MORE than 100 candidates standing in next week’s Senedd election have signed a pledge in support of Palestinian rights, including backing calls for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru said 115 candidates had signed its “Senedd Palestine Pledge” so far.

The signatories include 46 Green candidates, 37 Plaid Cymru candidates, eight Liberal Democrats, six Labour candidates and five independents.

The pledge commits candidates, if elected, to “take all appropriate steps” to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, oppose what PSC describes as Israel’s crimes of genocide and apartheid, and ensure the Welsh Government is not complicit, including through support for the Palestinian-led call for boycott, divestment and sanctions.

Prominent candidates listed by the campaign include Wales Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter, former Senedd Members Mike Hedges, Sioned Williams, Llyr Gruffydd, Sian Gwenllian and Heledd Fychan, former MP Beth Winter, and Rob Griffiths of the Communist Party of Britain.

PSC Cymru said the pledge was particularly relevant under the new closed proportional list system, where voters choose parties or independent candidates rather than individual party candidates.

According to the campaign, the pledge has been signed by two Labour, three Liberal Democrat, ten Plaid Cymru and 12 Green first-placed candidates.

The organisation said the issue had direct relevance to the Senedd because of concerns previously raised over Welsh Government funding linked to companies involved in the F-35 fighter jet supply chain.

Bethan Sayed, co-chair of Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru, said: “Reaching 100 pledges is a milestone. It is a clear message that Palestine is on the ballot in this Senedd election.

“Wales has always aspired to be a nation that stands on the right side of history, a globally responsible nation that holds human rights and international law at its heart. These 100-plus candidates are giving real meaning to that aspiration.

“Support for Palestinian rights stretches across every community and every constituency in Wales. Polls show public backing for this issue. Voters will be watching closely to see who has the conviction to stand with them.

“To those candidates who have not yet signed: the time to act is now. This is a test of moral leadership. We urge every remaining candidate to sign the pledge before polling day.”

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have set out plans to raise standards in education, warning that too many children are being let down by underperformance, poor discipline and funding pressures.

The party says Wales continues to lag behind other parts of the UK in international education rankings, despite the Welsh Government receiving higher levels of funding per head than England.

Leader Darren Millar said a Welsh Conservative Government would increase funding for schools, restore discipline in classrooms and place a renewed focus on academic and vocational achievement.

He said: “After 27 years of Labour, propped up by Plaid Cymru, our education system is failing too many young people.

“Standards have slipped, discipline has broken down and outcomes are simply not good enough.

“The Welsh Conservatives have a clear plan to turn this around. We will restore discipline in our classrooms, back our teachers and bring back academic rigour.

“We will ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential.”

The party says its education plan would also strengthen routes into further and higher education, with a focus on helping young people build their futures in Wales.

Welsh Conservative education spokesperson Natasha Asghar said: “Every child in Wales deserves a world-class education, but after 27 years of Labour, propped up by Plaid Cymru, too many are being let down by a system that is underperforming and undervalued.

“We will raise standards, support our teachers and ensure schools are properly resourced, while strengthening opportunities in further and higher education so young people can thrive and build their futures here in Wales.”

HEALTH and safety professionals are calling on the next Welsh Government to make worker safety, health and wellbeing a central priority after the 2026 Senedd election.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has published its priorities for the next Senedd term, warning that preventable workplace harm continues to damage lives, communities and the Welsh economy.

IOSH says that while health and safety law is largely reserved to Westminster, decisions made in Wales still have a major impact on worker protection.

These include policies on public health, education and skills, rural affairs, construction, housing and public procurement.

Figures highlighted by IOSH show that Wales continues to experience high levels of work-related ill health, with tens of thousands of new cases each year.

The organisation also says workplace fatality rates in Wales remain consistently above the Great Britain average, standing at 0.69 per 100,000 workers in 2024-25 compared with 0.37 across Great Britain.

Ruth Wilkinson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at IOSH, said: “Too many people in Wales are still being harmed by work — whether through fatal injuries, long-term ill health, or through the hidden impact of work-related stress and poor mental health.

“These harms are not inevitable. In many cases, they are entirely preventable.

“Health and safety isn’t a barrier to growth. It’s a foundation for good work, strong communities and a resilient Welsh economy.

“We want the next Welsh Government to use the powers it has — across skills, health, rural policy and public procurement — to put prevention and worker wellbeing at the heart of working life.

“If action is taken now, Wales has a real opportunity to lead the way in protecting workers while building a fairer and more sustainable future.”

IOSH members in Wales have identified five key priorities for the next Senedd term.

These are stronger asbestos management, improved safety in rural industries, investment in health and safety skills and training, better safety performance in construction, and action on workplace mental health.

The organisation is calling for a national asbestos register for public buildings, including schools, hospitals and other parts of the public estate.

It also wants health and safety embedded into rural policy, with targeted farm safety programmes and better mental health support for rural workers.

IOSH is urging the next Welsh Government to strengthen safety education and skills through the Curriculum for Wales, apprenticeships and lifelong learning.

It also wants public investment and procurement used to raise construction safety standards, with safe construction treated as a mark of quality.

On mental health, IOSH says Wales should use the Well-being of Future Generations framework to drive prevention, accountability and leadership in the workplace.

The organisation says small and medium-sized businesses also need practical support, including access to training, guidance and occupational health advice.

IOSH warned that without stronger preventative action, Wales will continue to see avoidable injuries, ill health and deaths, as well as lost skills, reduced productivity and extra pressure on public services.

Ruth Wilkinson added: “Safe, healthy work is not optional. It’s essential to Wales’s future prosperity — and IOSH and health and safety professionals stand ready to work with the next Welsh Government to make that vision a reality.”