Liberal Democrats

The former Liberal Party was the dominant political party in Wales for most of the 19th and early 20th centuries, peaking with the election of the only UK Prime Minister of Welsh descent (David Lloyd George). They quickly lost ground to Labour during the 1920s and 1930s following the growth of the trade union movement in industrialised Wales.

The Liberal Democrats were formed in 1988 following a merger between the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). They have traditionally been strongest in rural mid and West Wales, with historic periods of success at the local government level during the 2000s.

The Lib Dems have formed two coalition governments in Wales – both with Labour. The first coalition agreement ran between 2000 and 2003, and the second was when former MS Kirsty Williams was appointed Education Minister during the Sixth Senedd (2016-2021).

The Lib Dems’ popularity took a significant hit following the UK Government coalition with the Conservatives between 2010-2015. They’ve struggled to enjoy any major electoral success in Wales since.

The Liberal Democrat ideology is broadly centrist. They have long been strongly pro-civil liberties, but don’t oppose private business or privatisation. They were supportive of public spending cuts/austerity during their UK Government coalition with the Conservatives, but are not specifically opposed to welfare spending.

They have long put themselves forward as a party of “reformers” – particularly when it comes to how the UK is run as a whole. They are also one of the most pro-EU political parties in the UK, having campaigned heavily in favour of Remain in 2016 and unofficially supporting the UK rejoining the European Union in the future.

While they have often relied on protest votes to win elections, they are anti-populist and generally prefer decisions to be made based on expert opinion and evidence.

The Liberal Democrats are a federal party, meaning the Welsh Liberal Democrats exist in their own right and can make most of their decisions themselves. Coalition agreements with other parties at the Senedd need to be approved by a party conference. The party’s policies are also set at conferences.

The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats can be either an MP or a Member of the Senedd. A leadership election is held within 12 months of an election to the parliament in which the sitting leader is a member.

The party maintains a list of approved candidates. 

The President of the Welsh Liberal Democrats (the highest-ranking party official) chairs an Executive Board made up of dedicated Executive Officers who are responsible for the day-to-day running of the party. Most of the officers are elected by the membership for a three-year term (maximum of 2 terms).

The Liberal Democrats support the devolution of more powers to Wales. They also support the UK moving towards a federal system of government.

The Liberal Democrats oppose Welsh independence.