>An expert in political psychology has predicted many in Wales could use the Senedd election in 2026 to cast “protest votes”. Dr Joseph Phillips, politics lecturer at Cardiff University, told WalesOnline it isn’t unusual for people to treat Senedd elections differently to general elections.
>He explained: “There are some that will treat them as elections to government in their own right and that percentage is substantial now – certainly more substantial than it was. But there remains a significant percentage who will treat Senedd elections as opportunities for protest votes and opportunities to voice discontent with Westminster.”
>It comes after we visited one of Wales’ most deprived estates to ask as many people as we could who they were likely to vote for next May – and 80% told us they would be voting for Reform UK. You can read about that here. There has understandably been a clear effort by Welsh Labour members in the Senedd – including first minister Eluned Morgan and health minister Jeremy Miles – to distance themselves from the UK Labour Government off the back of the cuts announced last month.
This is exactly what terrifies me about the 2026 elections, Labour voters stay at home and the protest voters turn out en masse.
Things keep getting worse so people vote for the newest group that hasn’t got a history of fucking things up.
Happened before with the whigs it’ll happen again after reform. If you fuck up enough in big enough ways people will start to hate you.
The vote will be on Welsh Labour over the last 25 years.
Wales has generational, long term, economic and social problems caused by de-industrialisation and lack of investment. Labour take Welsh voters for granted “Who else are they going to vote for? The billionaire obsessed Tory’s? Plaid who seem obsessed with making non Welsh speakers feel like second class citizens?”
Tory’s never give a shit about Wales because we always vote Labour. It’s why they reduced our number of MP’s to dilute Welsh influence in Westminster.
However, there is NO CHANCE an English based, American leaning populist party; with a millionaire leader and no policies whatsoever besides stopping immigration and privatising the NHS, is doing ANYTHING for Wales. Don’t believe me? Ask voters in Clacton or Scunthorpe what Referb has done for them since the GE…Fuck all.
We have universally poor political choices now in Wales but putting Reform Ltd. into power would be both ridiculous and disastrous…but given Wales also voted strongly for Brexit I’m guessing Reform it is then. Bloody infuriating.
“I’m voting Reform because of the immigrants!”
I haven’t heard any Reform voter say anything beyond this, legit worried if those guys get into power they’ll surrender more and more power from the Senedd until it’s axed completely
I think that 100% of votes cast will be protest votes; no-one actually wants to vote for any of parties on the ballot.
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>An expert in political psychology has predicted many in Wales could use the Senedd election in 2026 to cast “protest votes”. Dr Joseph Phillips, politics lecturer at Cardiff University, told WalesOnline it isn’t unusual for people to treat Senedd elections differently to general elections.
>He explained: “There are some that will treat them as elections to government in their own right and that percentage is substantial now – certainly more substantial than it was. But there remains a significant percentage who will treat Senedd elections as opportunities for protest votes and opportunities to voice discontent with Westminster.”
>It comes after we visited one of Wales’ most deprived estates to ask as many people as we could who they were likely to vote for next May – and 80% told us they would be voting for Reform UK. You can read about that here. There has understandably been a clear effort by Welsh Labour members in the Senedd – including first minister Eluned Morgan and health minister Jeremy Miles – to distance themselves from the UK Labour Government off the back of the cuts announced last month.
This is exactly what terrifies me about the 2026 elections, Labour voters stay at home and the protest voters turn out en masse.
Things keep getting worse so people vote for the newest group that hasn’t got a history of fucking things up.
Happened before with the whigs it’ll happen again after reform. If you fuck up enough in big enough ways people will start to hate you.
The vote will be on Welsh Labour over the last 25 years.
Wales has generational, long term, economic and social problems caused by de-industrialisation and lack of investment. Labour take Welsh voters for granted “Who else are they going to vote for? The billionaire obsessed Tory’s? Plaid who seem obsessed with making non Welsh speakers feel like second class citizens?”
Tory’s never give a shit about Wales because we always vote Labour. It’s why they reduced our number of MP’s to dilute Welsh influence in Westminster.
However, there is NO CHANCE an English based, American leaning populist party; with a millionaire leader and no policies whatsoever besides stopping immigration and privatising the NHS, is doing ANYTHING for Wales. Don’t believe me? Ask voters in Clacton or Scunthorpe what Referb has done for them since the GE…Fuck all.
We have universally poor political choices now in Wales but putting Reform Ltd. into power would be both ridiculous and disastrous…but given Wales also voted strongly for Brexit I’m guessing Reform it is then. Bloody infuriating.
“I’m voting Reform because of the immigrants!”
I haven’t heard any Reform voter say anything beyond this, legit worried if those guys get into power they’ll surrender more and more power from the Senedd until it’s axed completely
I think that 100% of votes cast will be protest votes; no-one actually wants to vote for any of parties on the ballot.
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