The Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2026

Made: 12 February 2026

The Welsh Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph 3(7)(b) of Schedule 8 to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000[^f00001] (“the 2000 Act”) make the following Order[^f00002].

The Electoral Commission prepared a draft of the Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (“Code of Practice”) in accordance with paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 8 to the 2000 Act and, in accordance with paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 8 to the 2000 Act, submitted it to the Welsh Ministers for approval.

The Welsh Ministers approved the draft Code of Practice without modifications in accordance with paragraph 3(3) of Schedule 8 to the 2000 Act, and the draft Code of Practice was laid before Senedd Cymru on 15 December 2025, in accordance with paragraph 3(4) of Schedule 8 to the 2000 Act.

No resolution of the kind mentioned in paragraph 3(6) of Schedule 8 to the 2000 Act was made by Senedd Cymru within 40 days of the draft Code of Practice being laid.

The Code of Practice was issued, in the form of the draft laid before the Senedd, by the Welsh Ministers under paragraph 3(7)(a) of Schedule 8 to the 2000 Act and the Code of Practice will be published by the Electoral Commission under paragraph 3(7) of Schedule 8 to the 2000 Act.

Title and interpretation

1

• (1) The title of this Order is the Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2026.

• (2) In this Order, “the Code of Practice” means the Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025, a draft of which was laid before the Senedd on 15 December 2025.

Appointed day

2

The day appointed for the coming into force of the Code of Practice is 18 February 2026.

Revocation and savings provisions

3

• (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2020 (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2021[^f00003] is revoked.

• (2) Despite the coming into force of the Code of Practice under article 2, the Code of Practice does not have effect in relation to—

• (a) a general election the poll for which is held on or before 6 April 2026;

• (b) a Senedd returned at a general election the poll for which is held on or before 6 April 2026;

• (c) the return of a member to a Senedd mentioned in sub-paragraph (b), at a general election or otherwise.

• (3) The Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2020 (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2021 continues to have effect in relation to the matters referred to in paragraph (2).

Signed

Jayne Bryant — Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, one of the Welsh Ministers — 12 February 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order appoints 18 February 2026 as the day on which the Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (“Code of Practice”) comes into force.

The Code of Practice replaces the Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2020, for elections to Senedd Cymru held after the 6 April 2026. This Order revokes, subject to certain savings, the Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2020 (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/194 (W. 45)), which appointed a day for the Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2020 to come into force.

The Electoral Commission prepared the draft Code of Practice and, in accordance with paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 8 to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41) (“2000 Act”), submitted it to the Welsh Ministers for approval. The Welsh Ministers have approved the draft Code of Practice without modifications, and the draft Code of Practice was laid before Senedd Cymru on 15 December 2025.

No resolution to not approve the draft Code of Practice was made by Senedd Cymru and as a result, the Welsh Ministers make this Order to appoint the day for the Code of Practice to come into force.

The Code of Practice was issued by the Welsh Ministers under paragraph 3(7)(a) of Schedule 8 to the 2000 Act and the Code of Practice will be published by the Electoral Commission under paragraph 3(7) of Schedule 8 to the 2000 Act.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2000 c. 41.

[^f00002]: The functions of the Secretary of State, insofar as they are exercisable within devolved competence, were transferred to the Welsh Ministers by article 45 of, and paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 to, the Welsh Ministers (Transfer of Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/644).

[^f00003]: S.I. 2021/194 (W. 45).