Welsh language campaigners call on election candidates to commit to learning Welsh

Nation.Cymru Team

Ahead of the Senedd election on 7 May, a Welsh language campaign group has called on candidates to commit to learning and using Welsh if they are elected.

The call follows evidence that the use of Welsh in the Senedd chamber and in Committees has declined between the first full year of the Sixth Senedd (2021/22) and the most recent full year for which figures are available (2024/25).

Through a Freedom of Information request, Cymdeithas Yr Iath has gathered detailed figures on Members’ use of Welsh in their parliamentary work during 2024/25. According to the figures: 55% of Members of the Senedd did not use any Welsh at all when contributing, Welsh-language contributions by leaders of political parties ranged from 32% to 0%, the use of Welsh by party spokespeople on the Senedd floor ranged from 51% to 11%, while the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Welsh Language contributed 30% in Welsh

Out of 60 Members of the Senedd, only three submitted more than half of their written questions in Welsh
Cymdeithas is currently corresponding with Senedd candidates, inviting them to make commitments regarding their personal use of Welsh if elected.

Improve status 

In addition, the movement has concerns that the Senedd Commission, at an institutional level, has not meaningfully planned to improve the status of the Welsh language within the body as the Senedd expands – despite repeated calls from Cymdeithas to prioritise Welsh as part of the preparations.

For example, the Remuneration Board rejected calls to recognise Welsh-language skills as essential requirements for support staff roles for Members of the Senedd and political parties in the Senedd.

Calls to require Members to release staff during working hours for intensive lessons to improve their language skills were also rejected. As a result, an opportunity was lost to guarantee the creation of new Welsh-language workplaces as 36 or more new offices are established, funded by public money.

Job interview

Owain Meirion, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: “This election is the job interview for every Member of the Senedd, and the promises made form the agreement with their employers – the people of Wales. A Senedd of 96 members will look and feel different from those of the past, but unfortunately there are few signs that the visibility of the Welsh-language will be higher under the new system. Indeed, there is a real danger it could worsen.

“We are therefore calling on prospective Members of the Senedd to make specific commitments to conduct their public lives through the medium of Welsh – not only in Senedd sessions and committees, but also in their dealings with constituents.”

Owain Meirion also referred to inconsistencies in the Senedd’s legal requirements regarding Welsh, and suggested that shortcomings in preparation stem from this: “It is also disappointing that the Senedd authorities – and Members themselves – are exempt from the same Welsh-language legal requirements that Members of the Senedd have imposed on the rest of the public sector in Wales.

“We are paying the price for this gap, as the Senedd system is lagging far behind in terms of Welsh. The Government and the next Senedd must act in the early days of the Seventh Senedd to put this right.”

A Welsh Language Commissioner spokesperson said: “As the Senedd Cymru election approaches, we have corresponded with all the candidates asking them to give full consideration to the Welsh language when communicating with their prospective constituents in the pre-election period.

“Following the election, we will contact the successful candidates again to remind them of their responsibilities as elected members with regards the Welsh language.

“We are in discussions with Senedd officials to ensure that the Welsh language is given a prominent place within the organisation as the new Senedd term begins.

“As part of those discussions, we have also agreed that we will be taking part in briefing sessions for Members during the first few weeks.”