I recently sat down with Politics Home, as part of their Women in Westminster series, to discuss my political journey From how it all started for me as a working-class girl from Ynys Môn, my experience of entering the House of Lords & what drives my work today www.politicshome.com/members/arti...

🤍 Every woman has a right to feel safe, equal and respected. Ending violence against women and girls is an issue that we must address collectively as a society.

🚨 The #Caerphilly by-election is a straight fight between Plaid Cymru and Reform. Every vote counts. Vote for a local champion who’ll always stand up for his community - not a party that divides it. 🗳️ On Thursday, vote Lindsay Whittle - Plaid Cymru to keep Reform out.

1/2 We were delighted to hear Plaid Cymru's commitment to the right to adequate housing during leader Rhun ap Iorwerth's speech at their conference. Homes are the foundations of our lives. Thank you to everyone who came to our stall to discuss ending the housing emergency in Wales.

Noticed behaviour that's made someone feel uncomfortable or scared? Attend our free bystander training to learn how to intervene and offer support. Sessions run every week for 30-minutes 👉 www.suzylamplugh.org/Pages/Events...

🚨 BREAKING: A Plaid Cymru government will deliver 20 hours a week of free childcare for every child aged 9 months to 4 years. Putting money back in families’ pockets, tackling child poverty and giving every child the best start in life 💚

📢 The most recent gynaecological cancer waiting time figures (July) show a worrying drop in early-stage diagnoses, now just 32.4%, down from 47% in June. Early diagnosis and timely treatment save lives. This backwards step is not acceptable.

Assisted dying services should be available in Welsh, a Plaid Cymru peer has said

'This Bill legislates for people with a terminal illness and diagnoses, with six months left to live. Thankfully, there aren't many of us that face those circumstances.' Baroness Smith shares the words of Claire O'Shea, who died this year of terminal cancer. She was first misdiagnosed with IBS.

Labour’s plan to remove inactive peers is welcome, but the second chamber will still be undemocratic. I’ve long called for scrapping the unelected House of Lords and replacing it with an elected second chamber that truly represents the people.

First it was the nationalisation of steel in Scunthorpe, now it’s Yorkshire. But where was the urgency of this Labour UK Government when thousands of jobs were on the line in Port Talbot? Yet another example of Wales being treated unfairly. Our steel communities deserve more.

Pob cyngor yn cefnogi. Every Welsh council agrees. Mae’n amser i San Steffan wrando. Time for Westminster to listen. Datganolwch Ystâd y Goron. Devolve the Crown Estate. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 nation.cymru/news/bill-to...

The worst result of last night… The House of Lords voting in favour of a “wrecking amendment” that will allow current hereditary peers to continue as members & vote on new laws. This defeats the whole purpose of the Hereditary Peers Bill. Let the Ping Pong 🏓 commence…

Made the case for an elected house again this evening. 84 voted in favour and 263 voted against. Unsurprising result as unelected politicians voted on it… Time for the people to have their say! ✊ Here is how everyone voted: votes.parliament.uk/votes/lords/... 🗳️

NEW BLOG: 10 reasons why the hereditary peers bill should be amended to constrain Prime Ministerial patronage and the size of the House of Lords Ahead of the hereditary peers bill's report stage starting in the Lords tomorrow, our Director, Meg Russell, sets out why peers should amend the bill.

The @appgsrh.bsky.social have urged the NPCC to withdraw new police guidance on pregnancy loss, which they say risks fuelling criminalisation around reproductive health. The letter was supported by 45+ MPs & Peers and was sent ahead of the vote to decriminalise abortion. www.fsrh.org//Public/News...

Yesterday our Officers @rupahuq.bsky.social, Baroness Barker, @mayaellismp.bsky.social, Baroness Sugg and 42 other Parliamentarians wrote to the Chief Constable to share their serious concerns with the recently released Guidance on Child Death Investigation. You can read it below 👇

The Israeli Government has blocked all aid shipments to Gaza for the past two months, creating a humanitarian catastrophe across the region. @benlake.bsky.social made the case for the UK to airdrop humanitarian aid to help the thousands of Gazans who are being starved before our eyes.

Following Welsh Labour’s shocking poll result yesterday, I thought I’d do them a favour and help them out… by asking which of the First Minister’s asks they are actually going to carry out! Look at the response, it is clear that this isn’t working for Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

"It is high time we distance ourselves from an old undemocratic system and build a new one that works for the majority, not just the few. After a year in the House of Lords, I am more determined than ever to campaign for change." ✍️ - @carmensmith.bsky.social

"Mae'n hen bryd i ni bellhau oddi wrth hen system annemocrataidd ac adeiladu un newydd sy'n gweithio i'r mwyafrif, nid i'r ychydig rai yn unig. Ar ôl treulio blwyddyn yn Nhŷ'r Arglwyddi, rydw i'n fwy penderfynol nag erioed i ymgyrchu dros newid." ✍️ - @carmensmith.bsky.social

Delighted to be working with Baroness Smith on our amendments to the Employment Rights Bill🙌 If the government wants to deliver on its promise to halve violence against women and girls, it's imperative that there's a duty on employers to prevent gender-based violence at work.

We need to understand what impact the Chancellor’s brutal welfare cuts will have on people and communities in Wales. I've written to the Secretary of State urging her to publish her response to the First Minister. Two Labour governments shouldn't shield each other from scrutiny.

DWP figures show two in five single parents are living in poverty. Children in single parent families face a 43% poverty rate. Disability benefit cuts will plunge 50,000 more children into poverty. Govt won't end the two child benefit cap. Poverty is a political choice.

We must stop Reform UK from becoming the largest party in the Senedd in 2026. They would sell off the NHS, strip away workers’ rights, and take power away from Wales. Only Plaid Cymru has the energy to stop them and deliver new leadership 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Thinking about standing for @plaidcymru.bsky.social ? Join us for a session with ElectHer at the Plaid Cymru conference. 10.10am Friday 21 March. // Meddwl am sefyll dros y Blaid? Ymunwch â ni am sesiwn gyda ElectHer yng nghynhadledd Plaid Cymru. 10.10am dydd Gwener 21 Mawrth.

From cutting winter fuel payments for vulnerable pensioners and refusing to scrap the two-child cap to lift children out of poverty, to now cutting £5bn of welfare support for disabled people... Tory-style austerity is here to stay under Labour.

“While Labour continues to put party before country, Plaid Cymru has proven time and again that we are the only party that stands up for Wales, both in the Senedd and in Westminster.” @lsrplaid.bsky.social

Cutting support for disabled people during a time of economic hardship isn’t fair, sustainable or defensible. Labour is following the Tory playbook of scapegoating the most vulnerable instead of creating a fairer tax system.

I’m delighted to be named on the 2025 Women in Westminster: The 100 list! With so many inspiring women in Westminster it’s truly an honour to be included. What a fantastic way to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women to Westminster and beyond. #WiW100

And I have a piece with @anlugonz.bsky.social and gfx team looking at the House of Lords in charts: the historical membership, age, gender, educational background, and the effects of proposed reforms under a subheading I am very proud of, 'Lords Labour's lost'. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

While some peers have been trying to delay their own demise, others are making the principled stand that their own jobs shouldn't exist.

As the youngest peer in the House of Lords, I have a bold plan for this place. Abolish it – me included | Carmen Smith

“I came here a year ago because Plaid Cymru seeks to protect Welsh interests. But I think Labour should keep its vow and scrap this chamber.” @carmensmith.bsky.social writes in The Guardian about holding Labour to account and pushing for democracy from within.

More pictures from the conversations at the networking session of the Inspiring Future Leaders event

Yesterday was the first time a vote was called on proposed legislation I had put my name to (with @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social and @carmensmith.bsky.social): better regulation of period products.

EM Women launch #1 in tandem with @yem1.bsky.social YEM Women is tomorrow! Join us online at 6-7:45pm with speakers: 🎤 @carmensmith.bsky.social 🎤 @drsarahyde.bsky.social 🎤 @francesscott.bsky.social Chair: Founder & EM Board member, YEM President @ceciliaeve.bsky.social

Less jobs for people across Wales & less opportunities/choice for those wanting to study 📚 I asked the UK Minister for Skills how Wales would formally be included in her announced review of HE funding

Thanks Carmen! Delighted to have briefing supporting it from Women's Environmental Network, @hazardscamp.bsky.social, @citytosea.bsky.social @bsacandjac.bsky.social @soilassocscot.bsky.social @ukyouthfornature.bsky.social, The Rivers Trust, Fidra, Savitri, MCS Aware, and many more

Proud to be sponsoring an amendment today by @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social on introducing safety regs on period products. Currently there is no requirement for companies to tell you about the health risks of chemicals that are often found in period products. bills.parliament.uk/bills/3752/s...

Labour MPs tonight rejected Plaid Cymru's calls for control over the Crown Estate to be given to Wales. Scotland already has the powers. Only Plaid Cymru stands up for Wales.

Ask your MP to sign Plaid Cymru’s amendment and support our efforts on Monday 24 February to give Wales power over its natural resources. Let’s ensure that the people of Wales benefit from the wealth created in our communities, not the UK Treasury. 👇👇👇

The government needs to do more. A youth mobility scheme would be an easy solution to a wide range of problems facing young people.

Young People across the UK are losing out on opportunities to study and work in 27 countries. We hear a lot about a “Reset” of the UK/EU relationship, but haven’t seen any action. The UK Government can (and should) be more proactive on this & submit their own youth mobility proposal to the EU 🇪🇺

End wealth extraction from Wales. Invest Crown Estate profits back into our communities. Rhaid dod ag echdynnu cyfoeth o Gymru i ben. Dylid buddsoddi elw Ystâd y Goron yn ôl yn ein cymunedau. @carmensmith.bsky.social

Labour say they’re fighting for Wales - but in Westminster, they just BLOCKED #CrownEstate devolution 🔒🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Scotland has control over its resources. Why not #Wales? Plaid Cymru will always fight to put power in the hands of Welsh communities 💪🌊

Teyrnged gan Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, er cof am Dafydd Elis-Thomas

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @llinosmedi.bsky.social has tabled an amendment to devolve the #CrownEstate to #Wales. That would mean more money for services in Wales. Will Labour support us? 👀

✊ Your community deserves a strong voice. Could that be YOU? Stand for Plaid Cymru and help shape a better future for Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Take the first step today 👉 partyof.wales/stand

Several coal tips have been reassessed as posing a potential risk to public safety. But still, the Labour Welsh and UK Governments are dragging their feet. We need a clear commitment to the £600 million required to protect our communities. @carmensmith.bsky.social