BAME Candidates in Wales

As the deadline approaches for parties to complete their roster of General Election candidates, we have also taken a look at the BAME candidates in Wales.

The picture is not good. There has never been a BAME MP from Wales, and it looks like there are only six BAME candidates, and only one in a winnable seat in Wales this time around.

You can see an infographic here showing the candidates in winnable seats requring a 10% and a 5% swing.

Clearly, whilst Labour have made a very specific decision not just to extend the practice of All Women Shortlists to tackle gender equality, but also to replace all retiring MPs with a woman candidate, and that has led to a historic first, with 22 female candidates from 40. But it is only this positive action, following decades of campaigning and promotion, that has led to the change.

But Labour has not managed to put in place similar positive action for BAME candidates. There may be legal problems with All BAME Shortlists, but Labour has clearly failed to put any specific positive action in place this time around.

The Liberal Democrats have 3 BAME candidates, and whilst Bablin Molik is standing in their target seat of Cardiff Central, with a 50 point gap, it is not a winnable seat for the Liberal Democrats.

Plaid Cymru originally selected 2 BAME candidates, though only 1 is now standing following the agreement of the Remain Pact.

The one BAME candidate that has a good chance of winning is Mohamed Ali for the Conservatives in Cardiff North. The Conservatives in Wales do not have a strong record of equal representation, so this would be a good win for them. Anna McMorrin took the seat for Labour at the 2017 General Election, and this bellwether could switch back this time.