Swansea councillor named Green Party lead candidate for 2026 Senedd elections

Local councillor steps forward

Cllr Evans, who represents the Mayals ward on Swansea Council, was confirmed as the party’s top candidate for the new six‑member constituency covering Swansea West and Gower.

The Greens highlighted Evans’ role in proposing the first council motion calling for the devolution of the Crown Estate to Wales, which was passed unanimously in Swansea and later adopted by every other local authority in the country.

Candidate statement

Cllr Evans said:

“It is a huge honour to be chosen as our lead list candidate for Gŵyr Abertawe. Many people think the Greens are only concerned about the environment, but I know that environmental justice and social justice must be achieved together or neither will last.

As someone who grew up in Swansea in the 70s and 80s, I saw first‑hand how inequality damaged our communities. If elected, my aim is to bring back hope and show that a better, greener future is possible.”

How likely are the Greens to win a seat?

The latest YouGov Barn Cymru poll for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University’s Welsh Governance Centre put the Greens on 6% nationally, alongside the Liberal Democrats. Under the new proportional Senedd system, that level of support could deliver a single seat across Wales — but it leaves the party struggling to break through in South West Wales.

Swansea Bay News’ own latest Senedd seat projections suggest that in Gŵyr Abertawe, the six seats would likely divide as:

• 2 Reform UK
• 2 Labour
• 1 Plaid Cymru
• 1 Liberal Democrat

That forecast leaves no space for the Greens in the constituency, underlining the scale of the challenge facing Evans and his party.

Other parties’ selections

The Greens join a growing field of confirmed and potential candidates in Gŵyr Abertawe:

• Welsh Liberal Democrats have named Cllr Sam Bennett, who represents Swansea’s Waterfront ward, as their lead candidate. Read our full story here.
• Welsh Labour have shortlisted several high‑profile names, including Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart, for their list in the constituency. A final decision on Labour’s candidate order has not yet been made. Read more here.

With six Members of the Senedd to be elected in each of the new “super constituencies”, competition is expected to be fierce — and the latest polling suggests Gŵyr Abertawe could be one of the most hotly contested battlegrounds in Wales.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Lib Dems announce lead candidates for Swansea and Neath Senedd seats
Cllr Sam Bennett confirmed as lead candidate for Gŵyr Abertawe, with Jane Dodds heading the list in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd.

Jeremy Miles to stand down from Senedd at next election
Neath MS and former Labour leadership contender says it has been the “honour of his life” to serve since 2016.

Reform Senedd hopeful quits party over ‘rigged’ selection claims
Ajay Owen resigns from Reform UK alleging unfair candidate process in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

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Penguin’s ‘Little Book Stops’ arrive in Ferryside, Llanybydder and Mayals

Ferryside in Carmarthenshire, Llanybydder in Carmarthenshire, and Mayals in Swansea are among just seven locations in Wales chosen from more than 2,000 public nominations for the community book‑sharing boxes.

The initiative, run in partnership with US non‑profit Little Free Library, will see 90 of the distinctive Penguin‑branded boxes installed across the UK during September. Each will operate on a simple “give a book, take a book” basis, with a local volunteer steward looking after the stock.

Local sites chosen

In Ferryside, the Little Book Stop will be based at the village’s independent lifeboat station, which has been run entirely by volunteers since 1835.

Llanybydder’s book stop will be installed at the bandstand on Station Terrace, while in Mayals the box will be located on Mayals Road.

Each stop will launch with a curated selection of children’s and adult titles from Penguin’s 90‑year history, including The Boy, The Mole, The Fox & The Horse by Charlie Mackesy, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, Look Up! by Nathan Bryon & Dapo Adeola, and The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson.

‘Celebrating reading and community’

Penguin’s Chief Brand Officer Rebecca Sinclair said: “Books and reading are a great way to build connections and create communities, and the sheer amount of interest we received shows just how much people are looking for this. We’re excited to see the impact the Little Book Stops have on the local communities selected.”

Little Free Library CEO Daniel Gumnit said the boxes would “spark curiosity, bring neighbours together, and make books more accessible in the communities where they’re needed most.”

The full list of UK locations will be revealed throughout September on Penguin’s website.

#books #Ferryside #Library #LittleFreeLibrary #Llanybydder #Mayals #PenguinBooks #PenguinSLittleBookStop #Swansea