The 2026 elections have reshaped the political landscape across the UK in ways that charities cannot afford to ignore. Plaid Cymru have become the biggest party in the Senedd for the first time, likely leading a Welsh Government. Reform UK dominated another round of English local elections and in Scotland, the SNP retained their position as the largest party at Holyrood though with significant MSP turnover bringing a wave of new faces who don't yet know your organisation, your work, or your mission.

The people you need to influence are changing at a rapid pace. The question is whether charities are ready.

The new faces problem

New politicians, even from returning parties, arrive without established relationships with the voluntary sector. The institutional knowledge that experienced MSPs, councillors and Senedd members built up over years doesn't transfer automatically. It has to be rebuilt, and the charities that move fastest will have the advantage.

What politicians really want

Research conducted with 40 MSPs and 30 MSs by nfpResearch in September 2025 asked politicians directly which charities and voluntary organisations had impressed them and why. The answers on why they were impressed were consistent:

• Local events and constituency presence - being visible where politicians live and work
• Human stories - giving people affected by issues the chance to speak for themselves
• Collaborative campaigning - showing the sector can speak with one voice
• Clear, bold messaging – politicians are engaged by campaigning that "doesn't pull its punches". Be clear, direct and bold.
• Connecting local and national - demonstrating that your work matters both in the constituency and across the country

These lessons apply equally to newly elected members across the board in political chambers from national to local. The political colour of the chamber doesn't change what good advocacy looks like.

The Reform reality

On top of Reform dominating the local elections in England, they are now a significant presence in the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments. Many charity leaders will find engaging with Reform uncomfortable, as Tim discussed in a blog last year. Let's be honest about what this means for some parts of the sector. For a refugee charity, a human rights organisation, or an LGBTQ+ service, engaging with newly elected Reform politicians is not simply a matter of finding the right tone or leading with local stories. Reform's policy positions, on immigration, on equality, on public spending, are in direct conflict with them.

There is no easy answer here. However there is a difference between engaging with an elected council to secure funding for services that vulnerable people depend on, and lending political legitimacy to positions that harm those same people. Charities will need to draw that line themselves, based on their values, their beneficiaries, and their governance.

What charities should resist however, is the assumption that disengagement is the safe or neutral option. Pulling back entirely from Reform-held seats or councils risks leaving the most vulnerable communities without advocacy or services. The people who need charities most are not protected by their charity's refusal to communicate with them.

For some organisations, engagement will be off limits and that is a legitimate and principled decision. For others, engagement will be possible carefully, with boundaries, and with transparency to their beneficiaries and supporters about what they are and are not doing. Neither option is comfortable. Understanding that this tension exists is part of a new political reality that charities have to grapple with in 2026.

Where to start

Audit your political relationships now. Who have you lost? Who is new? Who don't you know yet? Request early meetings as newly elected politicians are often impressionable and seeking to make an instant impression. They are often more accessible in their first months than they will ever be again. And if you operate across Scotland, Wales and England simultaneously, recognise that you are now navigating three distinct political environments, each requiring a different approach.

And the research is clear: good advocacy is not rocket science. Events, stories, collaboration, clear asks, local presence. These are within reach of almost every charity, whatever its size. The 2026 elections may have changed who’s in the room. But the fundamentals of how you get heard have not.

If you are interested in learning more about our forthcoming research with the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, please contact Peter at peter.dawson@nfpresearch.com.