Autonomy and party dominance: explaining Labour’s century of supremacy in Wales

Davies, Nye and Barter, Shane 2025. Autonomy and party dominance: explaining Labour’s century of supremacy in Wales. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics , 1 - 22. 10.1080/13537113.2025.2504730 Item availability restricted.

PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 26 November 2026 due to copyright restrictions. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (0B)

Abstract

In 1922, the Labour Party emerged as the principal party in Wales. Over a century later, Welsh Labour remains dominant, winning all general and devolved elections. Remarkable for a democratic nation, Welsh Labour’s 100+ year winning streak stands as the most sustained dominance of any party in the world. What explains this sustained power, even despite changing political contexts and institutions? We suggest that a principal, underappreciated factor in sub-state party dominance relates to the pursuit of political autonomy, wresting new political competencies from central governments. Labour dominance exists on two axes, dominating regional politics ideologically as a working-class, Welsh national party, while championing Welsh interests in relations with Westminster vertically in a long-term pursuit of self-government. These dimensions reinforce one another to help Welsh Labour maintain dominance, embodying a sense of dynamic conservativism. The Welsh case sheds light on how the pursuit of asymmetric political power for minority nations can provide foundations for democratic party dominance.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Cardiff Law & Politics Research Institutes & Centres > Wales Governance Centre (WGCES)
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis (Routledge): SSH Titles
ISSN:	1353-7113
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	28 May 2025
Date of Acceptance:	21 April 2025
Last Modified:	30 May 2025 10:08
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/178571

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item