Consultation on the Code of Practice for political parties at Senedd elections

Summary

Ahead of the Senedd elections in 2021, the Welsh Government introduced legislation allowing the Electoral Commission to draft a Code of Practice on election spending for political parties. This Code was laid in the Senedd and came into force ahead of the 2021 Senedd elections.

Due to legislative reform in Wales, and a change to the electoral system for Senedd elections from 2026, we have made amendments to the Code of Practice to reflect the legislative changes.

The content around the categories of spending will remain largely unaltered. The main changes include:

Removal or amendments to some of the definitions to reflect the new electoral system;
The Code will apply to spending to promote the party and its policies, as well as to the party promoting its list of candidates;
An exemption has been added relating to the costs of security for people and property;
Removal of the section on splitting spending between candidate and party as this no longer applies to the electoral system;
We have added electricity charges for transport (as well as fuel costs).

We will also be drafting and publishing non-statutory guidance for political parties that will sit alongside the Code, and the purpose of this guidance will be to provide examples and greater detail.

Read the Code

Read our Code of Practice for political parties in Senedd elections

How to respond

The consultation is open from Wednesday 11 June 2025.

You can respond by:

filling in our online form
emailing your views to [email protected] or
writing to us at:

The Electoral Commission
James William House
9 Museum Place
Cardiff
CF10 3BD

The consultation will close on Sunday 27th July 2025.

Party spending

‘For election purposes’ is defined in section 72(4) PPERA. It means:

for the purpose of or in connection with—
(a) promoting or procuring electoral success for the party at any relevant election, that is to say, the return at any such election of candidates—
(i) standing in the name of the party, or
(ii) included in a list of candidates submitted by the party in connection with the election; or
(b) otherwise enhancing the standing—
(i) of the party, or
(ii) of any such candidates,
with the electorate in connection with future relevant elections (whether imminent or otherwise).

Is the draft Code helpful in explaining what is meant by party spending at Senedd elections?

Does the draft Code effectively explain that party spending includes spending to promote the party and its policies, and spending to promote party list candidates?

Does the draft Code make it clear that all spending to promote party lists candidates at a Senedd election is regarded as party spending?

Is it clear from the draft Code that party list candidates will not have their own spending limits at Senedd elections?

Is there any other information we can include in the Code that would support your understanding of the rules?

Does the draft Code make the rules around notional spending clear?

Is it clear in the draft Code how you should report notional spending?

Consultation on the Code of Practice for political parties at Senedd elections

Summary

Read the Code

How to respond

Party spending

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