Jane Dodds standing down as Welsh Liberal Democrats leader
Nine years is a long stretch in any party leadership, and for the Welsh Liberal Democrats it has covered some thin years. Dodds has been the public face of a party that has struggled to hold ground in a political system where Labour and Plaid Cymru dominate the conversation. Her call for a new generation is a fair way to frame a handover, though it also raises the obvious question: who is waiting in the wings?
I'd want to know what the leadership contest will actually be about. The Welsh Lib Dems have a clear identity problem, squeezed between Labour's dominance in the Senedd and the rise of other alternatives. A new leader will need to offer more than a fresh face; they'll need a story about what the party is for in 2026 and beyond.
That said, stepping down at a chosen moment is a respectable move. Dodds leaves with her own seat in Westminster, so she isn't disappearing from politics. The test for her successor will be whether they can turn a change of personnel into something that looks like momentum.