The Wales Election Road Trip Blog

Welcome to our Wales election tour blog, detailing our journey through Wales ahead of the Senedd Elections on May 7th. Find out what happened at our hustings in Langland, Bridgend, Llanberis and Abergavenny below.

Here’s where we went

Hustings 4: Abergavenny

After a lakeside clean with Trash Free Trails, and obligatory viewing of the lonely Llyn Padarn tree, we were back on the road towards South Wales for the last hustings of the Welsh leg of the election tour. We rolled into Abergavenny and headed to the Abergavenny Community Centre, where we met Angela, Maxine and the rest of the Save the River Usk team who were running the hustings.

Save the River Usk is a UK-based community group dedicated to improving water quality, conserving wildlife habitats, and promoting sustainable land and river management of the River Usk through scientific research, community engagement, and advocacy.

Seven candidates joined us: Heritage Party, Independent, Welsh Liberal Democrats, Green Party (two candidates), Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru and Open Party.

Where they agreed
All parties were all aligned on a ‘polluter pays’ model to fund total transformation of the water industry to protect environmental and public health. Candidates all agreed that the regulator (NRW) should not be abolished, but that funding and clear redirection of focus was essential. On agriculture, more support for farmers to transition to sustainable, regenerative farming was wildly agreed upon. On the issue of plastics, all candidates supported the use of local produce and services to reduce single-use, as well as an inclusive deposit return scheme and an EPR roadmap.

Where they disagreed
Once again, re-nationalisation of Welsh water companies divided opinion, largely due to differing ideas (and levels of understanding) on how this would be funded. Discussion about fines and enforcement varied, with some candidates suggesting harder measures – such as removing licenses to operate.

What no-one really said
While public health was mentioned by audience members, it wasn’t as central to the debate as it could have been. There was also little mention of existing legislation that could be used to tackle pollution immediately – notably, bathing waters and the Bathing Water Regulations weren’t spoken about, nor was the recent Green Paper.

Hustings 3: Llanberis

Early up and out, as we waved goodbye to Porthcawl and roadtripped up to Llanberis for a hustings on the edge of Llyn Padarn – one of the only inland bathing waters in Wales. Despite this, we couldn’t swim during our stay as there was a sewage alert on our Safer Seas and Rivers Service app. (Thanks Dŵr Cymru.)

Meg (who is also SAS Rep) and Dom from Trash Free Trails ran the hustings with us. Trash Free Trails is on a mission to (re)connect people with nature through the simple act of removing single-use pollution from wild places. Their citizen science programme and community toolkits are brilliant. Take a look here.

Tom from the British Mountaineering Council provided an introduction in Welsh – sadly we couldn’t run the whole event bilingually.  Dr Emma Edward Jones from Eryri Actif brought the issue of water quality to life with a talk on the Llyn Padarn, its unique ecosystem, and the community fighting to protect it. Then the hustings began.

Six candidates represented their parties: Gwlad, Welsh Conservatives, Green Party, Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats.

Where they agreed
Community was central to the conversation. There was shared recognition that communities should not pay the price for pollution, and that better connection to nature matters, for health, wellbeing and long-term societal shifts. Most also agreed that if tourism raises revenue, it should be reinvested locally, and that farmers have a role to play in environmental solutions. All agreed on the need for total reform of the system to drive stronger enforcement and regulation, significant investment, improved monitoring, and for polluters to be held accountable.

Where they disagreed
Once again, the debate included nationalisation vs reform of water companies, creating new regulators vs reforming or scrapping existing bodies, and the role of the private sector. Tourism taxes divided the candidates, particularly around overnight vs day visitors. There were also differences in pace and scale of investment. We also saw differing opinions on where responsibility for reducing plastics should sit.

What no one really said
Costings and funding details were largely missing, with few clear answers on who pays and how much. Enforcement was discussed in principle, but not in practical, on-the-ground terms. Cross-border issues were only lightly touched on, but could have been brought into the conversation more.

Much more chat about single-use pollution this time! 

Hustings 2: Bridgend

A morning of planning and gas mask photoshoots for the team, before we met Alan Phillips from A Peace for Nature for the final hustings briefing. Alan and the Ogmore community have been fighting to protect the rivers and coastline in the Ogmore catchment from pollution of all kinds. Go look them up.

Four candidates joined us: Welsh Labour, Reform UK, Plaid Cymru and Independent.

Where they agreed
Total reform of the industry is needed. All agreed on the need for clean water, stronger enforcement and regulation, significant investment into infrastructure, improved coordination between regulators and organisations, with polluters held accountable. All agreed on the need for innovation within new developments and planning.

Where they disagreed
The debate included nationalisation vs reform of water companies, creating a new regulator vs using existing powers, and the role of the private sector. Once again, discussion around regulation took a central role, with some candidates supporting an abolishment or overhaul of the regulator and others suggesting it needs more resources. Views on how water industry reform should be financed varied, including discussion of both a ‘polluter pays’ model and taxpayer financing improvements.

What no one really said
Once again, we didn’t hear much on the topic of plastics. Public health was also notably missing. There was some discussion of the youth voice, but this could have been unpacked more. Few hard commitments to timescales or investments.

Hustings 1: Langland, Gower

After picking up the spectacular Election Road Trip van (thanks Finisterre for the loan!), we hit the M4, arriving in Porthcawl Saturday night. On Sunday, we headed to Langland, Gower, for the first hustings – run by Jake and Ruby, long-time SAS reps.

Home to the Toxic Trophy, a now legendary surf comp, Langland Bay saw 227 pollution alerts in 2025. In the Gŵyr Abertawe constituency, there were 3,103 spills in 2025 for 20,179 hours.

Six candidates joined from the Gŵyr Abertawe constituency: Welsh Lib Dems, Welsh Labour, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party.

Where they agreed
All candidates agree that the water system is failing. Most supported for stronger regulation, with increased funding and staffing for NRW, and there was consistent talk of new houses requiring better infrastructure planning.

Where they disagreed
Some debate on whether to reform the existing system (regulation specifically) or pursue more fundamental structural change, and how to fund improvements without increasing household bills.

What no one really said
There were few clear time bound commitments on ending sewage discharges, limited focus on plastic pollution, and we didnt hear detail on monitoring, enforcement or community led approaches.