The End of One-partyism? Party Politics in Wales in the Second Decade of Devolution

This paper assesses the contemporary state of party politics in Wales. Historically, party politics in Wales has been characterized by a remarkable degree of one-party dominance. A combination of lop-sided public preferences, and the exaggerating effect on these of highly disproportional electoral systems, have produced successive Liberal and then Labour party hegemonies. This situation now appears under some challenge. The political dynamics of devolution, including the introduction of a semi-proportional voting system for National Assembly elections, have contributed to a substantial decline in Labour's vote share in recent years. However, other factors, most notably the persisting weakness in Wales of Labour's opponents, suggest that one-party dominance may continue to endure.