Ben Lake

MP for Ceredigion Preseli

Plaid Cymru

Ben Lake is the Plaid Cymru MP for Ceredigion Preseli, and was first elected to the predecessor seat of Ceredigion at the 2017 general election.

In the 2024 general election for the new Ceredigion Preseli constituency, Lake received 21,738 votes, representing 46.9% of the vote share. The Liberal Democrats candidate, Mark Williams, received 6,949 votes (15.0%), while the Labour candidate, Jackie Jones, secured 5,386 votes (11.6%). Lake was duly elected with a majority of 14,789.

The Ceredigion Preseli constituency is located in West Wales, incorporating the entirety of the county of Ceredigion and parts of northern Pembrokeshire. Its major settlements include Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Lampeter, Aberaeron and Fishguard. This constituency was newly created for the 2024 general election following boundary changes. It was formed primarily from the former Ceredigion constituency and parts of the former Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency.

The Ceredigion constituency, which forms the largest part of the new seat, was represented by Lake for Plaid Cymru from 2017 until the 2024 boundary changes. Prior to Lake, it was held by Mark Williams for the Liberal Democrats (2005-2017).

Political Career

Lake is a member of the House of Commons Welsh affairs select committee (since September 2017). The Welsh affairs committee examines the UK government’s policy and spending as it relates to Wales. Its primary role is to scrutinise the work of the secretary of state for Wales and the Wales Office.

From July 2020 to May 2024, Lake served as Plaid Cymru’s Westminster spokesperson for digital, culture, media and sport, education, environment, food and rural affairs, health and social care, housing, communities & local government, the constitution and Welsh affairs and the Treasury.

Lake served on the commons public accounts committee from June 2023 to May 2024.

Lake is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) for forestry and timber security, France, industrial hemp and the Netherlands.

Lake delivered his maiden speech on 13 July 2017, during a debate on commemoration of the Battle of Passchendaele.

In it, he said: “We boast two university towns. The university at Aberystwyth was established in 1872, thanks to the pennies of the people – thousands of individual donations from across Wales; and Lampeter is home to the oldest degree-awarding institution in Wales, founded in 1822.

“In addition to housing the National Library of Wales and two universities, Ceredigion has two thriving publishing houses in Talybont and Llandysul, and the recently restored castle in Cardigan played host to the first National Eisteddfod in 1176.”

He added: “Decisions taken in London have long overlooked the rural economy, with public investment too often bypassing the hinterland. For too long, amenities considered essential to the urban economy are dismissed as mere luxuries in more rural areas.”

Political Views

Plaid Cymru, officially Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales, is a social-democratic political party in Wales that advocates for Welsh independence.

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: Lake supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore agreed with a majority of constituents, 54.6% of whom also voted to Remain.

Customs union vote (2025): In December 2025, Lake voted in favour of the UK-EU Customs Union (Duty to Negotiate) Bill. The bill, introduced under the 10-minute rule procedure by Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton, sought to mandate the government to enter into negotiations with the European Union to establish a bespoke customs union. In total, 13 Labour MPs joined the Liberal Democrats in supporting the motion, while the majority of the party abstained.

Electoral reform

Fair elections APPG: Lake is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for fair elections – a cross-party group of MPs and peers that campaigns for electoral reform. The group’s stated aims include replacing the first past the post (FPTP) voting system with a form of proportional representation, eliminating “dark money” and “undemocratic influence” from politics, and countering disinformation.

Proportional representation bill: In December 2024, Lake voted in favour of the Elections (Proportional Representation) Bill – introduced by Liberal Democrat frontbencher Sarah Olney under the 10-minute rule procedure. The bill sought to “introduce a system of proportional representation for parliamentary elections and for local government elections in England”.

A total of 138 MPs supported the bill – with 136 opposed. Notably, 59 Labour MPs backed Olney’s bill.

Introducing the bill, Olney told the House: “First past the post is a broken and unfair system. This summer, the Labour party won a landslide election victory, securing 63% of seats in the House of Commons in return for just 34% of the vote.

“The system leaves millions of voices unheard and creates a divisive, adversarial political climate where collaboration is discouraged and accountability is often sidestepped.”

Welfare

Winter fuel payment EDM: In September 2024, Lake signed an early day motion (EDM) expressing concern over the government’s proposed changes to the winter fuel payment. The motion called on the government to “postpone the ending of winter fuel payments and establish a comprehensive strategy to tackle fuel poverty, health inequality and low incomes among older people.”

Assisted dying

Lake voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at both second reading (November 2024) and third reading (June 2025).

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Lake voted in favour of a backbench amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that sought to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in June 2025. The amendment, which was passed by a majority of 242 votes, removed women from the threat of prosecution for ending a pregnancy at any stage. As an issue of conscience, MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs.

Lying amendment: In January 2026, Lake was listed as a supporter of an amendment to the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, often referred to as the “Hillsborough Law”, that would extend the proposed criminal offence of misleading the public to include MPs and peers. Luke Myer, the Labour MP behind the proposal, argued that his amendment would mean “no-one in parliament would be above the law”, adding: “If politicians deliberately lie to the public, there should be consequences.”

Myer stated: “This amendment is a proportionate, carefully safeguarded response to a real democratic risk. It is not about stifling debate or political disagreement, it is about ensuring that those who seek or hold public office cannot deliberately and knowingly mislead the public without consequence.

“The polling shows that voters across the political spectrum expect parliament to act.”

Myer’s amendment won the support of 30 cross-party MPs.

X letter: In November 2025, Lake was one of 34 cross-party MPs and peers who signed a letter to Ofcom demanding an investigation into the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The letter, led by Joani Reid, chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on antisemitism, called on the regulator to determine whether the platform was in breach of its legal duties under the Online Safety Act following a reported surge in antisemitic content and calls for violence against Jews on X.

Foreign policy and security

Palestine

Palestinian recognition letter (July 2025): In July 2025, Lake was among the over 254 MPs to sign a cross-party letter calling for the government to immediately recognise the state of Palestine. The letter called on the prime minister and foreign secretary to recognise Palestine at the UN Conference then taking place in New York.

Ceasefire vote (November 2023): Lake voted for a Scottish National Party (SNP) amendment to the king’s speech in the House of Commons calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Israel-Hamas war. Labour had tabled a rival motion, making a more moderate appeal for a “humanitarian pause” in the conflict.

Before Politics

Born in Carmarthen in 1993, Ben Lake grew up in Lampeter, Ceredigion. He was educated at Ysgol Ffynnonbedr primary school and Ysgol Bro Pedr secondary school.

Lake studied history and politics at Trinity College, Oxford, graduating with a BA degree. He subsequently completed a master’s degree in modern British and European history at the same college.

Before entering parliament, Lake worked as a research officer at the National Assembly for Wales (now Senedd Cymru).