Welsh Liberal Democrats
The Welsh Liberal Democrats (Welsh: Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru) are a branch of the United Kingdom Liberal Democrats that operates in Wales. The party is led by Jane Dodds, who served as MP for Brecon and Radnorshire from August to December 2019, and MS for Mid and West Wales since May 2021. The party currently has 1 elected member in the Senedd and no Welsh seats in the UK House of Commons, but does have several members of the House of Lords. The party had 69 local councilors serving in principal authorities as of the 2022 local authority elections, up 10 from 2017.
Welsh Liberal Democrats Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Jane Dodds MS |
| Chief Executive | Vacant |
| Founded | 3 March 1988 |
| Headquarters | Pascoe House 54 Bute Street Cardiff CF10 5AF |
| Youth wing | Welsh Young Liberals |
| Membership (2017) | 3,133 |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre to centre-left |
| European affiliation | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party |
| International affiliation | Liberal International |
| UK Parliament affiliation | Liberal Democrats (UK) Cooperate with the English Liberal Democrats, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats, and Alliance Party |
| Colours | Yellow |
| Welsh seats in the House of Commons | 0 / 40 |
| Senedd | 1 / 60 |
| Local government in Wales | 69 / 1,234 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Mark Williams, then-Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, was defeated at the 2017 general election in his Ceredigion constituency by Ben Lake of Plaid Cymru, whose majority of 104 made the seat one of the most marginal in the country. The result left the party without an MP in Wales; the party and its predecessors had continuously held parliamentary seats in Wales since the formation of the Liberal Party in 1859.