Jane Dodds announces she is stepping down as Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader

Jane Dodds MS is standing down as Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats after nearly nine years in the role, she has announced.

Ms Dodds, who was elected leader in November 2017, will continue to serve as the Member of the Senedd for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd.

She was the only Liberal Democrat elected at May's Senedd elections.

Ms Dodds served as MP for Brecon and Radnorshire following the August 2019 by-election, was elected MS for Mid and West Wales in 2021, and was re-elected for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd in May 2026.

Announcing her decision to stand down Ms Dodds said: “Leading the Welsh Liberal Democrats has been the honour of my life.

"Together we have won councillors across Wales and used our voice in the Senedd to deliver real change for families, from new funding for childcare to standing up for Wales as a Nation of Sanctuary.

“After May’s election, I’ve thought hard about what our party needs. Wales needs more than one liberal voice in the Senedd.

"Building that team will take years of hard work in communities across the country and I believe that work should be led by a new generation. Now is the right time to hand it over.

“I’m not going anywhere. I came into politics after 27 years as a child protection social worker because I could not accept the number of children growing up in poverty in Wales. Today that is more than 200,000 children.

"The new Welsh Government has promised to make tackling child poverty its priority. I will hold them to that promise, every single day.”

The nominations for the next leader will open on October 23 and close on November 16. In the first stage of nominations Members of the Senedd and Members of Parliament are eligible to be nominated with the support of 50 party members.

Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick is the only person other than Jane Dodds MS eligible to seek nomination at this stage.

Should no MSs or MPs be successfully nominated then a second stage will take place in which all persons on the party’s approved parliamentary candidates list may seek nomination.

If only one candidate is nominated (at either stage) then they will be declared leader. Should more than one candidate be nominated then an election will take place.

Paying tribute to Jane Dodds MS following her decision to stand down as Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader, David Chadwick MP said: “Jane has led the Welsh Liberal Democrats through an incredibly difficult period for both our party and Welsh politics, and she has done so with determination and resilience.

“Under her leadership, our party has begun to rebuild. In 2022, we gained council seats in Wales for the first time in a decade, and at the 2024 General Election we re-established Welsh Liberal Democrat representation at Westminster.

“On a personal level, I am particularly grateful for everything Jane has done alongside me in Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe. We have worked together on countless campaigns for our communities, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with her on the issues facing our constituents and the people of Wales

.“Jane has given an enormous amount to the Welsh Liberal Democrats and to public life in Wales, and she deserves our sincere thanks for her service as Leader

.“There will understandably be questions about what comes next. Today should be about Jane and her contribution to our party. I will make a statement about my own political future in the coming days.”