Innovating Democracy Advisory Group meeting: 20 November 2025
Summary of the Innovating Democracy Advisory Group meeting held on 20 November 2025.
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In this page
Attendees
IDAG members
- Anwen Elias (Chair)
- Sarah Allan
- Jess Blair
- Mike Corcoran
- Tomos Dafydd Davies
- Sally Holland
- Yvonne Murphy
- Julie Sangani
- Diana Stirbu
- Daisy Thomson
- Leanne Wood
Non-IDAG members
- Item 2: Elections division officials, Welsh Government
- Item 3: Representatives of Boys and Girls Clubs of Wales, Cardiff Council and Scouts Cymru
- Item 4: Representatives of BBC Wales, Cardiff University and freelance journalism
Item 1: Welcome and note of previous meeting
1. The note of the previous meeting was accepted as a true record. Members agreed with the use of Copilot in this meeting to aid note taking.
Item 2: Welsh Government elections division
2. Welsh Government officials outlined the approach to democratic engagement, increasing voter registration and participation, especially among under-represented groups.
3. Legislative changes have been made to strengthen electoral administration, improve candidate diversity, and enhance accessibility. Pilots on automatic voter registration focused on local data matching and outreach to hard-to-reach communities.
4. Multi-year grants have supported third sector partners to deliver democratic engagement initiatives. Measuring impact is challenging due to varied project designs and work is underway to develop a standardised engagement framework and improve sharing of best practices.
Item 3: Roundtable discussion: democratic education beyond formal education
5. The group agreed on the need for stronger, more consistent democratic education, emphasising foundational knowledge of government, voting rights and the consequences of disengagement. They identified barriers such as uneven delivery, lack of technical understanding, apathy and challenges engaging marginalised communities, while highlighting enablers like multi year funding, trusted partnerships and supportive national policy.
6. A national, compulsory approach with clear action plans, training, and accountability for public bodies was supported. Non-formal education settings were seen as vital although concerns were raised about volunteer and educator capacity to handle sensitive discussions impartially.
7. Key considerations included early years democratic learning, support for educators and volunteers, amplifying youth voices, equitable access, robust evaluation and sharing best practice. The group also called for a comprehensive review of information on democratic participation in Wales, including clear guidance on voting rights for people seeking citizenship or asylum.
Item 4: Reflections on the morning’s discussions
8. The group reflected on the need for stronger foundational knowledge, clearer action plans, and improved assessment of progress. They discussed evaluation of the Democratic Engagement Grant, approaches to engage new grassroots participants, accessible language, the distinction between technical solutions and culture change, and the framework and effectiveness of local council participation strategies.
Item 5: Roundtable discussion: context, media and social media
9. The group discussed the Welsh media landscape, noting limited plurality, constrained resources and uneven daily political coverage and the role media organisations in informing the public amid funding, governance and changing consumption pressures. They also observed that improving understanding of the Welsh political landscape requires contributions from a range of actors, supported by better access to data, politicians and more varied storytelling approaches.
10. The group discussed the widespread reliance on UK-based sources, which may not consistently reflect devolved matters, contributing to confusion about devolved responsibilities. Interest in these issues has increased, efforts to support fact checking and address misinformation remain limited. Suggestions included clearer labelling and additional educational content to aid public understanding.
Item 6: Reflections on the day and next steps
11. The group discussed how evidence from the meeting could inform recommendations in IDAG’s report and considered audience needs.
12. Evidence reviews and pilot projects will inform the future work of the group.
13. Continued engagement with stakeholders, commissioners, and partners was planned, with attention to timing and political context.
AOB
14. Members were reminded to declare any conflicts of interest as the group moves into the delivery phase.