Inside the Senedd class of 2026: Younger faces and deep local roots

Mark Mansfield

Wales’ new Senedd is younger, more local and far more politically experienced than the scale of political change might suggest, according to a major study of the Welsh Parliament’s new intake.

Polimapper’s The Senedd Class of ’26 report paints a detailed picture of the 96 politicians elected earlier this month and argues that Wales has undergone its biggest political reset since devolution began in 1999.

The election delivered an unprecedented turnover at Cardiff Bay, with 67 of the 96 Members of the Senedd elected for the first time. But despite the scale of change, many of the newcomers arrive with substantial political and professional experience.

More than half of all MSs have previously served on a local council, almost a quarter have worked as political staffers and more than half grew up in the constituency they now represent.

The findings suggest that while Welsh voters opted for dramatic political change in May, they did not elect an inexperienced legislature.

The new Senedd’s political balance reflects one of the biggest electoral shifts in Welsh political history.

Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party with 43 of 96 seats, giving it 45% of the chamber and its highest level of representation since devolution began. Reform UK entered the Senedd for the first time with 34 seats, equivalent to 35% of members.

Labour was reduced to nine seats, just 9% of the Senedd, while the Conservatives fell to seven seats, their lowest level of representation since 1999. The Greens won two seats and the Liberal Democrats one.

But beyond the headline seat numbers, Polimapper’s analysis suggests the parties have arrived in Cardiff Bay with noticeably different backgrounds and outlooks.

Reform younger

The report found the Senedd is younger than its predecessor.

Around a quarter of MSs are now aged under 40, up from around a fifth following the 2021 election.

Among the two largest parties, however, the age profile diverges.

Polimapper found Reform’s intake to be notably older than Plaid Cymru’s, with around two thirds of Reform MSs aged over 50 compared with around half of Plaid’s group.

Education and professional background also reveal clear differences.

Across the Senedd as a whole, two thirds of members attended university, lower than the House of Commons and Scottish Parliament but still more than double the proportion seen across Welsh society overall.

Higher and further education emerged as the most represented professional sector in the new parliament.

Nineteen MSs had worked in higher or further education at some point in their careers and 15 of those belong to Plaid Cymru, meaning more than a third of Plaid’s group has experience in the sector.

Plaid members also featured strongly in Welsh language backgrounds, with at least eight MSs having worked professionally supporting or promoting the language.

Former Tories

Reform’s intake presents a different profile.

Thirteen of Reform’s 34 MSs – 38% of the group – have previously either stood for election for, or represented, the Conservative Party.

Reform also accounts for all three former full-time armed forces personnel identified in the report and includes several members with business and entrepreneurial backgrounds.

Despite the expansion of regional politics, local identity appears to remain a powerful force in Welsh elections.

The report found that 54% of MSs attended school within the constituency they now represent and 46 have previously been elected to councils serving the same areas. Eight have also served as mayors of their local towns.

The Senedd also became more gender balanced following the election.

Women now account for 46% of members, placing Cardiff Bay ahead of both Westminster and the Scottish Parliament. Representation from non-white ethnic minority backgrounds remained broadly unchanged at 4%.

Rethink

Nathan Coyne, managing director of Polimapper, said the scale of change meant organisations across Wales would need to rethink how they engage with politicians.

He said: “The 2026 Senedd election represents the single biggest political reset Wales has seen since the start of devolution.

“For the growing number of organisations and professionals across Wales whose role involves engaging politically, the political landscape looks very different to the one they knew before May 2026.

“An entirely new political generation is arriving at Cardiff Bay, bringing different backgrounds, experiences and priorities.

“That creates major challenges for organisations seeking to understand, educate and build relationships with Wales’ new decision-makers.

“Knowing that an MS previously chaired a council planning committee, grew up in the constituency they now represent, or spent a career promoting the Welsh language tells you a great deal about where their priorities and instincts are likely to lie.

“That kind of insight is what effective political engagement is built on.”