Reform in the Senedd: Four weeks on

Brenig Davies

Plaid Cymru’s emergence as the largest party was undoubtedly the most important outcome of the 2026 Senedd election.

Reform is the focus of this article for a different reason. Its arrival as the Official Opposition represented one of the most striking changes in Welsh politics and attracted a level of media attention that few newly elected parliamentary groups have experienced.

Four weeks is not long enough to judge whether Reform will become an effective opposition in the Senedd, though it is long enough to form some impressions.

The new Senedd is still finding its feet, and many of the political relationships and routines that shape parliamentary life are only beginning to emerge. It will take considerably longer before the effectiveness of any opposition can be judged with confidence.

Reform entered the new Senedd in a position that is unusual for a new party. It arrived not as a small parliamentary group finding its place, but as a sizeable group forming the Official Opposition.

That brought heightened expectations, greater interest and a level of scrutiny that most new parties do not encounter. From the outset, Reform is likely to be judged by a different standard from smaller opposition groups.

Much of the media coverage has focused on controversies and the challenges of assuming a leading parliamentary role. Five plenary sittings have highlighted the challenges facing Reform’s front bench in adapting to parliamentary life.

The committee system is also still being set up, limiting opportunities for all opposition parties to demonstrate their scrutiny role.

As with any intake of new members, Reform’s group undertook a familiarisation and induction programme. Some media commentary suggested that details of the programme were not widely publicised.

Since the election, it has been difficult to read, watch or listen to Welsh political coverage without encountering the party in some form.

Some of the earliest attention focused on Reform’s approach to parliamentary proceedings. Decisions not to participate in certain early Senedd business generated discussion about how the party intended to work within the institution and whether it would approach established conventions differently from other parties.

Among the first controversies to attract attention were objections raised by one Reform MS to Ukraine flag flying over the Senedd. The issue generated criticism and unwelcome publicity for the party while also raising wider questions about political impartiality and the causes with which the Senedd should publicly identify.

Regardless of where people stood on the argument, the discussion quickly extended beyond Reform and onto broader questions about the role and neutrality of public institutions. By contrast, Reform’s push to restore GB News to the Senedd sparked discussion about media access and openness within democratic institutions.

What struck me was not the detail of either episode so much as the contrast between them. Together, they reinforced the impression of a party prepared to challenge longstanding practices within the Senedd. Neither issue appeared especially significant as an expression of policy. Yet, taken together, they became part of a sequence of events that helped shape early impressions of Reform.

Whether current visibility will translate into lasting influence is less clear, but that is inevitable at such an early stage in a parliamentary term.

The easiest response for established parties would be to dismiss Reform as a campaigning party. The election result suggests that would not be a sensible response, for a sizeable number of voters chose Reform for positive reasons.

The election may have passed, but many of the issues that helped drive Reform’s electoral breakthrough remain part of Welsh political debate.

Whatever view is taken of Reform, the issues that helped make it the second-largest party in the Senedd are likely to remain part of Welsh politics for some time.

Four weeks on, Reform is still one of the dominant political stories in Wales. For now, my strongest impression is that Reform has generated more headlines than influence.

That is not unusual for a party new to parliamentary life, particularly one that has moved so quickly into the role of Official Opposition. Whether today’s headlines become tomorrow’s influence is still one of the more interesting questions in Welsh politics.

Brenig Davies writes on Welsh politics, public policy, and civic life. His articles have appeared regularly in Nation.Cymru and other Welsh publications.