Call for leaders’ plan to stop far right

Campaigners have written to the party leaders in Wales calling on them to plan to stop the growth of the far right.

In a letter sent by think tank Melin Drafod, the politicians are asked a series of questions about their plans to strengthen democracy and tackle economic and social injustice.

Between 2016 and 2021, representatives of a number of far right-wing parties, including UKIP and the Brexit Party, sat in the Senedd.

Far right-wing politicians and parties have recently won elections in Italy, Austria, the USA, the Netherlands and a number of other countries.

Opinion polls suggest that Reform could win seats in the Welsh elections in 2026.

Talat Chaudhri, Chair of Melin Drafod, said:

“In many countries in Europe and beyond, there’s no doubt that democracy as we know it is under greater threat than for generations. Our political parties and civil society need to stand up to face this severe threat.

“Some will consider what happens here in Wales to be irrelevant, but we don’t agree. Every step, be it small or big, can make a difference. Everything is worth doing considering the seriousness of the situation. So our representatives and parties have a moral duty to respond.

“This is the time to deepen and strengthen the democratic structures of our country, the internal ones of the parties together with our electoral institutions. But, in addition, it is absolutely essential to tackle the serious income inequality in Wales and elsewhere in the world. Only by working at all levels will we be able to tackle the extreme right-wing parties and their ugly ideology which threatens so many of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“In an independent Wales, we will have the opportunity to create a much more open and welcoming environment for migrants. Challenging the current hateful anti-immigration narrative is not only the right moral policy, but the best thing for our economy and public services.”

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