What have the Welsh political parties been up to during the summer recess?

The Senedd’s summer recess is well underway, meaning there are no regular plenary sessions, First Minister’s Questions or committee meetings taking place.

The 2026 summer recess began on July 20 and runs until September 13, giving Senedd Members (MSs) a break from the formal parliamentary calendar.

But while the chamber is quiet, the political parties have continued campaigning, making policy announcements and attending events across Wales.

With the recess now almost halfway through, here is what the main parties have been up to so far.

Plaid Cymru

As Wales’ governing party, Plaid Cymru has continued to make announcements on Welsh Government policy throughout the recess.

Among the announcements so far have been £3.1 million to strengthen Welsh-speaking communities and plans to provide water safety and swimming lessons for primary school children.

The party has also announced that all 22 local authorities in Wales are “on track to offer 12.5 hours a week of Welsh Government-funded childcare for all two-year-olds by the end of this financial year”.

Community engagement has also featured heavily in Plaid Cymru’s summer activities, with members attending both the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod.

First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth and rural resilience and sustainability minister Llyr Gruffydd attended the Royal Welsh Show at the end of July.

The pair confirmed Welsh Government would invest more than £1 billion over the next three years to give Welsh farmers “certainty” and “stability”.

The party also had a presence at the National Eisteddfod, the festival where Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925.

Plaid held a series of events during the festival, including a reception for its county and community councillors, a lecture on Welsh political writer Mallt Williams, and a question-and-answer session with newly elected Plaid MSs.

The First Minister and Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams also opened the Gaza Genocide Tapestry at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru stand.

The tapestry features hand-embroidered images made by Palestinian women living in refugee camps and communities in the West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan.

Speaking at the stand, both Mr ap Iorwerth and Ms Williams described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.

Reform UK

For Reform UK, political activity outside Wales has featured prominently during the recess, with the party supporting Nigel Farage’s campaign in the Clacton by-election.

A number of Reform’s Senedd members travelled to Essex to campaign for Mr Farage.

They included the party’s shadow minister for government efficiency, Cai Parry-Jones, who was joined by Gareth Beer, Laura Anne Jones, Carmelo Colasanto and Stephen Senior.

In a video shared on Reform UK Wales’ social media accounts, Ms Jones described the contest as “the people versus the establishment”.

The party has also been active in Wales during the recess.

Reform had a stall at the Royal Welsh Show, where Laura Anne Jones, the party’s shadow minister for food, farming and rural affairs, met Reform MP Robert Jenrick.

Ms Jones said on social media that they had attended the sheep-shearing competition and spoken to farmers, exhibitors, and visitors.

A number of Reform MSs also attended the National Eisteddfod, including the party’s deputy leader Helen Jenner, although Reform did not have an official stall on the Maes.

Welsh Labour

Welsh Labour has placed a strong emphasis on community engagement during the recess, with the party attending both the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod.

Following its appearance at the Royal Welsh, Welsh Labour launched a survey asking people what they believe needs to change in their local areas.

Ken Skates, who became party leader on a permanent basis last month having served as interim leader since May’s Senedd election, has also been touring Wales with the aim of speaking to people about the issues affecting their communities.

The tour began in Caerphilly, where Mr Skates met Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s full-scale invasion. He also met Labour Party members to discuss policy and how the party can rebuild.

The party has used the recess to focus on listening to communities and gathering views as the party seeks to rebuild having lost power in Cardiff Bay for the first-ever time.

Welsh Conservatives

The Welsh Conservatives have used the summer recess to combine campaigning in Wales with visits from senior figures in the UK Conservative Party.

On July 24, Welsh Conservatives welcomed UK party leader Kemi Badenoch and shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies to Newport.

The pair were joined by Natasha Asghar, MS for Casnewydd Islwyn, with the group touring the Newport Galvanizers facility in Llanwern before attending a roundtable with business leaders.

The party has also been active at agricultural events, including the Royal Welsh Show.

In a video shared on the Welsh Conservatives’ Instagram ahead of the show, Andrew RT Davies, the party’s spokesperson for farming and the environment, called for a £100 million increase in the agricultural budget.

Mr Davies said the party wanted to see an additional £25 million a year invested in agriculture, resulting in a £100 million increase by the end of the Senedd term.

The Royal Welsh also gave the Conservatives an opportunity to speak directly with people working in the farming sector about the pressures facing Welsh agriculture.

Welsh Liberal Democrats

Despite having just one representative in the Senedd, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have also been active during the recess.

Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds attended the Brecon Show, where she supported her party’s ‘Save Powys Hospitals’ campaign.

In a post on Instagram, she said the event had given her an opportunity to meet farming representatives and discuss the challenges facing Welsh farmers and rural communities.

Ms Dodds also attended the National Eisteddfod last week, although the Liberal Democrats did not have an official stall on the Maes.

With the party’s representation in the Senedd limited to a single MS, the recess has nevertheless provided an opportunity for Ms Dodds to continue campaigning on issues affecting rural Wales and her constituency.

Wales Green Party

For the Welsh Greens, climate change and the impact of extreme weather have been central themes during the recess.

Following wildfires across Wales and the wider UK, party leader Anthony Slaughter thanked fire and rescue services for their work and called for “urgent action”.

He argued the wildfires had highlighted both the growing impact of climate change and what he described as chronic underfunding of Welsh emergency infrastructure.

He said he and fellow Green MS Paul Rock were calling for better funding for emergency services alongside preventative climate action aimed at reducing the impact of increasingly frequent wildfires.

The Welsh Green Party has also maintained a presence at major summer events, attending both the National Eisteddfod and the Royal Welsh Show.

Mr Rock, the Green MS for Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf, said the Eisteddfod visit was his first, but “certainly not [his] last”.