Unprecedented Times, a Very Precedented Result: the 2021 Senedd Election

The sixth election to Senedd Cymru/the Welsh Parliament was held in May 2021. The context for the election was heavily shaped by the Covid-19 emergency, which restricted election campaigning and dominated the political agenda prior to polling. The result saw the continuance of Labour's long-term hegemony in Welsh politics; Labour benefitted from strong public ratings of the handling of Covid-19 by the Welsh government and First Minister. However, apparent stability in devolved Welsh politics may be threatened by developments elsewhere in the UK, which could make the ‘devolutionist unionism’ of Welsh Labour more difficult to sustain.