Where Do the Parties Stand?
Registered voters over 16 years of age can cast a single vote for one party or one independent candidate. Below are the positions of the leading parties on abortion and assisted suicide. Quotes are from manifestoes or official statements. Voting figures refer to the October 2024 motion on assisted suicide.
Welsh Labour
Position on Abortion
Labour’s manifesto commits to continuing the Women’s Health Plan introduced in 2024.
Position on Assisted Suicide
For: 11 MSs
Against: 11 MSs
Absent/Abstained: 7 MSs
No mention in manifesto.
Plaid Cymru
Position on Abortion
Plaid Cymru will “strengthen” the Women’s Health Plan and incorporate the ‘UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women’ into Welsh law. (The UN CEDAW committee say the Convention requires unrestricted access to abortion.)
Position on Assisted Suicide
For: 5 MSs
Against: 4 MSs
Absent/Abstained: 3 MSs
No mention in manifesto. Commitments made on palliative care.
Welsh Conservatives
Position on Abortion
No mention in manifesto
Position on Assisted Suicide
Against: 10 MSs
For: 1 MS (James Evans, joined Reform UK in January 2026.)
Absent/Abstained: 5 MS
Reform UK
Position on Abortion
Reform has not committed to following the Women’s Health Plan, with its manifesto stating: “Reform will implement a Women’s Health Improvement Framework for Wales.”
Position on Assisted Suicide
Reform’s two MSs are former Welsh Conservatives. While James Evans backed the motion, Laura Anne Jones voted against assisted suicide.
Welsh Liberal Democrats
Position on Abortion
No mention in manifesto
Position on Assisted Suicide
Against: 1 MS (the party’s sole representative).
Wales Green Party
Position on Abortion
The Greens manifesto says: “We will deliver an inclusive, rights-based approach to women’s health, address medical misogyny, and strengthen and implement the Women and Girls’ Health Plan 2025–2035.”
Position on Assisted Suicide
There are no Green MSs. There is no mention of assisted suicide in the manifesto, where commitments are made on palliative care.
However, the UK-wide party website states: “Elected Greens will support a change in the law to legalise assisted dying for people suffering from terminal disease who wish to avoid prolonged unnecessary suffering, if this is their clear and settled will. Proper safeguards would be put in place.”
Heritage Party
Position on Abortion
Manifesto commitments include support for pro-life legislation, scrapping abortion ‘buffer zones,’ ending the ‘pills by post’ scheme and funding crisis pregnancy centres.
Position on Assisted Suicide
Heritage has no representation in the Senedd, but is committed to funding palliative care as a pro-life measure.
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