Welsh election: Leaders go head-to-head in live TV debate

Wales' political party leaders will face each other in a 90-minute live television debate on Thursday, with a week to go to the Senedd election.

The BBC Wales Leaders' Debate will host Labour, the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru, the Liberal Democrats and Abolish the Welsh Assembly in the first hour.

Reform UK, the Green Party and UKIP will take part in the second, 30-minute, part of the programme.

The debate will be on BBC One Wales and the BBC iPlayer from 20:30 BST.

The first such debate to be broadcast from BBC Wales' new headquarters in Cardiff's Central Square will include questions from a virtual audience, with Bethan Rhys Roberts presenting part one.

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Going head-to-head will be Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford, Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies and Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds and Richard Suchorzewski, who leads the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party, will complete the line-up for the first part of the programme.

Nick Servini will then take over presenting duties and be joined by Green Party England and Wales deputy leader Amelia Womack, UKIP Wales leader Neil Hamilton and Jamie Jenkins from Reform UK.

All the leaders will be invited to give short opening and closing statements, with coronavirus and how Wales recovers from the pandemic expected to feature strongly throughout the 90 minutes on air.

Laura McAllister, professor of governance at Cardiff University, said that with "very little on-the-ground action" due to Covid restrictions the televised leaders' debate takes on added significance.

"Labour's election strategy has had to change least off the back of the pandemic," she said.

"It's been all about Mark Drakeford as a reassuring presence, a safe pair of hands, with Welsh Labour looking to bank his Covid-handling approval.

"Labour's campaign has been understandably defensive as a result and so Drakeford doesn't need to push hard in this debate. Meanwhile, Adam Price does. This wasn't how it was meant to be."

"Covid messed up all of Plaid's best laid plans to make this a presidential-style contest," Prof McAllister said. "The pandemic has realigned public opinion and Plaid has struggled to get much traction.

"Price needs a big performance, delicately balancing an appeal to the emotions and clear credibility on economic recovery. He needs to convince the electorate that this is a time for change not continuity."

Andrew RT Davies for the Welsh Conservatives, said Prof McAllister, would "continue with his straightforward appeal to Tory voters of 2019 in the so-called 'red wall' seats with attacks on the Welsh government's record but maybe feeling slightly less bullish after events at Westminster over the past week".

"It's sure to be a busy and fast-moving hour and the Welsh Liberal Democrat leader, Jane Dodds and Richard Suchorzewski from Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party will be hoping to get some traction for their messages too," she added.

BBC Wales Leaders' Debate, BBC One Wales, 20:30 BST on Thursday 29 April and on the BBC iPlayer