Each autumn, the political worlds of Cardiff Bay and Westminster uproot and relocate to the UK’s cities and seaside towns for the annual party conference season.

Though almost every political party across the UK’s four nations host a yearly Westminster-focused conference, each major group in the Senedd will hold its own in Wales, too. Though often seen as a social occasion for party members and like-minded supporters to debate policy and network, behind the scenes these annual gatherings offer invaluable opportunities for organisations like NFU Cymru to speak to those with the power to make change.

Often conferences are split into two general areas, the main secure area requiring verified and paid for passes to enter, and the area just outside, commonly known as the fringe. It is in this latter area where many organisations will hold their events, historically called ‘fringe events’ attended by party delegates and elected representatives alike.

In the case of the incumbent Westminster government, NFU Cymru attended this year’s Labour Party Conference in Liverpool where the NFU hosted a ‘Great British Breakfast’ for attendees including the new Secretary of State Emma Reynolds MP. As well as the new Cabinet Minister, NFU Cymru President Aled Jones was able to speak with other MPs and Ministers in attendance. Given the consistently popular attendance, it’s clear these events are fringe in name only.

NFU Cymru will be taking its 2026 Senedd Election Manifesto, Welsh Farming: Growing Forward, to this year’s Welsh party conferences, presenting its asks and ambitions to a variety of audiences. Not only do fringe events allow us to speak to Senedd Members of all political persuasions, but they allow us to bring the importance of agriculture to areas and party supporters who may not come across it in their day-to-day lives.

Our attendance at these conferences is always critical to our lobbying, last year our joint events with the Farmers’ Union of Wales allowed the industry to share joint concerns on the Sustainable Farming Scheme and the importance of sufficient funding from Westminster to Welsh Government. Yet with only a few months until the Senedd in its current form dissolves for election campaigning, and parties finalising their manifestos towards the end of 2025, this year’s party conferences might prove the most significant with each group looking to make gains under the new electoral system next May.

With one eye on next year’s election and the other on the Caerphilly by-election later this month, NFU Cymru will be using every meeting, event and interaction to set out the changes Welsh farmers need for a successful future.