Welsh Labour Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2025-2028
(Developed in accordance with the Elections and Elected Bodies
(Wales) Act 2024 and Welsh Government guidance for political
parties.)
1. Foreword
“Welsh Labour’s strength lies in representing every community
across Wales. We are determined that our party, at every level,
reflects the diversity of the nation we serve. This strategy sets out
our commitment to inclusion, fairness and equality in all that we
do.”
Joe Lock, General Secretary of Welsh Labour
“We have a proud history of ensuring diverse representation in
our party, drawing on the full strength across our movement. In
the next chapter of our story, we must continue to support new
voices and underrepresented groups to come forward in
winnable seats to stand and to win. As leader, I am committed
to pursue this goal at all levels of the party.”
Eluned Morgan,
Leader of Welsh Labour and First Minister
2. Purpose and Context
This strategy sets out Welsh Labour’s approach to improving equality,
diversity and inclusion across our party structures and candidate
representation. It fulfils the requirements under Section 30 of the
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024, which asks registered
political parties to:
• Develop and publish a Diversity & Inclusion Strategy;
• Collect and publish anonymised diversity data about
candidates; and
• Keep the strategy under regular review.
The strategy supports Welsh Labour’s objectives ahead of the 2026
Senedd Election, ensuring we continue to be a representative, modern
and inclusive party.
3. Our Vision
A Welsh Labour that reflects modern Wales by being:
– Representative — Our elected members mirror Wales’s diversity.
– Inclusive — Every member feels respected and valued.
– Accessible — Barriers to participation are identified and removed.
4. Our Commitments
• Remove barriers for under-represented groups in standing for
election, including financial, structural and cultural barriers.
• Collect and publish diversity data for candidates using the Welsh
Government’s standardised survey, ensuring transparency and
accountability.
• Embed inclusivity in candidate selection procedures while remaining
compliant with equalities legislation.
• Promote inclusive campaigning, including accessible, bilingual and
non-stereotypical campaign materials.
• Deliver training for staff, members and candidates on unconscious
bias, equality, diversity and inclusion principles.
• Work towards gender balance, building on our record of
championing women’s representation in Welsh politics.
The strategy is reviewed every two years by the Welsh Executive
Committee (WEC), with input from external experts and under-
represented communities.
5. UK Labour Party
As a party, we are deeply committed to equality, fairness, and social
justice. It is part of our DNA. The Labour Party continually strives to
enhance the opportunities for under-represented individuals from
differing backgrounds, including all the protected characteristics as
defined by law as well as socio-economic background. That is
reflected in the number of national programmes to enhance diversity
and inclusion in the party and the number of other organisations the
Labour party and the Welsh Labour government supports. For
example, the The Jo Cox Women in Leadership Programme – The
Labour Party is an excellent example of the kind of programme that
endeavours to cover a political life from start to finish through training
and networks through training hundreds of women to be future
leaders in the labour movement. It does this through a mix of online
and in-person (including one residential) training events delivered by
experts from Labour Women’s Network; building a diverse and
intersectional network of women from across the country who can
support one another in their future endeavours; developing skills in all
aspects of politics, including as candidates at every level, as
campaigners, organisers, spokespeople, leaders and political
activists; identifying and training talented women from a variety of
backgrounds in all regions and nations; and establishing a pipeline of
talent to diversify the people who stand for election and play leading
roles in the Labour movement and wider public life.
Another example is The Bernie Grant Leadership Programme – The
Labour Party which was established in 2018 to address the under-
representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic representatives at
all levels of the Labour Party. The programme is named in memory of
the late pioneering MP and Haringey Council Leader, Bernie Grant, who
worked hard to encourage a new generation of Black Labour
politicians and leaders.
The current programme targets the under-
representation of Black leaders at all levels of The Labour Party. It runs
for a six-month period, from January 2025 to June 2025 with a
timetable of training sessions that focuses on training candidates to
take up leadership positions in public life and within the wider Labour
movement. That can be for those seeking selection as Labour
candidates, councillors, Mayors or other leadership positions. Training
includes anti-racism, resilience and Black leadership, organising
locally and nationally, digital and doorstep campaigning and
workplace organising, among other themes. One of its aims is to
establish a pipeline of talent to diversify the people who play leading
roles in the Labour movement and wider public life.
LGBT+ Labour campaigns for LGBT+ rights, aiming to ensure the Labour
Party and the trade unions support and act in favour of LGBT+ rights
and encourage members of LGBT+ communities to support the labour
movement. One of the vehicles used to achieve this is around local
democracy and visibility. For example, the Councillors Network – LGBT+
Labour was established in September 2018. The Network exists to
support Labour candidates and councillors who identify as LGBT+, and
to encourage Labour run councils and Labour Groups in opposition to
work towards making their local authorities more LGBT+ inclusive.
Disability Labour is another example within the Labour party It provides
support for disabled Labour members to exercise their full rights within
the party and outside, including standing for public office at all levels.
To this end, Disability Labour – The National Committee of Disabled
Members – Nothing about us without us has a 12-point plan, a
handbook and “It’s our Party – Let us in”. It, inter alia, supports and
endorses disabled members standing for public office and Labour
party positions. It campaigns for inclusion of disabled candidates on
all short lists for local government and parliamentary elections.
These UK-wide campaigns and institutional mechanisms exist in
conjunction and in addition to ones outlined below which are open to
Labour party members living in Wales.
6. Senedd Candidates
Welsh Labour recognises the importance of ensuring our candidates,
representatives, and structures reflect the diversity of Wales. This
guidance is a vital step – not only in providing greater transparency
for electors around candidate selection, but in helping to drive the
change needed to deliver a Senedd that more fully reflects and
represents the people of Wales. Welsh Labour has a strong history of
selecting and electing women to the Welsh Assembly and Senedd. We
were the first Assembly/Parliament in the world to reach gender parity
because of the positive measures put in place to create an
environment in which women could stand in winnable seats and the
party invested in their candidacies. This included twinning seats and
all women-short lists. These measures do work to diversify the
composition of the political arena and are to utilised by the party when
lawful.
7. The current make-up of the Senedd
There are currently 10 Senedd Labour members who speak Welsh or
are Welsh learners – 1/3 of the Labour group. The Cymdeithas Cledwyn
group in the party encourages speaking Welsh. The proportion of
women to men is 17 women and 12 men. There is more work to be done
and our guidance and policies target those who have protected
characteristics and other underrepresented groups/individuals.
Within the context of the Senedd, there is a Women’s Caucus (cross
party) which supports women members that holds regular meetings
for its members discussing their experiences and the business of the
Senedd. The Welsh Labour Government financially supports Women’s
Equality Network – WenWales’ Diverse5050 coalition. It was set up in
2021 and is led by a Steering Group including Electoral Reform Society
Cymru, Race Council Cymru, EYST Wales (Ethnic Youth Support Team),
Age Cymru, Stonewall Cymru, Disability Wales, National Union of
Students (NUS) Cymru, Carers Wales and Fair Treatment for the
Women of Wales (FTWW). Its aim is to ensure that Wales’ political
institutions are ‘gender balanced, with meaningful representation
from people with protected characteristics and from marginalised
communities.’ To this end, the coalition has run several mentoring
programmes which have won awards and produced a hugely
informative Diverse and Equal Representation Toolkit – Womens
Equality Network Wales filled with useful information that has been
utilised by Welsh Labour to inform its diversity and inclusion policy.
Equal Power Equal Voice is a mentoring programme covering all
protected characteristics and is part-funded by the Welsh Labour
Government. It provides training for candidates and pairs both
formally and informally prospective candidates from different parties
with Senedd members as well as other elected representatives.
Thirteen years ago, Welsh Labour Women passed a Charter for
Women that outlined the steps Labour women felt were needed for
higher visibility and diversity in representational positions. Many
events have taken place within Welsh labour, including at several
Welsh Labour conferences and day events to progress the proposals
in the Charter. Many have been successfully included in the Rule Book
and practices in constituency labour parties.
8. Specific Measures for the Next Senedd Election
8.1 Legal Compliance and Gender Representation
Under Section 104 of the Equality Act 2010, directly or indirectly
discriminatory selection procedures (e.g. all-women shortlists or
zipping women ahead of men) can only be used where proportionate
and necessary to address an existing inequality. The current Welsh
Labour Senedd group comprises 16 women and 9 men; women are
therefore not under-represented relative to men. Measures such as
zipping or all-women shortlists would be unlawful under Section 104
and cannot be applied in this context. Nevertheless, Welsh Labour
remains committed to maintaining gender balance and preventing
regression.
8.2 Alternative Gender Equality Approaches
• Implement voluntary targets for gender representation.
• Expand leadership development and mentoring programmes
for women and under-represented groups.
• Provide additional support and visibility opportunities for
emerging women leaders.
8.3 Candidate Support and Accessibility
• Provide financial and logistical support for disabled candidates
and those with caring responsibilities.
• Ensure fully accessible campaign activity (venues, formats,
digital accessibility).
• Offer inclusive campaign training for local organisers and
agents.
8.4 Mentorship and Development
• Expand mentorship networks linking new candidates with
experienced representatives.
• Deliver leadership and resilience training for under-represented
groups.
• Establish peer support networks within regions and CLPs.
8.5 Data Transparency
• Collect and publish anonymised diversity data for all approved
and selected candidates.
• Analyse trends annually and share publicly in line with Welsh
Government reporting frameworks.
8.6 Inclusive Campaigning and Culture Change
• Ensure campaign materials are bilingual, accessible, and
representative of Wales.
• Deliver mandatory unconscious-bias and inclusive-practice
training for staff and candidates.
• Reinforce Labour values of respect, fairness and representation
throughout all party activity.
9. Governance and Accountability
The Lead Officer for governance and accountability is the General
Secretary of Welsh Labour. Oversight of the governance and
accountability is with the Welsh Executive Committee (WEC) Equality
Sub-Committee.
There is external input by the D&I Advisory Panel of independent
experts and under-represented communities.
Reporting: Annual progress report to the WEC and public publication
each autumn. Review cycle: Comprehensive review takes place every
two years (2027 and 2029).
10. Accessibility and Language Commitment
All strategy materials and training resources will be available in Welsh
and English. Party events and selection processes will be fully
accessible. Welsh Labour will actively promote the use of the Welsh
language in campaigning and member development.
11. Next Steps and Ongoing Work
Welsh Labour is taking proactive steps to encourage diverse and
equal representation at the next Senedd election, including:
• Finalising baseline data collection (Q2 2025).
• Publishing the updated D&I Strategy by Autumn 2025.
• Launching candidate support schemes and mentorship
programme (Pathways to Power Cymru).
• Publishing diversity data for Senedd 2026 candidates (Spring
2026).
• Producing the first Annual Diversity Progress Report (Autumn
2026).
• Candidate Support Schemes: Providing practical support for
disabled candidates and those with caring responsibilities,
including financial and logistical assistance.
• Mentorship and Development: Expanding mentorship and
leadership development opportunities for candidates from
underrepresented groups.
• Data Transparency: Collecting and publishing anonymised
diversity data for candidates to monitor progress and identify
areas for further action.
• Inclusive Campaigning: Ensuring all campaign materials are
bilingual, accessible, and representative of the communities we
seek to serve.
• Training and Culture Change: Delivering training on unconscious
bias and inclusive practices to staff, members, and candidates.
12. Review and re-fresh
Our strategy is reviewed every two years by the Welsh Executive
Committee, with input from external experts and underrepresented
communities, to ensure it remains responsive to emerging challenges.
The re-fresh takes into account of the success or otherwise of previous
policies and guidance.
Welsh Labour is committed to building on all the work, and delivering
a more inclusive and representative democracy, ensuring that our
party structures, processes, and elected representatives reflect the
diversity of Wales. Its aim is to be as inclusive as possible within the
parameters of the law and reflective of Welsh society. That is in line
with the Welsh Labour government’s Anti-Racist Action Plan, LGBTQ+
Action Plan and draft Disabled People’s Rights Plan and also includes
socio-economic background and language. To this end, we have
published and are implementing the diversity and inclusion policy
outlined below.
13. Timeframe
Welsh Labour has been pursuing all and/or a combination of the
above measures for several years, over several election cycles. These
have resulted in a 17/12 women to men ratio and ten Welsh learners
and speakers and some disabled members in the current Parliament.
Within the Labour Group, there is an ongoing organized schedule of
training supporting people with protected characteristics. Efforts to
retain and expand inclusion and diversity continue.
14. The Legal and governance framework
There are strict laws that political parties are obligated to follow.
Section 104 Equality Act 2010 provides that directly or indirectly
discriminatory selection procedures (such as all-women shortlists or
zipping women ahead of men on a list) can only be used where they
are proportionate and necessary to reduce an existing inequality in
the Party’s representation in the elected body.
The current Welsh Labour group in the Senedd is composed of 17
women and 12 men. On that basis, women are not underrepresented
relative to men, meaning measures such as zipping a woman to a
higher list position ahead of a man would be indirectly discriminatory
and not permitted under Section 104. While we have explored the use
of all-women shortlists and similar proactive mechanisms, we cannot
lawfully apply them for the forthcoming election.
Section 106 of the Equality Act 2010, when commenced, will place a
duty on all political parties to publish data on the diversity of their
candidates. Our guidance supports parties in Wales to establish this
process ahead of it becoming a legal requirement.
The governance of the strategy remains with the General Secretary of
Welsh Labour, with an oversight from the Welsh Executive Committee
(WEC) Equality Sub-Committee.
Externally, input will be from the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Panel of
independent experts and under-represented communities. There will
be an Annual progress report to the WEC and public publication each
autumn. Additionally, there will be a Comprehensive review every two
years (2027 and 2029).
As the Labour Party is finalising its selections for Senedd candidates it
is clear that a great deal more work is needed within the party to
change the culture and to encourage people to act in accordance
with the values that we hold when it comes to selections.
16. Welsh Labour Government support
The Welsh Labour government has funded in part or in whole several
initiatives as part of its Programme for Government and commitment
to diversify representation in public life. There are numerous, some
examples are included below. They are open to persons regardless of
which party they wish to stand for. Welsh Labour draws attention to
these opportunities for those who are considering standing as Labour
candidates.
Welsh Government published Diversity and Inclusion Guidance for
Registered Political Parties in Wales on 31 March.
Diverse5050 toolkit
On 1 May 2025, Diverse5050 launched their Diverse and Equal
Representation Toolkit.
The Diverse 5050 toolkit was informed by the Scottish Equal
Representation in Politics Toolkit developed for political parties in
Scotland. Diverse5050 were given permission to use the Scottish
materials as the basis for parts of the Welsh toolkit.
The toolkit comprises three areas covering different aspects of party
life and candidates’ journey towards elected office:
– Party culture
– Attracting and identifying diverse talent
– Nurturing and supporting diverse talent
The toolkit is used alongside the Welsh Government’s diversity and
inclusion guidance for registered political parties.
The toolkit is very much focused on the ‘how’ in terms of what parties
can do. For example, to set the right culture within their organisations;
in relation to training for staff and members; how they can hold
inclusive and accessible events; how to deal with cases of
discrimination, bullying, harassment and hate crime; how to reach out
to underrepresented communities and how to plan their candidate
assessment processes.
Pilot Candidate Diversity Grant
A Candidate Diversity Grant is being piloted which provides funding
to organisations who provide services which support candidates from
underrepresented groups to stand in devolved elections.
The pilot scheme opened on 26 September 2025 and closed on 24
October 2025, with officials currently assessing the applications
received. Organisations applied for funding by completing an
application setting out the aims of their project, how they align with
the scheme’s aims, the services they will provide and to whom, and
how much funding they require.
Under section 27 of the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024
(EEB Act), Welsh Ministers have a duty to make arrangements for the
provision of services to promote diversity in the protected
characteristics and socio-economic circumstances of persons
seeking elected office in devolved elections. The EEB Act provides that
such services may include the provision of information, advice,
training, coaching/mentoring, work experience, equipment, and
assistance with tasks. This could involve providing individuals with
financial support directly, or by providing financial assistance to third
parties who provide these services.
The pilot Candidate Diversity Grant is the start of a programme of work
exploring potential options to move forward with meeting the duties
under section 27. The pilot is operated and administered using the
framework that has already been put in place to operate and
administer the Democratic Engagement Grant (DEG). The scheme is
open to third sector organisations working in Wales (or proposing to
work in Wales using grant funding) and is aimed at both the 2026
Senedd election and the 2027 local government elections, providing
services to current and potential candidates.
Access to Elected Office Fund
The Access to Elected Office Fund, operated by Disability Wales,
opened in September 2025. It aims to remove barriers and promote
equal opportunity for disabled candidates at devolved elections
through the provision of financial assistance. Disabled candidates
often face additional, unavoidable costs—such as accessible
transport, specialist equipment, or personal support and this scheme
includes:
• Help identifying necessary support.
• Assistance with completing applications.
• Fair assessment of requests to ensure equity.
• Provision of approved funding or services.
The fund provides financial support for disabled candidates with
impairment-related costs and includes funding for British Sign
Language (BSL) interpreters, personal assistants, accessible transport,
and assistive technology. The fund is funded by Welsh Government
and operated by Disability Wales, ensuring the scheme is
administered independently with impartiality and confidentiality. It
provides applicants with comprehensive support, from identifying
needs to funding approved adjustments. The scheme will assist
candidates throughout the election period—from nomination to the
announcement of results.
The scheme follows the social model of disability, which focuses on
removing barriers rather than defining limitations. The medical model
of disability focuses on an individual’s condition or diagnosis, viewing
disability as a health issue to be treated, corrected, or managed. It
tends to define people by their impairments and assumes that
challenges arise primarily from the condition itself. In contrast, the
social model recognises that people may live with physical, sensory,
mental, or cognitive differences—but it is the environment, societal
attitudes, and systemic barriers that disable them. Importantly in this
model, the problem is not the person but the lack of accessibility,
inclusion, and equality in the world around them. The social model
encourages people to see disability as a matter of rights and justice,
challenging everyone to remove the barriers that prevent full
participation and belonging.
The fund fulfills the Welsh Ministers’ duty under the Elections and
Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 to provide for a scheme of financial
assistance to help candidates in a Welsh election overcome barriers
to participation.
Access to Politics Grassroots Network & Charter for Political Parties
The Access to Politics Grassroots Network is funded by the Welsh
Government and is being delivered by Disability Wales.
The aim of the network is to provide disabled people interested in
participating in democracy with an opportunity to discuss the role of
elected members. Through network meetings it provides a forum for
members to explore what would be expected of them, how they are
able to influence policy and delivery of services and what is expected.
The Network has also been co-producing a charter for political parties.
Jo Cox Civility Commission
The Jo Cox Civility Commission is preparing to publish a renewed Call
to Action in early 2026, building on its initial 2024 report. This will
present a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at tackling
abuse and intimidation in politics across Scotland, Wales, and
Northern Ireland.
In the final report, the Commission intends to organise the
recommendations both thematically and by geographic location,
including updates to previously issued UK-wide proposals. Alongside
the recommendations, the report will highlight examples of good
practice and contributions from across the devolved nations.
In internal selection processes, the importance of diversity and
inclusion have been emphasised as follows:
• Prior to events, participants are reminded that no questions can
be asked on financial means of support, or referencing any
candidates’ protected personal characteristics under the
Equality Act: age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and
civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or
belief; sex; and sexual orientation, shall be permitted. Neither
should there be any questions about a candidate’s domestic
circumstances, nor any pertaining to the candidate’s or the
constituency party’s financial arrangements or possible support
for the constituency from affiliated organisations.
The selection procedures remind everyone involved that “The party is
keen to ensure that our candidates are diverse and representative of
the communities in which they will campaign and perhaps go on to
represent; that “Questions must not be asked on financial means or
support, religion, or of a racist, sexist, homophobic or anti-disabled
nature”, “Be flexible with your expectations – candidates with caring
responsibilities, for example, may not have work-related or trade union
experience, but may be active in the community.” It also suggests that
the commitment of candidates to equal opportunities should be
evidenced – “work in which candidates have been involved could
focus on race, gender, disability, sexuality, economic equality, or any
work which increases the opportunity or influence of under-
represented or disadvantaged groups in society.”
Additionally, when the Senedd was established, it incorporated child-
friendly practices, including terms that coincided with school holidays,
in order to attract those individuals with family responsibilities, often
women.
Conclusion
The combination of all these initiatives constitutes an important
element in progressing diversity and inclusion in the party. There is a
long way to go, and we will continue to harness all the levers at our
disposal to fulfil our aim to make the party and our political institutions
more reflective of Welsh society. This is particularly important in light
of the current political climate which has made standing for political
office a major challenge, especially for those with protected
characteristics. Online harassment and intimidation, misinformation
and disinformation are prevalent and are putting women (in
particular) off even considering to stand. The new Senedd will have 96
members, elected by a new electoral system, with new voters (16–17-
year-olds): this has the potential to make a material difference to who
is returned to the Senedd in May 2026.
The direction of travel is not linear and we must stay very vigilant that we as a party retain diversity
and inclusion alongside equality and fairness at the heart of all we do.
1. Foreword
“Welsh Labour’s strength lies in representing every community across Wales. We are determined that our party, at every level, reflects the diversity of the nation we serve. This strategy sets out our commitment to inclusion, fairness and equality in all that we do.”
Joe Lock, General Secretary of Welsh Labour
“We have a proud history of ensuring diverse representation in our party, drawing on the full strength across our movement. In the next chapter of our story, we must continue to support new voices and underrepresented groups to come forward in winnable seats to stand and to win. As leader, I am committed to pursue this goal at all levels of the party.”
Eluned Morgan, Leader of Welsh Labour and First Minister
2. Purpose and Context
This strategy sets out Welsh Labour’s approach to improving equality, diversity and inclusion across our party structures and candidate representation. It fulfils the requirements under Section 30 of the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024, which asks registered political parties to:
• Develop and publish a Diversity & Inclusion Strategy; • Collect and publish anonymised diversity data about candidates; and • Keep the strategy under regular review.
The strategy supports Welsh Labour’s objectives ahead of the 2026 Senedd Election, ensuring we continue to be a representative, modern and inclusive party.
3. Our Vision
A Welsh Labour that reflects modern Wales by being: – Representative — Our elected members mirror Wales’s diversity. – Inclusive — Every member feels respected and valued. – Accessible — Barriers to participation are identified and removed.
4. Our Commitments
• Remove barriers for under-represented groups in standing for election, including financial, structural and cultural barriers. • Collect and publish diversity data for candidates using the Welsh Government’s standardised survey, ensuring transparency and accountability. • Embed inclusivity in candidate selection procedures while remaining compliant with equalities legislation. • Promote inclusive campaigning, including accessible, bilingual and non-stereotypical campaign materials. • Deliver training for staff, members and candidates on unconscious bias, equality, diversity and inclusion principles. • Work towards gender balance, building on our record of championing women’s representation in Welsh politics.
The strategy is reviewed every two years by the Welsh Executive Committee (WEC), with input from external experts and under- represented communities.
5. UK Labour Party
As a party, we are deeply committed to equality, fairness, and social justice. It is part of our DNA. The Labour Party continually strives to enhance the opportunities for under-represented individuals from differing backgrounds, including all the protected characteristics as defined by law as well as socio-economic background. That is reflected in the number of national programmes to enhance diversity and inclusion in the party and the number of other organisations the Labour party and the Welsh Labour government supports. For example, the The Jo Cox Women in Leadership Programme – The Labour Party is an excellent example of the kind of programme that endeavours to cover a political life from start to finish through training and networks through training hundreds of women to be future leaders in the labour movement. It does this through a mix of online and in-person (including one residential) training events delivered by experts from Labour Women’s Network; building a diverse and intersectional network of women from across the country who can support one another in their future endeavours; developing skills in all aspects of politics, including as candidates at every level, as campaigners, organisers, spokespeople, leaders and political activists; identifying and training talented women from a variety of backgrounds in all regions and nations; and establishing a pipeline of talent to diversify the people who stand for election and play leading roles in the Labour movement and wider public life.
Another example is The Bernie Grant Leadership Programme – The Labour Party which was established in 2018 to address the under- representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic representatives at all levels of the Labour Party. The programme is named in memory of the late pioneering MP and Haringey Council Leader, Bernie Grant, who worked hard to encourage a new generation of Black Labour politicians and leaders.
The current programme targets the under- representation of Black leaders at all levels of The Labour Party. It runs for a six-month period, from January 2025 to June 2025 with a timetable of training sessions that focuses on training candidates to take up leadership positions in public life and within the wider Labour movement. That can be for those seeking selection as Labour candidates, councillors, Mayors or other leadership positions. Training includes anti-racism, resilience and Black leadership, organising locally and nationally, digital and doorstep campaigning and workplace organising, among other themes. One of its aims is to establish a pipeline of talent to diversify the people who play leading roles in the Labour movement and wider public life.
LGBT+ Labour campaigns for LGBT+ rights, aiming to ensure the Labour Party and the trade unions support and act in favour of LGBT+ rights and encourage members of LGBT+ communities to support the labour movement. One of the vehicles used to achieve this is around local democracy and visibility. For example, the Councillors Network – LGBT+ Labour was established in September 2018. The Network exists to support Labour candidates and councillors who identify as LGBT+, and to encourage Labour run councils and Labour Groups in opposition to work towards making their local authorities more LGBT+ inclusive. Disability Labour is another example within the Labour party It provides support for disabled Labour members to exercise their full rights within the party and outside, including standing for public office at all levels. To this end, Disability Labour – The National Committee of Disabled Members – Nothing about us without us has a 12-point plan, a handbook and “It’s our Party – Let us in”. It, inter alia, supports and endorses disabled members standing for public office and Labour party positions. It campaigns for inclusion of disabled candidates on all short lists for local government and parliamentary elections. These UK-wide campaigns and institutional mechanisms exist in conjunction and in addition to ones outlined below which are open to Labour party members living in Wales.
6. Senedd Candidates
Welsh Labour recognises the importance of ensuring our candidates, representatives, and structures reflect the diversity of Wales. This guidance is a vital step – not only in providing greater transparency for electors around candidate selection, but in helping to drive the change needed to deliver a Senedd that more fully reflects and represents the people of Wales. Welsh Labour has a strong history of selecting and electing women to the Welsh Assembly and Senedd. We were the first Assembly/Parliament in the world to reach gender parity because of the positive measures put in place to create an environment in which women could stand in winnable seats and the party invested in their candidacies. This included twinning seats and all women-short lists. These measures do work to diversify the composition of the political arena and are to utilised by the party when lawful.
7. The current make-up of the Senedd
There are currently 10 Senedd Labour members who speak Welsh or are Welsh learners – 1/3 of the Labour group. The Cymdeithas Cledwyn group in the party encourages speaking Welsh. The proportion of women to men is 17 women and 12 men. There is more work to be done and our guidance and policies target those who have protected characteristics and other underrepresented groups/individuals. Within the context of the Senedd, there is a Women’s Caucus (cross party) which supports women members that holds regular meetings for its members discussing their experiences and the business of the Senedd. The Welsh Labour Government financially supports Women’s Equality Network – WenWales’ Diverse5050 coalition. It was set up in 2021 and is led by a Steering Group including Electoral Reform Society Cymru, Race Council Cymru, EYST Wales (Ethnic Youth Support Team), Age Cymru, Stonewall Cymru, Disability Wales, National Union of Students (NUS) Cymru, Carers Wales and Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales (FTWW). Its aim is to ensure that Wales’ political institutions are ‘gender balanced, with meaningful representation from people with protected characteristics and from marginalised communities.’ To this end, the coalition has run several mentoring programmes which have won awards and produced a hugely informative Diverse and Equal Representation Toolkit – Womens Equality Network Wales filled with useful information that has been utilised by Welsh Labour to inform its diversity and inclusion policy. Equal Power Equal Voice is a mentoring programme covering all protected characteristics and is part-funded by the Welsh Labour Government. It provides training for candidates and pairs both formally and informally prospective candidates from different parties with Senedd members as well as other elected representatives. Thirteen years ago, Welsh Labour Women passed a Charter for Women that outlined the steps Labour women felt were needed for higher visibility and diversity in representational positions. Many events have taken place within Welsh labour, including at several Welsh Labour conferences and day events to progress the proposals in the Charter. Many have been successfully included in the Rule Book and practices in constituency labour parties.
8. Specific Measures for the Next Senedd Election
8.1 Legal Compliance and Gender Representation Under Section 104 of the Equality Act 2010, directly or indirectly discriminatory selection procedures (e.g. all-women shortlists or zipping women ahead of men) can only be used where proportionate and necessary to address an existing inequality. The current Welsh Labour Senedd group comprises 16 women and 9 men; women are therefore not under-represented relative to men. Measures such as zipping or all-women shortlists would be unlawful under Section 104 and cannot be applied in this context. Nevertheless, Welsh Labour remains committed to maintaining gender balance and preventing regression.
8.2 Alternative Gender Equality Approaches • Implement voluntary targets for gender representation. • Expand leadership development and mentoring programmes for women and under-represented groups. • Provide additional support and visibility opportunities for emerging women leaders.
8.3 Candidate Support and Accessibility • Provide financial and logistical support for disabled candidates and those with caring responsibilities. • Ensure fully accessible campaign activity (venues, formats, digital accessibility). • Offer inclusive campaign training for local organisers and agents.
8.4 Mentorship and Development • Expand mentorship networks linking new candidates with experienced representatives. • Deliver leadership and resilience training for under-represented groups. • Establish peer support networks within regions and CLPs.
8.5 Data Transparency • Collect and publish anonymised diversity data for all approved and selected candidates. • Analyse trends annually and share publicly in line with Welsh Government reporting frameworks.
8.6 Inclusive Campaigning and Culture Change • Ensure campaign materials are bilingual, accessible, and representative of Wales. • Deliver mandatory unconscious-bias and inclusive-practice training for staff and candidates. • Reinforce Labour values of respect, fairness and representation throughout all party activity.
9. Governance and Accountability
The Lead Officer for governance and accountability is the General Secretary of Welsh Labour. Oversight of the governance and accountability is with the Welsh Executive Committee (WEC) Equality Sub-Committee.
There is external input by the D&I Advisory Panel of independent experts and under-represented communities. Reporting: Annual progress report to the WEC and public publication each autumn. Review cycle: Comprehensive review takes place every two years (2027 and 2029).
10. Accessibility and Language Commitment
All strategy materials and training resources will be available in Welsh and English. Party events and selection processes will be fully accessible. Welsh Labour will actively promote the use of the Welsh language in campaigning and member development.
11. Next Steps and Ongoing Work
Welsh Labour is taking proactive steps to encourage diverse and equal representation at the next Senedd election, including: • Finalising baseline data collection (Q2 2025). • Publishing the updated D&I Strategy by Autumn 2025. • Launching candidate support schemes and mentorship programme (Pathways to Power Cymru). • Publishing diversity data for Senedd 2026 candidates (Spring 2026). • Producing the first Annual Diversity Progress Report (Autumn 2026). • Candidate Support Schemes: Providing practical support for disabled candidates and those with caring responsibilities, including financial and logistical assistance. • Mentorship and Development: Expanding mentorship and leadership development opportunities for candidates from underrepresented groups. • Data Transparency: Collecting and publishing anonymised diversity data for candidates to monitor progress and identify areas for further action.
• Inclusive Campaigning: Ensuring all campaign materials are bilingual, accessible, and representative of the communities we seek to serve. • Training and Culture Change: Delivering training on unconscious bias and inclusive practices to staff, members, and candidates.
12. Review and re-fresh
Our strategy is reviewed every two years by the Welsh Executive Committee, with input from external experts and underrepresented communities, to ensure it remains responsive to emerging challenges. The re-fresh takes into account of the success or otherwise of previous policies and guidance.
Welsh Labour is committed to building on all the work, and delivering a more inclusive and representative democracy, ensuring that our party structures, processes, and elected representatives reflect the diversity of Wales. Its aim is to be as inclusive as possible within the parameters of the law and reflective of Welsh society. That is in line with the Welsh Labour government’s Anti-Racist Action Plan, LGBTQ+ Action Plan and draft Disabled People’s Rights Plan and also includes socio-economic background and language. To this end, we have published and are implementing the diversity and inclusion policy outlined below.
13. Timeframe
Welsh Labour has been pursuing all and/or a combination of the above measures for several years, over several election cycles. These have resulted in a 17/12 women to men ratio and ten Welsh learners and speakers and some disabled members in the current Parliament. Within the Labour Group, there is an ongoing organized schedule of training supporting people with protected characteristics. Efforts to retain and expand inclusion and diversity continue.
14. The Legal and governance framework
There are strict laws that political parties are obligated to follow. Section 104 Equality Act 2010 provides that directly or indirectly discriminatory selection procedures (such as all-women shortlists or zipping women ahead of men on a list) can only be used where they are proportionate and necessary to reduce an existing inequality in the Party’s representation in the elected body.
The current Welsh Labour group in the Senedd is composed of 17 women and 12 men. On that basis, women are not underrepresented relative to men, meaning measures such as zipping a woman to a higher list position ahead of a man would be indirectly discriminatory and not permitted under Section 104. While we have explored the use of all-women shortlists and similar proactive mechanisms, we cannot lawfully apply them for the forthcoming election.
Section 106 of the Equality Act 2010, when commenced, will place a duty on all political parties to publish data on the diversity of their candidates. Our guidance supports parties in Wales to establish this process ahead of it becoming a legal requirement.
The governance of the strategy remains with the General Secretary of Welsh Labour, with an oversight from the Welsh Executive Committee (WEC) Equality Sub-Committee.
Externally, input will be from the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Panel of independent experts and under-represented communities. There will be an Annual progress report to the WEC and public publication each autumn. Additionally, there will be a Comprehensive review every two years (2027 and 2029).
As the Labour Party is finalising its selections for Senedd candidates it is clear that a great deal more work is needed within the party to change the culture and to encourage people to act in accordance with the values that we hold when it comes to selections.
16. Welsh Labour Government support
The Welsh Labour government has funded in part or in whole several initiatives as part of its Programme for Government and commitment to diversify representation in public life. There are numerous, some examples are included below. They are open to persons regardless of which party they wish to stand for. Welsh Labour draws attention to these opportunities for those who are considering standing as Labour candidates.
Welsh Government published Diversity and Inclusion Guidance for Registered Political Parties in Wales on 31 March. Diverse5050 toolkit On 1 May 2025, Diverse5050 launched their Diverse and Equal Representation Toolkit. The Diverse 5050 toolkit was informed by the Scottish Equal Representation in Politics Toolkit developed for political parties in Scotland. Diverse5050 were given permission to use the Scottish materials as the basis for parts of the Welsh toolkit.
The toolkit comprises three areas covering different aspects of party life and candidates’ journey towards elected office: – Party culture – Attracting and identifying diverse talent – Nurturing and supporting diverse talent The toolkit is used alongside the Welsh Government’s diversity and inclusion guidance for registered political parties. The toolkit is very much focused on the ‘how’ in terms of what parties can do. For example, to set the right culture within their organisations; in relation to training for staff and members; how they can hold inclusive and accessible events; how to deal with cases of discrimination, bullying, harassment and hate crime; how to reach out to underrepresented communities and how to plan their candidate assessment processes.
Pilot Candidate Diversity Grant
A Candidate Diversity Grant is being piloted which provides funding to organisations who provide services which support candidates from underrepresented groups to stand in devolved elections. The pilot scheme opened on 26 September 2025 and closed on 24 October 2025, with officials currently assessing the applications received. Organisations applied for funding by completing an application setting out the aims of their project, how they align with the scheme’s aims, the services they will provide and to whom, and how much funding they require.
Under section 27 of the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 (EEB Act), Welsh Ministers have a duty to make arrangements for the provision of services to promote diversity in the protected characteristics and socio-economic circumstances of persons seeking elected office in devolved elections. The EEB Act provides that such services may include the provision of information, advice, training, coaching/mentoring, work experience, equipment, and assistance with tasks. This could involve providing individuals with financial support directly, or by providing financial assistance to third parties who provide these services.
The pilot Candidate Diversity Grant is the start of a programme of work exploring potential options to move forward with meeting the duties under section 27. The pilot is operated and administered using the framework that has already been put in place to operate and administer the Democratic Engagement Grant (DEG). The scheme is open to third sector organisations working in Wales (or proposing to work in Wales using grant funding) and is aimed at both the 2026 Senedd election and the 2027 local government elections, providing services to current and potential candidates.
Access to Elected Office Fund
The Access to Elected Office Fund, operated by Disability Wales, opened in September 2025. It aims to remove barriers and promote equal opportunity for disabled candidates at devolved elections through the provision of financial assistance. Disabled candidates often face additional, unavoidable costs—such as accessible transport, specialist equipment, or personal support and this scheme includes: • Help identifying necessary support. • Assistance with completing applications. • Fair assessment of requests to ensure equity. • Provision of approved funding or services. The fund provides financial support for disabled candidates with impairment-related costs and includes funding for British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters, personal assistants, accessible transport, and assistive technology. The fund is funded by Welsh Government and operated by Disability Wales, ensuring the scheme is administered independently with impartiality and confidentiality. It provides applicants with comprehensive support, from identifying needs to funding approved adjustments. The scheme will assist candidates throughout the election period—from nomination to the announcement of results.
The scheme follows the social model of disability, which focuses on removing barriers rather than defining limitations. The medical model of disability focuses on an individual’s condition or diagnosis, viewing disability as a health issue to be treated, corrected, or managed. It tends to define people by their impairments and assumes that challenges arise primarily from the condition itself. In contrast, the social model recognises that people may live with physical, sensory, mental, or cognitive differences—but it is the environment, societal attitudes, and systemic barriers that disable them. Importantly in this model, the problem is not the person but the lack of accessibility, inclusion, and equality in the world around them. The social model encourages people to see disability as a matter of rights and justice, challenging everyone to remove the barriers that prevent full participation and belonging.
The fund fulfills the Welsh Ministers’ duty under the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 to provide for a scheme of financial assistance to help candidates in a Welsh election overcome barriers to participation.
Access to Politics Grassroots Network & Charter for Political Parties The Access to Politics Grassroots Network is funded by the Welsh Government and is being delivered by Disability Wales. The aim of the network is to provide disabled people interested in participating in democracy with an opportunity to discuss the role of elected members. Through network meetings it provides a forum for members to explore what would be expected of them, how they are able to influence policy and delivery of services and what is expected. The Network has also been co-producing a charter for political parties.
Jo Cox Civility Commission
The Jo Cox Civility Commission is preparing to publish a renewed Call to Action in early 2026, building on its initial 2024 report. This will present a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at tackling abuse and intimidation in politics across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
In the final report, the Commission intends to organise the recommendations both thematically and by geographic location, including updates to previously issued UK-wide proposals. Alongside the recommendations, the report will highlight examples of good practice and contributions from across the devolved nations. In internal selection processes, the importance of diversity and inclusion have been emphasised as follows: • Prior to events, participants are reminded that no questions can be asked on financial means of support, or referencing any candidates’ protected personal characteristics under the Equality Act: age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; and sexual orientation, shall be permitted. Neither should there be any questions about a candidate’s domestic circumstances, nor any pertaining to the candidate’s or the constituency party’s financial arrangements or possible support for the constituency from affiliated organisations. The selection procedures remind everyone involved that “The party is keen to ensure that our candidates are diverse and representative of the communities in which they will campaign and perhaps go on to represent; that “Questions must not be asked on financial means or support, religion, or of a racist, sexist, homophobic or anti-disabled nature”, “Be flexible with your expectations – candidates with caring responsibilities, for example, may not have work-related or trade union experience, but may be active in the community.” It also suggests that the commitment of candidates to equal opportunities should be evidenced – “work in which candidates have been involved could focus on race, gender, disability, sexuality, economic equality, or any work which increases the opportunity or influence of under- represented or disadvantaged groups in society.” Additionally, when the Senedd was established, it incorporated child- friendly practices, including terms that coincided with school holidays, in order to attract those individuals with family responsibilities, often women.
Conclusion
The combination of all these initiatives constitutes an important element in progressing diversity and inclusion in the party. There is a long way to go, and we will continue to harness all the levers at our disposal to fulfil our aim to make the party and our political institutions more reflective of Welsh society. This is particularly important in light of the current political climate which has made standing for political office a major challenge, especially for those with protected characteristics. Online harassment and intimidation, misinformation and disinformation are prevalent and are putting women (in particular) off even considering to stand. The new Senedd will have 96 members, elected by a new electoral system, with new voters (16–17- year-olds): this has the potential to make a material difference to who is returned to the Senedd in May 2026.
The direction of travel is not linear and we must stay very vigilant that we as a party retain diversity and inclusion alongside equality and fairness at the heart of all we do.