The Senedd has dissolved and campaigning for the 7 May 2026 election is now under way. Cytûn – Churches Together in Wales is pleased to continue its series of conversations with candidates and party representatives standing across Wales.
These interviews offer a space for candidates to reflect on matters of faith, values, and public life – exploring how their beliefs and convictions shape their approach to serving the people of Wales. In an election widely regarded as the most consequential for Welsh politics since the Senedd was established in 1999, Cytûn believes it is more important than ever to create space for these deeper conversations – conversations that go beyond the manifesto and the soundbite to ask what candidates truly believe, and why.
With the formal campaign period now under way and polling day on 7 May just weeks away, this interview is one of the last in our current series before Wales goes to the polls. We are grateful to all the candidates who have given their time to take part in what we hope has been a valuable contribution to public life in Wales during this crucial period.
This interview sees Cytûn’s General Secretary, Dr Cynan Llwyd, in conversation with Huw Thomas, Welsh Labour candidate for Caerdydd Penarth. The interviews in this series have already brought thoughtful and candid exchanges with candidates from Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Conservatives, the Green Party, and Reform UK, and we are glad to continue that spirit of open, respectful dialogue across the political spectrum.
Huw Thomas is a Welsh Labour politician whose background will be familiar to many in the faith community. Originally from Aberystwyth and a fluent Welsh speaker, he studied Music at Oxford University before completing a Masters in International Relations at Aberystwyth University. Before entering politics he worked in the third sector, including for the sustainable travel organisation Sustrans and as Head of Christian Aid Wales. He has been a Cardiff Councillor for the Splott ward since 2012 and Leader of Cardiff Council since 2017.
In this interview, Dr Cynan Llwyd invites Huw to reflect on the values that have shaped his journey from the third sector into elected office. Among the most striking threads of the conversation is the question of what his years working for Christian Aid – an organisation rooted in the shared witness of the churches – meant for his understanding of justice, community, and public responsibility. Huw speaks with candour about how that experience of working alongside faith communities, both in Wales and internationally, formed his conviction that politics must be about more than the transactional, and must ask deeper questions about what kind of society we are building together.
The conversation also explores what Huw believes the new Senedd must prioritise for the people of Caerdydd Penarth and Wales more broadly, and how he sees the relationship between faith communities and democratic life in a changing Wales.
Part of a Wider Programme
This interview is part of a series Cytûn has been publishing in the weeks leading up to polling day on 7 May 2026. We have reached out to candidates from a range of parties and constituencies throughout the campaign, and we hope this series has made a valuable contribution to public life in Wales during this crucial period.
The interviews form part of Cytûn’s Public Theology Programme – an ongoing commitment that extends well beyond election season. Through this programme, Cytûn works to equip the ecumenical Christian community across Wales to engage meaningfully with democratic institutions, political parties, and the full breadth of issues devolved to the Welsh Government and scrutinised by the Senedd – from health and education, to housing, the environment, and social justice. Our aim is not to tell people how to vote, but to help Christians across Wales to listen carefully, ask good questions, and engage as informed and active citizens in the life of our nation.
Get Involved
We welcome responses and reflections from churches and individuals across Wales. If you have questions you would like to see put to candidates in future interviews, or if you are involved in organising a hustings event and would like support from Cytûn, please get in touch at post@cytun.cymru.