DOGE Wales

Inspired by Elon Musk's 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE) concept in the US, DOGE Wales applies the same anti-government-waste framing to the Senedd. The account uses FOI requests to obtain data on Welsh Government and Senedd spending, then presents this data in meme-friendly formats designed to provoke outrage and shares.

DOGE Wales represents a new breed of anti-devolution activism that combines data transparency tools (FOI requests, published accounts) with viral social media formatting. By presenting Senedd spending data in meme-friendly, Doge-themed formats — often juxtaposing Welsh Government expenditure on specific items with underfunded public services — the account creates a cumulative narrative of institutional waste that erodes public confidence in devolved governance. Its effectiveness lies in the apparent objectivity of the approach: it claims to simply be presenting publicly available data, while the editorial choices about what to highlight and how to frame it consistently serve an anti-devolution agenda. The account's frequent amplification by Reform UK MSs and Conservative politicians gives it quasi-institutional credibility, blurring the line between independent transparency campaigning and party-political messaging. In a media landscape where the Senedd receives limited scrutiny from mainstream outlets, DOGE Wales fills a gap — albeit with a pre-determined conclusion about devolution's value.