Four Members of the Senedd are elected via the regional list in South Wales Central.
Voters in the region chose directly-elected members as well as four from the regional list meaning each person votes twice – once for your constituency MS and once for an MS to represent the wider region.
The constituency politicians are elected via first past the post – so the person with the most votes wins.
But the regional members are selected by the D'Hondt method – a highest averages method which creates a type of party-list proportional representation.
In the constituency ballot you choose the candidate you want to represent you directly.
In the regional ballot, you choose from a list of party or independent candidates to represent your region.
This region includes Cardiff, Pontypridd, Barry and parts of the Valleys and Vale of Glamorgan.
Who was elected in 2016?
- Conservative - Andrew RT Davies
- Conservative - David Melding
- Plaid Cymru - Neil McEvoy
- Ukip - Gareth Bennett
Who is on the list in 2021?
Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party
- Lee Canning
- Martyn Ford
- Munawar Mughal
- Lisa Peregrine
- Stuart Field
- Ian McLean
- Lawrence Gwynn
- Michael Hughes
Britain's Communist Party
- Anita Wright
- Malachi Walusimbi-Kakembo
- William Barton
- John Lent
Conservatives
- Andrew RT Davies
- Joel James
- Calum Davies
- Adrian Robson
- Mia Rees
- Leighton Rowlands
- Sean Driscoll
- Sian-Elin Melbourne
Green Party
Gwlad - The Welsh Independence Party
- Karl-James Langford
- Clem Thomas
- Angus Hawkins
- Debra Ann Cooper
Independent candidate
Alan Coulthard
Labour
- Ruba Sivagnanam
- Dan De’Ath
- Maliika Kaaba
- Owain Williams
Liberal Democrats
- Rodney Berman
- Rhys Taylor
- Sally Stephenson
- Steven Rajam
- Alex Wilson
No More Lockdowns
- Justin Lilley
- Rita Darby
Plaid Cymru
- Rhys ab Owen
- Heledd Fychan
- Fflur Elin
- Sahar al-Faifi
- Boyd Clack
- Nasir Adam
- Julie Williams
- Ioan Bellin
- Mohammed Awan
- Richard Grigg
Propel
- Neil McEvoy
- Steve Robinson
- Lisa Ford
- Keith Parry
Reform UK
- Jamie Jenkins
- Peter Hopkins
- Steve Bayliss
- Michael Hancock
- Alan Pick
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
- Ross Saunders
- Beth Webster
- Mia Hollsing
- Andrew Wilkes
- Kevin Gillen
Ukip
- Paul Campbell
- Benjamin Dale
Clive Easton
Paul Williams
Workers Party
- Tess Delaney
- Steve Everett
- Frank Hinley
Each major party has been asked to provide details of their candidates. Independent candidates are welcome to submit theirs to ruth.mosalski@walesonline.co.uk.
Labour candidates:
Ruba Sivagnanam
I moved to Penarth ten years ago with my husband and three children; I was a criminal defence barrister and worked in policy and campaigns across disability and equality issues for many years.
When I came to Wales, I volunteered for Citizen’s Advice before becoming a caseworker for my local MP and a councillor in the Vale of Glamorgan. In my work I spend a lot of time face to face with the people of south Wales, listening to them and helping them to find solutions to the challenges they face. I know that we need more social housing, healthcare that works for everyone, schools which inspire all our children, and a greener future.
I have always wanted to make a difference whether through my work in law or politics. My family are my mainstay and we love walking the Welsh coastal path together. And away from them, I love culture and the arts and whenever possible feed my soul at the theatre, cinema and gallery. I am also a keen swimmer mostly in the pool but in the wild waters of Wales whenever I can.
What is the most important thing you think the Senedd should do in the next five years?
This pandemic has been particularly hard on the young. As we rebuild in the shadow of the pandemic, we must prioritise them.
That means recognising the necessary sacrifices made by young people, in terms of their mental health, their loss of education, of job opportunities, of their start in life.
In the next five years, the Senedd must support measures to put young people to the front of the queue, in education and training, and creating jobs fit for the digital age.
What will you do for your region if elected?
I will champion our community at every opportunity, banging the drum for our towns and villages, putting us firmly on the map for new investment. Celebrating our proud achievements and getting our needs on the national agenda.
We need to connect our regions by securing investment in infrastructure here in South Wales. It is good for our communities, good for jobs and good for local business.
I want to take the institutions of government from Cardiff to the regions, to the Rhondda and Ponty so that Wales’ national Parliament can truly listen and engage with the those we represent and drive the success of devolution.
I have the energy, experience and passion to make a difference in South Wales. As your MS, I will fight to make South Wales Central a place of opportunity for everyone, a beacon of technological and environmental innovation, and a great place to live and work.
The Workers Party
Tess Delaney
I'm Tess, aged 48 and divorced. I was born in London but was brought to Wales as a small child, something that I've always been grateful for. I write for my local paper and I grow and sell plants and trees. I've done every type of work imaginable, from barmaid, to puppeteer, to lecturer at the University of Wales.
For the last six years I lived in a field after losing my house and business. However, the council weren't keen on that set-up and evicted me from my land, so I now live in Pembroke in part of a house within the castle walls. I have two sons, aged 29 and 19, and a grandaughter aged nine.
What is the most important thing you think the Senedd should do in the next five years?
The housing situation in Wales is becoming untenable, and if pushed that would be my pet project; to sort out what has become a situation that we should never have to see.
All things are of course linked. Whatever shortfalls we experience in society are usually down to a lack of insight, funding, or both, into looking at the real issues that affect peoples' day to day lives.
There's no point looking at specific issues in isolation; Green issues are intricately linked to housing, for example, and regeneration of cities where the people don't have the disposable income to sustain them is counter intuitive. The Senedd needs to consider all projects in light of what it brings to the people of Wales, and not just the shareholders of Wales.
Young people are being driven away from their communities due to lack of opportunity. This needs urgent addressing.
What will you do for your region if elected?
If I could get into the Senedd, I'd spend the first few weeks finding out as much as I could about where things have been going wrong. I want to know why the downgrading of hospitals is necessary and look at ways to address that.
I want to look at the schemes that have eaten up Objective One money and analyse why, after all this time and cash, there are still big problems in the Valleys.
Tearing a heart from a community and expecting it to regenerate without replacing that heart, is inevitably doomed to failure. I'm determined to get some answers about why the transport links between the valleys and the city are so poor. I want to show the people in all areas that we are listening, and that they won't be left behind. I want to investigate why getting a doctor is difficult, and a dentist impossible, and raise these questions every day until someone listens.
I want to look at the housing problems that people face, and make sure landlords, private and council, are accountable for poor maintenance and difficulties caused by bad building practices.
Steve Everett
I'm 47 married with five kids , I've lived and worked throughout Britain, as a timber cutter, agricultural worker, and landscaper and understand that although accents change what ordinary people need doesn't. When I'm not working, I like to spend time with my family including our dogs. I live in Pembroke Dock.
What is the most important thing you think the Senedd should do in the next five years?
Without support for industry and jobs it will be impossible for working class people to make ends meet. Support for industry must be a priority for the new Senedd. Large scale public work schemes to improve transport could help put thousands back into work and get our countries transport infrastructure in line with the modern world.
What will you do for your region if elected?
I am not a career politician, I’m an ordinary working man with a family to support.
If elected I will represent the interests of the ordinary people like me, I’ll expose back-room deals, I’ll fight to make sure that money is spent on jobs, industry, services and I’ll oppose all cuts and attacks on the working class.
I’m not ashamed to be from the working class and I’ll back all workers in the fight for better pay and decent conditions, and for unemployed workers I’ll fight hard to see they get the best opportunities available to reskill, to find work and to look after their families.
Frank Hinley
I’m a 40-year-old father of four, three boys and one girl, Welsh born and bred. Currently self-employed and home educating my four children. I have worked in various jobs during my life, from farming, retail, caring and on the oil refinery. In my free time I like to go walking and explore our beautiful country.
I have a passion to help those who suffer from anxiety and depression, having myself experienced mental health issues.
I’m fed up of politicians doing it for themselves, getting elected for their ego or just for the money. They never look after the people they serve, people like me, my family and our neighbours. I currently live in Milford Haven.
What is the most important thing you think the Senedd should do in the next five years?
The first thing the Senedd needs to do is look after small businesses, as I believe it was outrageous that big business was allowed to sell non essentials weeks before small business's selling the same non essentials were allowed to open.
Also the Senedd should look to be creating work opportunities for people of any age, race, ability.
We need a lot more investment in the NHS.
Most importantly the Senedd needs to remember that they have a duty to all of Wales, not just a few cherry picked sites. Its should be spending money equal all over Wales. The senedd also need to cut its cost to use money saved on investing in the future of Wales.
What will you do for your region if elected?
Improve the access to public transport needs to vastly improved, with cheap travel and more regular trains and buses. To Although people to commute from the valleys for work and recreation.
Improve public spending in the valleys area to match spending in places like Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. To save public services like libraries and leisure centres.
Look to bring employers into the area to create jobs for the local communities. Engage with people of all ages to find out the issues in finding employment.
Have better and safer places for teenagers under 18 to go and socialise, re-open community venues.
Improve the help available for mental health illness. As well as improving the working conditions for community care, which in turn would improve it both for the providers and clients.
The most important thing for region would be having a Senedd member who is always available to deal with peoples' issues and make sure they are always kept up-to-date with what is happening.
