Diversity and inclusion guidance for political parties: integrated impact assessment

The Welsh Government is publishing guidance to support political parties to develop strategies to increase diversity and inclusion amongst candidates for Welsh elections; to collect and publish information on the diversity of candidates for Senedd elections and to consider voluntary quotas for women for Senedd elections.

This guidance forms part of a wider package of reforms of Senedd and local government elections in Wales. 

The Expert Panel on Assembly Electoral Reform, the Committee on Senedd Electoral Reform and the Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform all called for measures to make the Senedd more diverse and representative of the people it serves. Most recently, the Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform, reporting in May 2022 (Reforming our Senedd: a stronger voice for the people of Wales on Senedd Wales), recommended that:

each political party standing candidates in a Senedd election

should be encouraged:

to prominently publish a diversity and inclusion strategy, setting out how it has sought to facilitate diversity within its candidates, at least six months prior to the scheduled Senedd election

The same committee recommended that information on the diversity of Senedd Members should be collected and prominently published. 

The Welsh Ministers sought to give effect to the Special Purpose Committee’s recommendations through the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 (on Legislation.gov.uk) (“the 2024 Act”). Section 30 of the 2024 Act, which received Royal Assent in September 2024, provides that the Welsh Minister must publish Parts 1 and 2 of this guidance before the 1 May 2025 and keep it under review. Part 3 of the guidance is published under Welsh Ministers’ powers in sections 60 and 62 of the Government of Wales Act 2006. 

One of the purposes of the 2024 Act is to contribute towards the Future Generations goal of a more equal Wales, to help make democracy and voting more accessible to all members of society and to encourage active participation in democratic life in Wales by everyone in society, regardless of circumstance or background.  

There is a common theme of historical underrepresentation in politics in Wales and the UK of certain groups of people who share particular protected characteristics or circumstances. For some of these people, and especially for those who may share more than one characteristic, the pathway into politics can present a range of hurdles, ranging from financial, cultural, political and social barriers to institutional, structural and physical barriers. A person’s background, education, experiences and views, occupation, financial circumstances, access to information and networks, for example, can all be contributing factors in defining a person’s journey into politics, or whether they would consider going into politics in the first place. 

The research considered in developing the guidance has shown that people with certain protected characteristics are more likely to experience socio-economic disadvantage. In particular, evidence indicates that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, as well as disabled people are more likely to face socio-economic disadvantage. It is therefore considered that efforts to break down barriers to political participation for people from some underrepresented groups will also help break down barriers for people facing socio-economic disadvantage (Evidence review: socio-economic disadvantage and inequalities of outcome).

The guidance for political parties is aimed to encourage political parties to take steps to achieve the shared objective of a more representative Senedd which reflects the broad diversity of the Welsh population, leading to policies and decisions which are scrutinised and informed by a range of perspectives and voices. 

This is a long-term policy which is focussed on collecting and publishing information which is not currently available in order to better inform action by political parties, and other key partners, to implement measures that prevent barriers and inequalities in access to elected office in Wales. Our research suggests that publication of diversity data and steps to improve levels of diversity within the Senedd will integrate well with broader national policies especially those which aim to advance inclusion and diversity in leadership roles in Wales. The policy aligns with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 well-being goal of ‘A more equal Wales’ and with the Welsh Government’s National Equality Objective to:

create a Wales where everyone from the full diversity of backgrounds can participate in public life, have their voices heard and see themselves reflected in leadership positions”.

The guidance also supports other Welsh Government plans including:

• LGBTQ+ Action Plan (2023)
• Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan (2022)
• Advancing Gender Equality in Wales Plan (2020) 

The policy recognises that there is a significant role for political parties in improving diversity of representation within our democratic bodies. The guidance is intended to support political parties in being more transparent about their long-term plans for achieving this shared ambition as well as the steps they intend to take in the shorter term to address underrepresentation and tackle barriers to participation, including through the involvement of marginalised groups and collaboration with key partners. The guidance should also foster a more consistent and standardised approach to collecting and publishing diversity information on Senedd candidates and encourage parties to consider what steps they may be able to take to increase women’s representation in the Senedd, making it more effective. 

The guidance was subject to public consultation between 12 November 2024 and 7 January 2025, which has helped inform the integrated impact assessment. 

How have people most likely to be affected by the proposal been involved in developing it?

A public consultation was held on the draft Diversity and Inclusion guidance for political parties between 12 November 2024 and 7 January 2025.

A series of stakeholder meetings took place prior to the consultation period to raise awareness of the consultation and technical briefing sessions were provided for the following groups during the consultation period:

• Senedd Cross Party Group on Faith
• political parties
• Senedd Women’s Caucus
• Members of the Senedd
• general stakeholders with an interest in the consultation
• academics experts 

In total, 49 responses to the consultation were received. Respondents consisted of: 

• individuals responding in a private capacity
• third sector organisations representing the interests of groups who share some of the specified characteristics identified in the guidance, including protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010
• local government, including councillors, representative bodies and electoral bodies
• academic experts
• political parties (local and national) or party affiliated groups
• a statutory body

Responses to the consultation have helped inform the final guidance.

What are the most significant impacts, positive and negative?

The guidance, if implemented by political parties, will contribute towards achieving the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 goal of ‘A more equal Wales - A society that enables people to fulfil their potential no matter what their background or circumstances (including their socio- economic background and circumstances)’. It will help positively promote equality by.

• better transparency about action being taken, or planned, by political parties: there is currently limited information publicly available about political parties’ diversity and inclusion strategies, and specifically how they intend to take action to improve diversity amongst prospective candidates for local and Senedd elections. By publishing diversity and inclusion strategies, political parties would be more transparent about what they are doing to promote diversity among their candidates, and how they could help certain candidates overcome barriers to participation in Welsh elections
• better information about the diversity of Senedd candidates: any appropriately anonymised information political parties publish about the diversity of Senedd candidates will complement information published about local government candidates using the existing process established through the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011. If this information is published by political parties, it will help provide a holistic picture of representation across devolved elections in Wales rather than local government or the Senedd in isolation. This information could then be used to inform decisions on actions needed to improve representation at an all-Wales level
• better likelihood of achieving a gender balanced Senedd from 2026: if political parties are encouraged to implement gender quotas on a voluntary basis, there is an increased likelihood that the proportion of women who are elected to the Senedd broadly reflects that of the Welsh population. 

A large amount of academic research has assessed the benefit to democratic institutions as a result of an increase in women’s representation, including:

• greater prominence in debates on policy proposals and legislation which relate to issues affecting women, education, family and civil society and which reflects the interests of a wider range of communities and people, including people who share protected characteristics
• championing of particular working cultures and practices which are more inclusive
• collaborative working across political party divides to achieve common goals
• positive role models in political leadership, which can help strengthen the legitimacy of a legislature (How Do Electoral Gender Quotas Affect Policy? on Annual Reviews)
• lower levels of corruption in politics (Women and Corruption: What Positions Must They Hold to Make a Difference? on SSRN)

Political parties are encouraged to collect information about candidates’ Welsh language skills. Collecting and publishing this information will help build a picture of how diverse candidates are with regards to the Welsh language, against wider population data.

While the guidance is not expected to contribute to inequalities of outcome experienced as a result of socio-economic disadvantage, it does aim to highlight existing inequalities of outcome experienced as a result of socio-economic disadvantage in the context of Welsh elections and to encourage political parties to take steps to reduce such inequalities. 

In terms of potential negative impacts arising from the guidance, there was some concern amongst respondents to the consultation that individuals could become identifiable from the diversity information published by political parties. Some felt that smaller parties may struggle more than larger parties to implement Part 2 of the guidance, which relates to the collection, collating and publication of diversity information on Senedd candidates. When publishing candidates’ data, political parties will need to be careful that the information is not presented in such a way as to enable identification of any individual candidate. They will need to be mindful that the risk of certain individuals becoming identifiable increases as information is disaggregated or presented on an intersectional basis. It is also noted that some candidates may not wish to disclose information about themselves or may feel uncomfortable doing so. 

Another negative impact identified by respondents to the consultation related to the potential for confusion as a result of lack of definitions of key terms in the guidance and use of the term ‘gender’. Some respondents felt that this could lead to candidates self-identifying as women for the purpose of securing a priority place on a party list, ultimately resulting in discrimination towards, and erosion of the rights of, candidates who share the protected characteristic of ‘sex’. Further detail is provided in the Equality Impact Assessment which is published separately.

How will the proposal maximise contribution to our well-being objectives and goals and avoid, reduce or mitigate any negative impacts?

Taking into account the overall objective of the guidance, which is to aim to achieve more representative and effective elected bodies in Wales, it is considered that the proposal has the potential to positively contribute towards creating ‘a more equal Wales’ and towards meeting the Welsh Ministers’ Public Sector Equality Duty in section 149 of the Equality Act to have due regard to the need to:

• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and unlawful activity
• advance equality of opportunity between people who share and people who do not share a relevant protected characteristic
• foster good relations between people who share and people who do not share a relevant protected characteristic

As part of the Welsh Government’s ongoing campaign to promote greater diversity in elected office, a number of important measures are being introduced which will lead to changes in the Senedd and in local government through the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 and the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024. As well as requiring the Welsh Ministers to publish this guidance, the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 places a duty on the Welsh Ministers to provide services to promote diversity in the protected characteristics and socio-economic circumstances of persons seeking to be elected in local and Senedd elections. It also requires Welsh Ministers to provide for a scheme of financial assistance to help disabled candidates for Welsh elections overcome barriers to their participation in the election connected to their disability. The Welsh Ministers may also provide for the same scheme of financial assistance to help candidates with specified characteristics or circumstances to overcome barriers connected to those characteristics of circumstances. This guidance forms part of this wider package of measures aimed towards realising the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 goals of a more prosperous, resilient, healthier and globally responsible Wales, which is a more equal Wales, has cohesive communities, a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language.

In order to reduce and mitigate against the potential negative impacts relating to data protection, the guidance proposes various measures which political parties may consider taking in order to ensure that personal information provided by candidates is handled and stored securely and that the anonymity of candidates is protected when the information is published. The guidance reminds political parties (as data controllers) of their responsibilities under data protection legislation and signposts them to relevant information which should help them implement the guidance while also complying with relevant legislation. When publishing their candidates’ data, political parties will need to be careful that the information is not presented in such a way as to enable identification of any individual candidate and the guidance has been strengthened to help support political parties to take appropriate steps in this regard. 

The provision of information by candidates will be on a voluntary basis. Part 2 of the guidance encourages parties to allow candidates to complete a ‘prefer not to say’ option in respect of all the diversity questions in the sample survey template, which means that no candidate will have to provide information about themselves if they do not feel comfortable doing so. This is an important mitigating measure should any individual feel uncomfortable disclosing information about any of their characteristics or circumstances.

With regard to the potential impacts highlighted by some respondents to the consultation associated with the lack of clear definitions, the guidance has been amended so that the protected characteristics are clearly linked to the relevant definitions in the Equality Act 2010. Part 3 of the guidance is also clear that the protected characteristic of ‘sex’ would apply to any positive action taken by political parties to address underrepresentation of women amongst their candidates e.g. by means of voluntary quotas. The guidance references that parties have legal obligations they should consider under the Equality Act 2010, including in respect of taking positive action and preventing discrimination.

How will the impact of the proposal be monitored and evaluated as it progresses and when it concludes? 

The guidance in itself will not impact directly on people with protected characteristics or people in particular circumstances. The extent of the impact on any particular group will depend on the specific action taken, and success or otherwise of that action, by political parties. However, it is hoped that over time, the diversity data will be able to be analysed to determine whether there has been an increase in the diversity of candidates and elected representatives in Welsh elections.

The guidance recommends that political parties publish their strategies at least 6 months before the 2026 Senedd election, and that they are reviewed on an ongoing basis, drawing on the diversity information available to them. The guidance also advises parties to publish information on the diversity of Senedd candidates up to 6 weeks after each Senedd election.

Welsh Ministers are under a duty to review the guidance periodically, and revise if necessary. This process of ongoing review will involve consideration of how effective the guidance is proving to be, informed by discussions with, and feedback from, relevant stakeholders. 

At the start of the Seventh Senedd, the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 places a duty for a motion to be tabled, proposing that a committee reviews the operation and effectiveness of the Act and the extent to which the elements of a healthy democracy are present in Wales. It is anticipated that this review will consider the extent to which the Seventh Senedd reflects the diversity of the Welsh population.