Review of the Access to Elected Office Fund for Wales pilot

The aim of this research was to review the Welsh Government’s Access to Elected Office Fund Wales pilot scheme to provide evidence to influence future arrangements of this area.

The review was conducted by Opinion Research Services (ORS), between November 2022 and March 2023, and involved an evidence review; scoping interviews with officials from Welsh Government and Disability Wales involved in the pilot; a series of in-depth stakeholder interviews with panel members; and in-depth interviews with candidates that applied for the fund and received a range of support.

Main findings

• Panel Members were generally supportive of the operational process, but identified some areas where improvements could be made, including the experiences of panel members and the timing of support.
• Candidates were overwhelmingly positive about the application process and the support they received but struggled with timescales between their application and the start of the campaign period.
• Stakeholders and candidates tended to feel that separate efforts to the fund would be required to support people with other protected characteristics in standing for elected office.
• It was felt that WG and its partners should reflect on the following recommendations and future priorities:
• Provision for disabled candidates seeking election in Wales should be made available in future;
• Within the limitations of the legislation, efforts should be made to provide preliminary enabling equipment or training before the funds are drawn down;
• The fund should form part of a wider, more holistic, package of provision and guidance, with a clear brand;
• The wider package should be extended to individuals with other protected characteristics and other challenges.