilly | 770 | 2.8 | NA | |
| 15 | Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshirre | 804 | 2.7 | NA | |
| 15 | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | 797 | 2.7 | NA | |
| 15 | Islwyn | 592 | 2.7 | NA | |
| 18 | Swansea East | 529 | 2.6 | NA | |
| 19 | Gower | 737 | 2.4 | NA | |
| 19 | Alyn and Deeside | 527 | 2.4 | NA | |
| 19 | Newport East | 491 | 2.4 | NA | |
| 22 | Brecon and Radnorshire | 697 | 2.3 | NA | |
| 22 | Neath | 589 | 2.3 | NA | |
| 22 | Merthyr Tydfil | 469 | 2.3 | NA | |
| 25 | Cardiff North | 824 | 2.2 | NA | |
| 25 | Clwyd West | 565 | 2.2 | NA | |
| 25 | Ogmore | 516 | 2.2 | NA | |
| 28 | Vale of Glamorgan | 794 | 2.1 | NA | |
| 28 | Bridgend | 567 | 2.1 | NA | |
| 28 | Clwyd South | 474 | 2.1 | NA | |
| 31 | Pontypridd | 508 | 2.0 | NA | |
| 31 | Wrexham | 411 | 2.0 | NA | |
| 33 | Aberavon | 389 | 1.9 | NA | |
| 34 | Llanelli | 427 | 1.5 | NA | |
| 34 | Ynys Mon | 389 | 1.5 | NA | |
| 36 | Rhondda | 259 | 1.1 | NA | |
| 37 | Arfon | DNS | |||
| 38 | Blaenau Gwent | DNS | |||
| 39 | Delyn | DNS | |||
| 40 | Vale of Clwyd | DNS | |||
The Wales Green Party again fielded candidates in all 5top-up regions for the2011 election. For the first time since 1999, the Greens also stood in a constituency - they once again opted to stand in Ceredigion.
During the 2011 campaign, they specifically targetedLabour voters with the aim of persuading them to use their regional list vote for the Greens, using the slogan "2nd vote Green". They claimed that Labour list votes were "wasted" and that over 70,000 votes in South Wales Central went "in the bin at every election" as Labour had never won a top-up seat in that region.[98]
On this occasion, South Wales Central was the region the party targeted. The region includes Cardiff, with its large student population, and also the constituency ofCardiff Central, the onlyLiberal Democrat-Labour marginal seat in Wales. Welsh Green leader and South Wales Central candidate Jake Griffiths stated they were also aiming to attract disaffected Liberal Democrat voters in the region.[99]
The Greens polled 32,649 votes, 3.4% of the total votes cast for the regional lists.[100] In South Wales Central, they took over 10,000 votes, 5.2% of the total, though they were still almost 6,000 votes away from winning a seat. The regional results were as follows:
| Region | Number of Votes | Proportion of Votes | Change | Candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid and West Wales[101] | 8,660 | 4.1% | 0.1% | Leila Kiersch, Marilyn Elson | |
| North Wales[102] | 4,406 | 2.3% | 0.6% | Dorienne Robinson, Timothy Foster, Peter Haig | |
| South Wales Central[103] | 10,774 | 5.2% | 1.4% | Jake Griffiths, Sam Coates, John Matthews, Matt Townsend, Teleri Clark | |
| South Wales East[104] | 4,857 | 2.7% | 0.2% | Chris Were, Pippa Bartolotti, Owen Clarke, Alyson Ayland, Alan Williams | |
| South Wales West[105] | 3,952 | 2.6% | 1.2% | Keith Ross, Huw Evans, Andy Chyba, Delyth Miller | |
In Ceredigion, Chris Simpson polled 1,514 votes, or 5.2%. He came fifth out of five candidates.[106]
In2007, the party again fielded a list of candidates in each of thetop-up regions but no candidates for theconstituencies. The Wales Green Party proposed that Wales should "be at the forefront of....a green industrial revolution". The party targeted South Wales West - the region where they had performed best in 2003.[107]
The Welsh Greens polled 33,803 votes, or 3.5% of the total, a slight decrease on 2003.[108] The party failed to win any seats, with their best performance this time being Mid and West Wales with 4.0% of the vote. In South Wales West their vote declined by one percentage point, their worst result of the five regions.
| Region | Number of Votes | Proportion of Votes | Change | Candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid and West Wales[109] | 8,768 | 4.0% | 0.1% | Leila Kiersch, Moth Foster, Marilyn Elson, John Jennings | |
| North Wales[110] | 5,660 | 2.9% | 0.4% | Jim Killock, Joe Blakesley, Maredudd ap Rheinallt, Wilf Hastings | |
| South Wales Central[111] | 7,831 | 3.8% | 0.4% | John Matthews, Richard Payne, David Pierce, Nigel Baker | |
| South Wales East[112] | 5,414 | 2.8% | 0.3% | Ann Were, Alasdair McGowen, Gerry Layton, Owen Clarke | |
| South Wales West[113] | 6,130 | 3.8% | 1.0% | Rhodri Griffiths, Brig Oubridge, Jane Richmond, Jonathan Spink | |
In the2003 election, the party again fielded a list of candidates for each of the electoral regions but this time stood no candidates for the constituencies. The Welsh Greens failed to win any seats, polling 30,028 votes, or 3.5%. Their best performance was in South Wales West where they polled 6,696 votes, or 4.8% of the total.
| Region | Number of Votes | Proportion of Votes | Change | Candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid and West Wales[114] | 7,794 | 4.2% | 0.7% | Dorienne Robinson,Molly Scott Cato, Timothy Foster, Reg Taylor, Christopher Cato | |
| North Wales[115] | 4,200 | 2.4% | 0.2% | Klaus Armstrong-Brown, John Walker, Jeremy Hart, Wilfred Hastings, Gilly Boyd, Jim Killock | |
| South Wales Central[116] | 6,047 | 3.3% | 0.9% | John Matthews, Lynn Farr, Jan Tucker, Sylvia Latham, Paul Beswick | |
| South Wales East[117] | 5,291 | 3.1% | 1.1% | Peter Varley, Ann Were, Owen Clarke, Ernie Hamer, Gealdine Layton, Teresa Telfer, Matthew Wooton | |
| South Wales West[118] | 6,696 | 4.8% | 2.4% | Martin Shrewsbury, Jan Cliff, Rhodri Griffiths, Steve Clegg, Deborah James, Tony Young | |
In the1999 inaugural election for the National Assembly, the Welsh Greens stood candidates in all fiveelectoral regions used to elect "top-up" members of the assembly. Additionally, one candidate stood for theconstituency seat ofCeredigion. The party stated that they aimed to poll around 7% of the vote and win at least one top-up seat.[119]
The Welsh Greens ultimately polled 25,858 votes in the regional lists, 2.5% of the total, and 1,002 constituency votes (3.1%) in Ceredigion. No Welsh Greens were elected.[120]
| Region | Number of Votes | Proportion of Votes | Candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid and West Wales[121] | 7,718 | 3.5% | Dave Bradney, Sarah Scott-Cato, Sue Walker, Timothy Shaw, Timothy Foster | |
| North Wales[122] | 4,667 | 2.2% | Jim Killock, Christopher Busby, Robin Welch, Klaus Armstrong-Brown, Angela Loveridge, Alexandra Plows, Kathryn Turner, Gwilym Morus, Sarah Collick | |
| South Wales Central[123] | 5,336 | 2.5% | Kevin Jakeway, John Matthews, Vivien Turner, Chris Von Ruhland | |
| South Wales East[124] | 4,055 | 2.0% | Roger Coghill, Kevin Williams, Steve Ainley, Elaine Ross, Owen Clarke | |
| South Wales West[125] | 4,082 | 2.4% | Graham Oubridge, Lee Turner, Janet Evans, Simon Phillips | |
The Wales Green Party entered an electoral pact in eleven Welsh seats with Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats, as part of theRemain Alliance. As a result of this agreement, the party did not contest ten Welsh seats and instead supported pro-European Plaid Cymru or Liberal Democrat candidates. In theVale of Glamorgan constituency, Anthony Slaughter stood for the Green Party as the Remain Alliance candidate but was not elected. The 2019 manifesto was titledIf not now, when? and included various commitments, including taxing frequent flyers, creating more energy-efficient homes, decommissioning North Sea oil rigs and phasing out the UK's coal industry.[126][127]
| No. | Constituency | Votes | % | Change % ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vale of Glamorgan | 3,251 | 5.9 | 5.1 | |
| 2 | Monmouth | 1,353 | 2.7 | 0.8 | |
| 3 | Cardiff West | 1,133 | 2.5 | NA | |
| 4 | Cardiff South and Penarth | 1,182 | 2.3 | 1.3 | |
| 5 | Torfaen | 812 | 2.2 | NA | |
| 6 | Newport West | 902 | 2.1 | 1.0 | |
| 7 | Neath | 728 | 2.0 | NA | |
| 8 | Bridgend | 815 | 1.9 | NA | |
| 8 | Islwyn | 669 | 1.9 | NA | |
| 10 | Ogmore | 621 | 1.8 | NA | |
| 11 | Ceredigion | 663 | 1.7 | 0.3 | |
| 11 | Swansea East | 583 | 1.7 | 0.7 | |
| 13 | Cardiff North | 820 | 1.6 | NA | |
| 13 | Newport East | 577 | 1.6 | NA | |
| 15 | Rhondda | 438 | 1.5 | NA | |
| 16 | Aberavon | 450 | 1.4 | NA | |
| 17 | Wrexham | 445 | 1.3 | NA | |
| 17 | Blaenau Gwent | 386 | 1.3 | NA | |
| No. | Constituency | Votes | % | Change % ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monmouth | 954 | 1.9 | 1.5 | |
| 2 | Montgomeryshire | 524 | 1.5 | 2.2 | |
| 3 | Ceredigion | 542 | 1.4 | 4.2 | |
| 4 | Swansea West | 434 | 1.2 | 3.9 | |
| 5 | Newport West | 497 | 1.1 | 2.1 | |
| 6 | Caerphilly | 447 | 1.1 | 1.2 | |
| 7 | Cardiff South and Penarth | 532 | 1.0 | 2.7 | |
| 8 | Cardiff Central | 420 | 1.0 | 5.4 | |
| 9 | Swansea East | 359 | 1.0 | NA | |
| 10 | Vale of Glamorgan | 419 | 0.8 | 1.3 | |
| 11 | Cardiff North | 362 | 0.8 | NA | |
The Wales Green Party fielded their highest number ofUK general election candidates and achieved their best UK election result in Wales.
| No. | Constituency | Votes | % | Change % ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff Central | 2,461 | 6.4 | 4.8 | |
| 2 | Ceredigion | 2,088 | 5.6 | 3.8 | |
| 3 | Swansea West | 1,784 | 5.1 | 4.0 | |
| 4 | Cardiff West | 1,704 | 3.9 | 2.1 | |
| 5 | Cardiff South and Penarth | 1,746 | 3.7 | 2.5 | |
| 5 | Montgomeryshire | 1,260 | 3.7 | NA | |
| 7 | Preseli Pembrokeshire | 1,452 | 3.6 | NA | |
| 8 | Monmouth | 1,629 | 3.4 | 2.1 | |
| 8 | Dwyfor Meirionnydd | 981 | 3.4 | NA | |
| 10 | Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire | 1,290 | 3.2 | NA | |
| 10 | Newport West | 1,272 | 3.2 | 2.1 | |
| 10 | Neath | 1,185 | 3.2 | NA | |
| 13 | Brecon and Radnorshire | 1,261 | 3.1 | 2.2 | |
| 14 | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | 1,091 | 2.8 | NA | |
| 15 | Gower | 1,161 | 2.7 | NA | |
| 16 | Pontypridd | 992 | 2.6 | 1.6 | |
| 16 | Clwyd South | 915 | 2.6 | NA | |
| 16 | Cynon Valley | 799 | 2.6 | NA | |
| 19 | Cardiff North | 1,254 | 2.5 | 1.7 | |
| 19 | Newport East | 887 | 2.5 | NA | |
| 21 | Alyn and Deeside | 976 | 2.4 | NA | |
| 21 | Aberconwy | 727 | 2.4 | NA | |
| 23 | Caerphilly | 937 | 2.3 | NA | |
| 23 | Blaenau Gwent | 738 | 2.3 | NA | |
| 23 | Aberavon | 711 | 2.3 | NA | |
| 26 | Vale of Glamorgan | 1,054 | 2.1 | 1.1 | |
| 26 | Ogmore | 754 | 2.1 | NA | |
| 28 | Wrexham | 669 | 2.0 | NA | |
| 28 | Torfaen | 746 | 2.0 | 0.8 | |
| 30 | Islwyn | 659 | 1.9 | NA | |
| 30 | Bridgend | 736 | 1.9 | NA | |
| 32 | Llanelli | 689 | 1.8 | NA | |
| 32 | Delyn | 680 | 1.8 | NA | |
| 32 | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | 603 | 1.8 | NA | |
| 35 | Rhondda | 453 | 1.4 | NA | |
In 2015, Wales Green Party said it supported as much power for Wales as possible, 'up to and including independence'. Many Green policies – such as a Universal Basic Income – are not able to be implemented in Wales without further powers or independence.
We will bring the rail system, including track and operators, back into public ownership, building on the recent approach in this direction by the Welsh Government.
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