Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and MS for Brecon and Radnorshire, has expressed regret over missing a crucial vote on the homelessness bill in the Senedd, which led to the failure of amendments she supported.
The Critical Amendments
Dodds stated, “I regret missing that; I did not know that there were those critical amendments.” These amendments sought to impose greater responsibilities on local authorities to safeguard victims of abuse, offer independent advice, and promote a more preventative strategy against homelessness.
Both Dodds and Laura Anne Jones, Reform Senedd Member for South Wales East, were absent from the vote last month. Had either attended and opposed the government, the amendments would have succeeded.
Charity’s Response
Cymorth Cymru, a homelessness charity, described the outcome as “frustrating” after years of effort on the legislation. In a statement, the charity noted: “It is incredibly disappointing and frustrating that so many amendments ended in a tied vote and ultimately failed to pass because some MSs were not in the Senedd to cast their vote.”
The organization highlighted three and a half years of development, including input from over 300 individuals with lived experience of homelessness, whose insights aimed to shape the bill.
Cymorth Cymru confirmed receiving an email from Dodds apologizing for her absence and affirming her commitment to collaborate on implementing these protections and urging the Welsh government to address remaining gaps.
Dodds Defends Attendance Record
Dodds, the sole Liberal Democrat MS in the Senedd, apologized directly to the organizations that raised the issue, saying, “I’ve said very clearly to the organisations who drew attention to that… that I should have been there and I apologise for that.”
Attendance figures reveal Dodds missed 50% of votes over the last two full Senedd years and 63% so far in 2026, averaging 39% absences across the past five years.
In response, she explained: “I’m a sole member, I am somebody who has nobody around me and I’m a party leader as well. I’m in the Senedd when there are absolute priorities and I’ve been there for the legislation that’s been passed.”
