# List of political parties in Wales

There are a number of political parties registered to the Electoral Commission in Wales. Some of these parties have elected representation in the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; Welsh: Senedd Cymru) and/or in Westminster (UK Parliament) and some have elected representation in one or more of the 22 Welsh local authorities, while others have entirely no elected representation. This Wikipedia page lists all of the above and some relevant Welsh political parties that formerly existed but have since disbanded. The largest political parties typically reside in either the House of Commons or the Senedd, the current largest party in Wales is Welsh Labour, followed closely by the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru.

## House of Commons/Senedd
### House of Commons

The Parliament of the United Kingdom is a legislative body in the United Kingdom and creates primary legislation. There are two chambers within the Parliament of the United Kingdom: the House of Commons (the elected chamber) and the House of Lords. This article focuses on the House of Commons. Three parties have elected representatives in that house (MPs): Welsh Labour, Welsh Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru. Since the 2024 general election, here has been no elected MPs from the Welsh Conservatives.

### Senedd

The Senedd was formed under the Government of Wales Act 1998, by the Labour government, following a referendum in 1997. It was given greater powers under the 2011 Welsh devolution referendum. In 2021, four parties have elected representatives in the Senedd: Welsh Labour, Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and Welsh Liberal Democrats.

### House of Commons/Senedd parties

| Party | Translation | Leader | Political position | Ideology | MSs | MPs | Local government | Membership |
| Welsh Labour | Welsh: Llafur Cymru | Eluned Morgan | Centre-left | Social democracy British unionism | 31 / 60 | 27 / 32 | 512 / 1,234 | 22,000 |
| Welsh Conservatives | Welsh: Ceidwadwyr Cymreig | Andrew RT Davies | Centre-right to right-wing | Conservatism Economic liberalism British unionism | 16 / 60 | 0 / 32 | 111 / 1,234 | Unknown |
| Plaid Cymru | English: Party of Wales | Rhun ap Iorwerth | Centre-left to left-wing | Welsh nationalism Welsh independence Democratic socialism Social democracy Environmentalism Regionalism Civic nationalism | 12 / 60 | 4 / 32 | 201 / 1,234 | 10,100 |
| Welsh Liberal Democrats | Welsh: Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru | Jane Dodds | Centre to centre-left | Liberalism Social liberalism British unionism Pro-Europeanism | 1 / 60 | 1 / 32 | 63 / 1,234 | 3,133 |

## Local government

Several parties in Wales have no national representation, but have elected representation at the local government level.

### County councils

| Party | Translation | Elected members of local government | Political position | Ideology |
| Wales Green Party | Welsh: Plaid Werdd Cymru | 8 | Left-wing | Green politics Progressivism |
| Llantwit First Independents | Welsh: Annibynwyr Cyntaf Llantwit | 4 (Vale of Glamorgan Council) | N/A | Localism |
| Uplands Party | Welsh: Plaid Uplands | 4 (Swansea Council) | N/A | Localism |
| Reform UK | Welsh: Diwygio DU | 3 (Torfaen County Borough Council) | Right-wing | Right-wing populism Euroscepticism |
| Newport Independents Party | Welsh: Plaid Annibynwyr Casnewydd | 3 (Newport City Council) | N/A | Localism |
| Propel | | 1 (Cardiff Council) | None | Welsh nationalism Welsh independence Localism Sovereignism |
| Gwlad | English: Country | 1 (Ceredigion County Council) | Centre-right | Welsh nationalism Welsh independence |

### Community and town councils

| Party | Party | Translation | Elected members of local government | Political position | Ideology |
| | Gwlad | English: Country | 2 | Centre-right | Welsh nationalism Welsh independence |

### Council control

| Council | Control | Control | Web | Total | LAB | PC | CON | LD | GP | Other | Vacant |
| Blaenau Gwent | LAB | maj | URL | 33 | 21 | | | | | 12 | |
| Bridgend | LAB | maj | URL | 51 | 27 | 1 | 1 | | | 22 | |
| Caerphilly | LAB | maj | URL | 69 | 45 | 18 | | | | 6 | |
| Cardiff | LAB | maj | URL | 79 | 55 | 2 | 9 | 10 | | 3 | |
| Carmarthenshire | NOC | IND+PC | URL | 75 | 19 | 37 | | | | 19 | |
| Ceredigion | PC | maj | URL | 38 | | 21 | | 7 | | 10 | |
| Conwy | NOC | IND+PC+LAB | URL | 55 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 23 | |
| Denbighshire | NOC | LAB+PC | URL | 48 | 15 | 8 | 9 | | 2 | 14 | |
| Flintshire | NOC | IND+LAB | URL | 67 | 29 | | 1 | 3 | | 30 | |
| Gwynedd | PC | maj | URL | 69 | 1 | 46 | | 1 | | 21 | |
| Isle of Anglesey | PC | maj | URL | 35 | 3 | 20 | | | | 12 | |
| Merthyr Tydfil | NOC | LAB min | URL | 30 | 14 | | | | | 16 | |
| Monmouthshire | NOC | LAB min | URL | 46 | 21 | | 19 | | 1 | 5 | |
| Neath Port Talbot | NOC | IND+PC | URL | 60 | 27 | 11 | | 2 | 1 | 19 | |
| Newport | LAB | maj | URL | 51 | 34 | | 7 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| Pembrokeshire | IND | IND+LAB+PC | URL | 60 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 2 | | 35 | |
| Powys | NOC | LD+LAB | URL | 68 | 9 | 4 | 15 | 22 | 1 | 17 | |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | LAB | maj | URL | 75 | 59 | 8 | 2 | | | 6 | |
| Swansea | LAB | maj | URL | 75 | 45 | | 6 | 11 | 1 | 12 | |
| Torfaen | LAB | maj | URL | 40 | 28 | | | | | 11 | |
| Vale of Glamorgan | NOC | LAB+IND | URL | 54 | 25 | 8 | 13 | | | 8 | |
| Wrexham | NOC | IND+CON | URL | 56 | 16 | 7 | 8 | | | 23 | |
| Total | Total | | | 1,234 | 512 | 201 | 111 | 63 | 8 | 338 | 1 |

## Parties with no elected representation
### Notable registered parties

| Party | Translation | Political position | Ideology |
| Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party | Welsh: Plaid Diddymu Cynulliad Cymru | Single-issue | Welsh Parliament abolition Anti-devolution |
| No More Lockdowns | Welsh: Dim Mwy O Gloi Lawr | N/A | Anti-lockdown |
| Social Democratic Party | | Syncretic | Social democracy Social conservatism Communitarianism Euroscepticism |
| Socialist Party Wales | Welsh: Plaid Sosialaidd Cymru | Far-left | Revolutionary socialism Trotskyism Marxism |
| The Cynon Valley Party | Welsh: Parti Cwm Cynon | N/A | Localism |
| Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) | | Left-wing to far-left | Socialism Trade unionism |
| UK Independence Party | Welsh: Plaid Annibyniaeth y DU | Right-wing to far-right | Euroscepticism Right-wing populism National conservatism Economic liberalism British nationalism |
| Welsh Christian Party | Welsh: Plaid Gristnogol Cymru | Right-wing | Christian right Social conservatism British unionism Euroscepticism |
| Communist Party of Britain | Welsh: Plaid Gomiwnyddol Prydain | Far-left | Communism Marxism–Leninism |
| Women's Equality Party | Welsh: Plaid Cydraddoldeb Merched | | Feminism Pro-Europeanism |

## Defunct parties

* South Wales Socialist Society (1911–1920) - amalgamated with the Communist Party of Great Britain in the 1920s.
* Communist Party of South Wales and the West of England (1920) - set up by those who opposed amalgamation with the Communist Party of Great Britain
* Welsh Republican Movement (1949–1966) - most members either returned to Plaid Cymru or joined the Labour Party
* Welsh Socialist Republican Movement (1979–1986) - succeeded as a political party in 1986 by Cymru Goch, however it still exists as a publication
* Cymru Goch (1986–2003) - evolved into Forward Wales.
* Democratic Alliance of Wales (1999–2008)
* John Marek Independent Party (2003) - short lived party which became Forward Wales.
* Forward Wales (2003–2010)
* Blaenau Gwent People's Voice Group (2005–2010) - party set-up in Blaenau Gwent. Its leader, Dai Davies, retired from politics and the party disbanded.
* Putting Llanelli First (2011–2016) - Siân Caiach (now a councillor for Gwlad) ran for the party in the Welsh Assembly seat of Llanelli in 2011 and 2016.
* Respect - The Unity Coalition (2004–2016) - a party established by Salma Yaqoob and George Monbiot and built out of the Stop the War Coalition, its most notable candidate was George Galloway
* Welsh Socialist Alliance (1999–2016) an alliance between the Socialist Party and Cymru Goch and some independents, which fell apart when the Socialist Party left the grouping