Voters in Newport will head to the voting stations next month for the Senedd election, with political parties putting forward ideas on housing, education, jobs and transport that could affect young people across the city.

Official figures indicate the city’s population has a median age of 38, which is almost three years below the UK average. This suggests policies aimed at those aged under 25 could be decisive in the local contest, where ballot access is available to anyone aged 16 and above.

Plaid Cymru’s Peredur Owen Griffiths pointed to housing as a significant issue for the newly-established Casnewydd Iswlyn constituency, which covers Newport and parts of the Caerphilly borough.

The party has pledged to create Unnos, a national development body intended to boost social housing in Wales by purchasing land and arranging finance. They also want to make renting in Wales fairer and introduce legislation for a Right to Adequate Housing.

According to the candidate, housing presents a significant obstacle for young people across Wales, but this is particularly acute in Newport where shortages are critical and the waiting list is substantially longer.

The Liberal Democrats have promised to increase the number of social and affordable homes. Candidate Mike Hamilton said his party would broaden access to apprenticeships and college courses to help young people join the workforce.

As well as housing, parties across the political spectrum have identified apprenticeships as a way of introducing younger people to work, alongside supporting businesses that employ them, as key priorities.

The Conservatives have promised to repay tuition fees for Welsh residents who study at a Welsh university and stay employed in Wales for five consecutive years. Candidate Natasha Asghar said she wants to attract large companies to Newport.

She said she strongly supports making Newport a technology centre. Geographically, Newport benefits from closeness to Bristol, Birmingham and Cardiff. She would encourage major corporations such as Facebook and TikTok to set up operations in Newport, which would generate higher-paying roles and produce extra chances for young people in Newport and surrounding areas. Microsoft has already begun this approach, and she would be pleased to see other technology companies do the same.

Labour has promised to ensure all those aged under 25 have access to work, education, training or self-employment and plans to expand its childcare offerings.

Reform UK has suggested helping young people currently not in education or employment return to the workforce. The party also wants to remove what it calls ideological content that has entered curricula under the guise of wellbeing or social justice and to protect lawful free speech at universities.

The Green Party has expressed a goal for 40 percent of young people to attend university by the end of the Senedd term. The party has also pledged to scrap fares for under-22s by transforming the current £1 bus scheme into free transport.

Labour, the Green Party and Reform UK were contacted for further comment.