Politics
Plans to reform the Senedd edge nearer

PLANS to expand the Senedd and change the voting system have moved a step closer, but MSs called for urgent action to address a lack of accountability.
The Senedd voted on amendments to the members and elections bill, which would increase the size of the Welsh Parliament from 60 to 96 members.
Under the bill, the 32 constituencies that will be used in the next general election would be paired to create 16 for the 2026 Senedd poll, with each returning six members.
However, proposals to introduce a recall system and make it illegal for Senedd members or candidates to deliberately deceive the public were withdrawn at the eleventh hour.
MSs held a stage-three debate, the final opportunity to alter the reforms, on April 30 ahead of a crunch vote next week which coincides with 25 years since the first Senedd election.
Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price proposed making deliberate deception by candidates or Senedd members a criminal offence, with conviction resulting in disqualification.
The former party leader raised concerns about falling public trust in politics worldwide, warning that a credibility gap has become an accountability chasm over the decades.
“Now, we’re staring into an abyss,” he said. “We’re looking at a future world of deepfakes, post-truth politics and wave after wave of disinformation.”
The Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MS told the chamber the proposal would be a world first, stressing: “We need to do something, and we need to do something urgently.”
Supporting the amendment, the Conservatives’ Darren Millar said it is illegal for a doctor to mislead a patient as he asked: “Why should it be any different for us?”
Lee Waters, a Labour MS, backed the “reasonable” proposal despite initially being sceptical, pointing to bipartisan support for bringing politics in line with other professions.
Jane Dodds, the Lib Dems’ leader in Wales, added her support, saying a 2021 survey found 63% of voters view politicians as being “out for themselves” compared with 48% in 2014.
Mick Antoniw, who is counsel general, the Welsh Government’s chief legal adviser, said further detailed legal and policy analysis is required to avoid unintended consequences.
Mr Antoniw, who is in charge of the bill, emphasised the importance of members being able to speak freely and suggested Wales does not have the powers to create such an offence.
Mr Price withdrew the amendment, saying he did not want to fracture emerging consensus by forcing a vote, but he stressed the Senedd must legislate this term.
Mr Millar called for a recall system, which would allow voters to remove a Senedd member between elections, similar to the one introduced in Westminster after the expenses scandal.
The Tory MS told the chamber a system of recall is an important accountability mechanism, which empowers voters to pass judgement on their representatives.
He said: “It would ensure trust and accountability are at the heart of everything we do – not just at election time but throughout the time members are in office.”
Seemingly referring to Rhys ab Owen, who is serving a 42-day suspension without salary from the Senedd, Mr Millar said: “These are matters of live public interest.”
Vikki Howells, who chairs the Senedd standards committee, said the committee will work on recommendations around a recall system as part of a wider inquiry on accountability.
Ms Dodds said a recall mechanism would be a pivotal step to address eroding public trust.
She raised the Citizens’ Assembly on Democracy’s concerns about an “embarrassing political culture of dishonesty and lack of serious consequences for bad behaviour”.
The former MP, who herself won a 2019 by-election triggered by a recall petition before her election to the Senedd, pointed out that Boris Johnson resigned at the threat of recall.
Mr Antoniw said the Welsh Government would not vote for the amendments but ministers stood ready to support implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
Mr Millar withdrew the amendment in light of the cross-party inquiry but the Clwyd West MS warned time is running out to implement recall before the 2026 election.
The Senedd voted down calls for a referendum and to change the proposed closed-list electoral system which would see people voting for parties rather than individuals.
Suggesting a flexible-list system, which would give voters more say over who is elected, Mr Millar described closed lists as a power grab that would damage Welsh democracy.
He warned that voter turnout – which has never topped 50% in a Senedd election – could be even lower in future if people are given less say over who represents them.
Mr Millar explained a flexible-list system would give voters more choice, with any candidate receiving more than 10% of the vote moving to the top of the pile.
Heledd Fychan, for Plaid Cymru, said her party continues to favour the single-transferable vote, which allows people to rank candidates, or a flexible-list system.
But she stressed the need for pragmatism and compromise with a two-thirds supermajority required for the bill to pass through the Senedd.
Ms Fychan welcomed that Wales would become the first UK nation to entirely move away from the “harmful” first-past-the-post system used in Westminster elections.
Politics
Plaid Cymru demand for ‘fair share’ from HS2 voted down

THE SENEDD rejected Plaid Cymru calls to demand HS2 be redesignated as an England-only project to unlock billions of pounds of consequential funding for Wales.
Senedd Members voted 42-12 against a Plaid Cymru motion on HS2, a high-speed railway from London to Birmingham, following a debate on March 12.
The project was classified as a Wales-and-England project in 2015 by David Cameron’s UK Government despite not an inch of track crossing the border.
As a consequence, no funding has come to Wales under the Barnett formula but Scotland and Northern Ireland have received a population share of HS2 spending.
Plaid Cymru has made the case for £4bn in compensation based on estimates of the total cost but the Welsh Government has quoted a £400m figure based on spending to date.
Peredur Owen Griffiths, the party’s shadow transport secretary in the Senedd, warned Welsh rail infrastructure has been systematically underfunded by the UK Government.

Calling for an end to “fundamental injustice”, he said: “Wales has received a fraction of the rail enhancement funding it is owed, our infrastructure has suffered from decades of neglect and the UK Government has failed to deliver the fair funding Wales needs.”
The Plaid Cymru politician pointed to an acknowledgment from Heidi Alexander, the UK transport secretary, that Wales has received low levels of funding historically.
“But this underfunding is not just historical, it is ongoing,” he warned. “Westminster, whether red or blue, continues to deny Wales the consequentials it is due.”
Mr Owen Griffiths raised concerns about reports that UK chancellor Rachel Reeves plans to freeze spending on major new rail projects until after the 2029 general election.
Pointing out that Welsh ministers previously called for £5bn in consequential funding, he told the Senedd: “Clearly, the people of Wales cannot trust this Labour party to stick to its word.”
Mr Owen Griffiths criticised the Welsh Government’s “delete-all” amendment, which was narrowly agreed, for “U-turning” on previous policy positions.
He said: “Now, when it truly matters, they have collective amnesia. What has changed? … The only thing that has changed is Labour’s willingness to stand up for Wales when they finally got the chance to do something about it.”
Peter Fox, the Tories’ shadow transport secretary, accused Labour of playing politics. “It must be embarrassing for Labour backbenchers, hence not many here,” he said.

Labour’s heckler-in-chief Lee Waters pointed out: “There’s nobody on your front bench.”
Mr Fox said: “Politicians in both Wales and England were calling for billions of pounds … but now Labour are in power in Westminster, their call is for just a meagre £400m.”
Labour backbencher Mick Antoniw pointed out that the previous Conservative UK Government could have designated HS2 as an England-only project.
Mr Fox, a former council leader, said the Tory Senedd group has stood against its own party on HS2 funding, adding: “It’s a kick in the teeth that you are turning your back.”
His Conservative colleague Gareth Davies warned of a “grotesque imbalance” between spending on rail in north Wales compared with the south of the country.
Labour’s Hefin David remarked: “The closer we get to an election, the poorer the standard of debate happens to be in this chamber. You would swear … that actually there’s been no progress whatsoever on rail in Wales which is manifestly not the case.”

Dr David pointed out that the newest trains in the whole of Europe now run on the Rhymney line through his Caerphilly constituency following an “incredible transformation”.
Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds said: “I feel these … debates are really the opposition parties putting down a motion and the Welsh Government saying ‘delete all’, and it feels like on this occasion just for the point of doing it and that depresses me beyond belief.”
Labour’s Alun Davies agreed, saying: “I don’t believe that’s the correct way of approaching these debates. We should look for consensus where possible – and that’s coming from me. We should look towards amending motions rather than deleting them.”
Wales’ transport secretary Ken Skates said the Welsh Government took ownership of the core valley lines and “transformed a liability into an asset”.

He told the Senedd: “And now that we have a Labour UK Government we will transform services across north Wales as well, increasing services by 50% next year.”
Mr Skates said a review of Network Rail processes will ensure Wales finally receives a fair share of all future rail infrastructure investment.
Business
‘We can’t carry on as we are’: NRW set to face ‘rough old 12 months’

NATURAL Resources Wales is not out of the woods after making £10m cuts, slashing 250 jobs and receiving a £19m loan to cover an unexpected tax bill, a committee heard.
Llŷr Gruffydd, who chairs the Senedd’s climate committee, warned Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has been in a constant state of evolution and flux for many, many years.
David Henshaw, who chairs the board, said: “We can’t carry on as we are,” with NRW having agreed a target of cutting £10.9m from its budget by April 1.
He told Senedd members NRW’s massively committed workforce has found the “case for change” process really tough, with 256 posts removed and vacancies unfilled.
But he stressed: “Our duty is to face the challenge and actually deal with it.”
Appearing before the committee for scrutiny of NRW’s 2023/24 annual report on March 12, Sir David warned: “It’s going to be a rough old 12 months or so.”
Ceri Davies, acting chief executive, described NRW as being at a pivotal point, with a renewed focus on climate and nature.

She told the committee NRW has been trying to focus more on areas where it is uniquely best placed to deliver such as flood risk, biodiversity, water quality and regulatory work.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we give up some things,” she said.
Ms Davies added that NRW implemented a recruitment freeze, to minimise redundancies as far as possible, which has impacted on current staff.
“But we’re coming out of that now,” she said. “We’re supporting our staff through that and … we will be very shortly releasing opportunities for us to reinvest and to take on new staff.”
The Conservatives’ Janet Finch-Saunders questioned why NRW has an interim chief executive and a chief executive, asking how long the situation will continue.
Sir David replied that chief executive Clare Pillman has been off sick, saying: “She’s on the road to recovery, I think, so that’s why Ceri has been wonderfully acting up for us.”
Ms Davies has been acting up in the £150,000-a-year role since at least November, according to board papers.
Asked about funding in 2025/26, finance director Rachael Cunningham said NRW will have a total forecast budget of £298.3m – representing an annual increase of about £32.5m.
Carolyn Thomas, who chairs the petitions committee, raised public concern about NRW’s plans for its Nant yr Arian, Coed y Brenin and Ynyslas visitor centres.
Her Labour colleague Julie Morgan said the visitor centres are “much more than just a cafe”.
Sir David stressed: “These forests and places are not being closed, let’s be clear … what’s been looked at is the closure of cafes and shops which cost about £1m a year.”
He added: “We weren’t doing massive business in these shops and cafes, they were a big lossmaker … given the challenges of the budget, we had to look very seriously at it.”
On a 6% cut to enforcement, Ms Davies explained NRW has instead prioritised prevention. “When we’re in the enforcement territory, the damage has already been done,” she said.
She told the committee NRW will continue to take action on significant offences as a deterrent, with a 30% increase in enforcement in 2023/24.
Pressed about the Welsh Government having to cover an estimated £19m tax bill for NRW due to off-payroll working, Sir David said a long list of public bodies face a similar situation.
“It’s an issue which has been very difficult for us,” said Sir David, a former chief executive at Liverpool Council. “And there are some questions we need to ask ourselves.”
He added: “Should we have been more aware earlier? Probably, yes. But actually would it have made much difference…? Probably not. We’ve made clear that in terms of employment now, we have none of the issues … so that’s been settled.”
Ms Cunningham declined to provide detail on the extent of liability accepted by NRW following February’s board meeting “because that’s in the hands of HMRC”.
Education
‘When you’re in a hole, stop digging’: Cardiff University urged to rethink cuts

CARDIFF University chiefs have been urged to “reflect and think again” about colossal cuts, with the local Senedd Member saying: “When you’re in a hole, stop digging”.
Jenny Rathbone warned Cardiff University has been engulfed in an existential crisis that could threaten the future of the biggest and best-resourced university in Wales.
In January, the university announced plans to cut 400 jobs and courses – including nursing, languages and music – as well as merge departments such as maths and computing.
Ms Rathbone, who represents Cardiff Central, said the university is home to Wales’ only planning school and the country clearly needs a pipeline of planners.
And, raising a 4,000-name open letter signed by mathematicians across the world, she pointed out that the university provides specialist teachers who are difficult to recruit.
Ms Rathbone asked: “Where then will the brilliant mathematicians of the future come from unless they have inspirational teachers?”

She added: “If we don’t have a modern foreign languages department … what impact will it have on … inward investment and selling Welsh goods and services to other countries?”
Leading a short debate on ensuring Wales has a thriving university sector, Ms Rathbone told the Senedd: “I accept that no change is not an option. Cardiff University is currently subsidising its day-to-day operations from its reserves to the tune of £31m a year.”
The former Islington councillor argued all universities are struggling with the UK Government “killing off the golden goose of higher fees for foreign students”.
Ms Rathbone said the university’s debt now stands at £321m, according to latest accounts.
She warned: “Clearly, this is not doing Cardiff’s reputation any good. And individual schools of excellence are horrified that they may be bundled into new colleges.”
She told Senedd Members: “I’ve spoken to a wide range of Cardiff academics and I’ve yet to find any support for the university’s academic future proposals.”
She added: “I hope the vice-chancellor and her executive board will reflect and think again, because, when you’re in a hole, stop digging.”
Calling for a “team Wales” approach as in Scotland, she argued more collaboration between universities on common principles is crucial to ensuring Wales has a thriving sector.
“Cardiff clearly has to make some changes,” she said. “They can’t spend money that they haven’t got. But clearly, these proposals have got to be agreed in social partnership with their main stakeholders, principally their staff.”
Calling for genuine consultation, Labour’s Julie Morgan, whose son-in-law works at Cardiff University, was dismayed by the extent of cuts across Wales.
“Young people are our lifeblood and this is cutting off opportunities for them,” she warned, saying she has been inundated with letters from distressed staff living in Cardiff North.
Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell, a former lecturer, called for a cross-party review to address a “broken” financial model, with universities grappling with a deficit of £70m.

The shadow education secretary said universities face a further £20m hit from national insurance increases as well as a loss of up to £80m due to changes to student visas.
Responding to the debate on March 12, Vikki Howells, who was appointed higher and further education minister in September, pointed to Medr’s five-year plan published on Wednesday.
Medr, which was established in August, is responsible for funding and regulating post-16 education and research – including colleges and sixth forms unlike its predecessor Hefcw.
Ms Howells, a former teacher at Caerphilly’s St Cenydd Comprehensive, said the Welsh Government increased tuition fees for two years running and has provided an extra £28m for Medr this year.

She told Senedd Members: “Medr is absolutely adamant in its belief that no university in Wales is at risk of going under and we also are not looking at any mergers at all, either.”
Ms Howells, who studied at Cardiff University, stressed that a 90-day consultation on the proposals remains open, with a final decision expected to be considered in June.
She urged universities, colleges and schools to get behind Medr’s collective vision for a more joined-up, inclusive and collaborative tertiary education sector.
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