Warning against “undemocratic” 10% recall threshold for Senedd Members

Published

2 years ago

June 4, 2024

A 10% THRESHOLD for voters to remove Senedd members from office between elections would be undemocratic, the standards commissioner warned.

Douglas Bain, who investigates complaints against Senedd members, gave evidence to a standards committee inquiry looking into introducing a system of recall.

He said: “I very much welcome anything that will strengthen the ability of the public to call to account members of the Senedd. I think that should always be welcome.”

But Mr Bain warned that the closed-list electoral system, which will see people voting for parties rather than candidates from 2026, poses major difficulties.

He said: “If a member was recalled, the public – the electorate – would not have a choice of who might be elected, with the automatic election of the next person on the party list.”

He told the committee it would be “quite wrong” to replace a member in this way, without a byelection, “because only 10% of the electorate have said that’s what they want to happen”.

Stressing it’s a personal view, and ultimately a matter for the Welsh Parliament to decide, Mr Bain said: “I wouldn’t regard that as democratic or acceptable.”

He added: “There has to be some sort of mechanism to ensure actually it’s the will of not just 10% of the people that the member should be replaced, but it’s the majority of the people.”

Peredur Owen Griffiths, a Plaid Cymru member of the committee, pointed out that an MS could be elected with 40% of the vote yet removed with 10%.

Mr Bain suggested giving the standards committee powers to recommend disqualification could work as an alternative but this could be viewed as MSs marking their own homework.

Asked whether proxy and postal votes should be allowed as part of a recall mechanism, Mr Bain said the extra verification steps would unduly complicate the process.

Vikki Howells asked about Westminster’s criteria for triggering a recall petition: a prison sentence of less than 12 months, a ten-day suspension, or an expenses conviction.

Mr Bain, who was appointed in 2021, told the committee chair it is a good starting point.

The standards commissioner said there could be an argument for reducing the 12-month sentence threshold, above which members are automatically disqualified.

He asked: “Is it acceptable that someone who’s been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment … to remain a member of the Senedd? I think many would think the answer is ‘no’.”

Asked if members should be able to appeal, Mr Bain said in his experience of the complaints process, introducing an appeals mechanism risks prolonging the agony for everyone.

He recommended following Westminster’s model as closely as possible, adapting it for Wales as necessary: “Why try to reinvent a wheel that seems to work reasonably well?”

Mr Bain previously served as acting commissioner following Sir Roderick Evans’ resignation in 2019 after he was secretly recorded by Neil McEvoy, the former Plaid Cymru MS.

The commissioner, who is based in Northern Ireland, said a vote of the whole Senedd and a weighted majority should be required due to the serious nature of the recall decision.

“Otherwise it could be used by a party that had a greater number of seats in the Senedd simply to remove opposition, which would be wholly unacceptable,” he warned.

But Joe Rossiter, co-director of the Institute of Welsh Affairs, suggested a vote of the whole Senedd is unnecessary and risks politicisation, with members voting in party blocks.

Mr Rossiter, who joined the independent think tank and charity in 2022, described the members and elections bill as a missed opportunity to include a recall mechanism.

He told the meeting on June 3: “The public have a right to expect high standards from elected officials who are having an increasing impact on everyday life in Wales.”

Ms Howells asked whether politicians should be recalled for changing their allegiance, saying voters are often vexed and lack representation when an MS joins another party.

Mark Drakeford suggested members should be allowed to leave a political group but then only be able to sit as an independent for the rest of that Senedd term.

“They wouldn’t be able to hawk themselves around to different political groups,” he said.

The ex-first minister suggested it is unlikely the main parties will exhaust their 12-candidate lists for constituencies, saying: “You’d have to have a very, very substantial run of bad luck.”

Mr Drakeford said any independent MS would effectively be on a list of one but he argued it would be preferable for the seat to sit vacant rather than hold a by-election.

He told the meeting the unintended consequences of holding by-elections under the new fully proportional system outweigh the problems arising from a vacant seat.

Natasha Asghar, for the Conservatives, asked whether Wales should introduce a public body, similar to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) in Westminster.

Mr Rossiter said an Ipsa-style approach could raise standards throughout the Senedd as an institution, not only among individual members, but it would require more investment.

Maenclochog care home turned down after community concerns

Published

7 hours ago

May 25, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CARE HOME scheme for a Pembrokeshire village, which saw objections from the local community council after youngsters had ‘absconded’ from similar sites locally, will need a formal application, planners have said.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Future Nest Care Ltd, through agent Evans Banks Planning Limited, sought a certificate of lawfulness to allow the use of dwelling house Brynawel, Maenclochog as a care home for two youngsters between the ages of five and 16 with specific needs.

A supporting statement said the youngsters would be supported by three qualified and experienced staff members during the day and two at night; the certificate of lawfulness application made to establish that formal planning permission is not required to use an existing two-storey detached dwellinghouse into a residential care facility to accommodate two children, supervised 24/7 by staff.

It added: “The proposed use is designed to provide a safe, nurturing, and family-style environment to help the young residents develop essential life skills and prepare for independent living. The residing youngsters will attend local schools or colleges and participate in community life, in the same manner as any young person living in a traditional family home.

“The qualified and experienced staff will prepare those children for their re-introduction back into a life without supervised care. The residing youngsters would attend the local school or further education college, as would any youngster under 18 living in a family home.”

However, Maenclochog Community Council objected to the proposals after residents expressed their concerns.

In its objection, it said: “This proposal has raised significant concern within the village, particularly as there are already multiple provisions for similar accommodation on the outskirts of Maenclochog.

“In the past, young people accommodated at these facilities have frequently absconded, leading to repeated searches across the surrounding area. This history heightens local anxiety regarding the introduction of further such provision within the village.”

It added: “Neighbouring residents have not been consulted regarding the proposed change of use, which has led to unease and a lack of confidence in the applicants’ intentions and in the suitability of the site for this form of development.”

It went on to say: “Before any decision is made, Maenclochog Community Council strongly believes that local residents should be afforded the opportunity of a public consultation. While the proposal may represent an economic decision for the property owners, it has wider implications for the village and its residents.”

An officer report recommended refusal of the certificate of lawfulness, concluding that “a material change of use would occur in relation to the proposed use of the site and as a result a certificate of proposed lawful use cannot be granted”.

In refusing the lawfulness call, planners said “the frequency of staff changes and the number of vehicle movements associated with the proposed use of the property would be materially different to those associated with its lawful use as a dwelling,” the material change of use to a care home requiring a formal planning application.

Business

New facilities at Haverfordwest Target Shooting Club agreed

Published

3 days ago

May 23, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL by a Pembrokeshire shooting club for more disability-friendly facilities has been given the go-ahead by county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Haverfordwest Target Shooting Club, through agent Andrew Sutton Architecture, sought permission for an extension to existing target shooting club building at The Firing Range, Withybush Road, Haverfordwest to improve accessibility and internal facilities, together with associated landscaping works.

A supporting statement said: “The club’s own published history states it was founded in 1968, moved from the Drill Hall to the old wartime airfield butts at Withybush by the early 1970s, and had developed facilities over time, including the clubhouse by 1999. The established leisure/community use has existed on the site for a number of years and the proposal does not seek to intensify the core activity beyond that already authorised/established.”

It added: “The primary objective of the scheme is to improve inclusive access to the club’s facilities for disabled users and those with reduced mobility. The internal arrangement will provide adequate entrance and lobby space, clear accessible routes and appropriately designed sanitary accommodation, including an accessible wetroom/shower and separate WC.”

It also said accessible parking and surfacing designed to provide a firm, even, slip-resistant route from parking to the principal entrance.

It added: “The Equality Act 2010 places duties on service providers to make reasonable adjustments so that people with additional access needs are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.

“The proposal is therefore a positive enhancement to a community/leisure facility and supports wider policy objectives for inclusive environments.”

It went on to say: “The club operates within a highly controlled environment, and the proposed works will maintain and enhance safety and security measures.”

The application was conditionally approved by planners.

News

Watchdog criticises health board over £10m GP contract checks

Published

3 days ago

May 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A HEALTH board has been criticised by Audit Wales after GP contracts worth more than £10m were awarded without sufficient due diligence checks.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board allowed a GP partnership associated with eHarley Street Primary Care Solutions to take on eight GP contracts in south-east Wales, with a combined annual value of around £10.1m.

Audit Wales said the board should have carried out greater scrutiny before approving the arrangements, including checks on financial resilience, workforce plans, business risks and the partnership’s ability to manage several practices at once.

However, the watchdog found no evidence of fraud and noted the board was dealing with significant pressure in general practice, including vacant contracts and limited interest from other bidders.

The report said weaknesses in governance and scrutiny contributed to later disruption and uncertainty for patients and staff when problems emerged.

Concerns included financial and workforce pressures, unpaid invoices, and issues relating to tax and pension payments. Some contracts were later handed back, requiring the health board to step in to protect services.

Natasha Asghar MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Minister for Health and Social Care, said the findings were “deeply concerning”.

She said: “Patients and staff were left facing disruption and uncertainty because proper scrutiny was not carried out before these contracts were awarded.

“The Welsh Conservatives believe lessons must be learned to ensure robust checks are in place, protect frontline services and restore confidence in primary care across Wales.”

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board accepted the recommendations and said it had already strengthened its processes.

Audit Wales said the case highlighted the need for stronger checks before GP contracts are transferred, particularly when a single partnership is taking on multiple practices in a short period.