Economic security in Wales: Evidence from the 2026 Senedd Election

Larner, Jac M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5171-8851 2026. Economic security in Wales: Evidence from the 2026 Senedd Election. [Technical Report]. Cardiff, Wales: Bevan Foundation. Available at: https://www.bevanfoundation.org/resources/cadernid...

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Abstract

Economic insecurity is widespread in Wales, with nearly half of Welsh adults worried about their family’s financial security following the 2026 Senedd election. Drawing on a two wave YouGov survey of 3,800 Welsh adults, this report examines the scale, distribution, and political consequences of economic insecurity in Wales. We find that insecurity peaks sharply in middle age, follows the British pattern documented by the Nuffield Politics Research Centre and Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and is substantially elevated among renters, disabled adults, and those with no savings. Economic insecurity is strongly associated with political alienation: those feeling politically powerless are 26 percentage points more likely to be economically insecure. In electoral terms, insecurity independently predicts Reform UK and Plaid Cymru voting over Labour. Contrary to assumptions about insecure voters’ hostility to the state, economically insecure Welsh adults want substantially more welfare spending.

Item Type:	Report (Technical Report)
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Cardiff Law & Politics Research Institutes & Centres > Wales Governance Centre (WGCES)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Publisher:	Bevan Foundation
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	11 September 2026
Last Modified:	11 Sep 2026 15:50
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/189539

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