Politics

Automatic voter registration in Wales edges nearer

Published

3 days ago

July 4, 2024

PLANS to automatically register voters cleared the penultimate hurdle in the Senedd’s legislative process – with 400,000 people potentially set to be added to the register.

Mick Antoniw, who is counsel general, the Welsh Government’s chief legal adviser, described the elections and elected bodies bill as groundbreaking.

He told the Senedd an incoming Labour UK Government would be committed to following Wales’ lead on automatic registration, with a similar model likely to be rolled out.

He said: “For Wales, It will mean potentially some 400,000 people being added to that register. If it is extended to the rest of the UK for non-devolved elections – you are talking about seven or eight million people who are not on the register.

“Now, it says something about our democracy when you have so many people who are not on the register – not even in a position to vote.”

Peter Fox, the Conservatives’ shadow local government secretary, pointed out that vulnerable people – such as those fleeing domestic abuse – may wish to opt out.

Mr Fox said: “We need to be careful with people’s information, as people are often wishing to remain anonymous for a good reason.”

Members agreed to his amendment which would increase the notice period for somebody to be registered to vote without application to 60 days.

But another of Mr Fox’s amendments – aimed at empowering disabled people to vote in person, “something that’s a fundamental right in our society” – was narrowly defeated.

Speaking after the debate on July 2, the former Monmouthshire council leader accused Labour of prioritising electoral change over tackling long NHS waiting lists.

Rhys ab Owen, who represents South Wales Central and sits as an independent in the Senedd, focused on disabled people’s participation in politics.

Calling for clearer information about accessibility, he told the chamber: “Imagine, if you may, that you are a disabled voter in Wales.

“Let’s say you have to use a wheelchair. You’re going to the polling station to cast your vote, as is your human right, and then you find you can’t get up the steps.”

Mr ab Owen warned: “It can make you feel helpless, dehumanised, to know that this is permitted to happen in a democratic society. And this isn’t just a hypothetical situation – this is the reality for thousands of people or voters across Wales.”

The former barrister pointed to a poll by the charity Sense which showed nearly half of disabled people believe they are not important to political parties.

Under the bill, Welsh ministers will be under a duty to improve diversity in Senedd and council structures – with tailored support for characteristics protected by equality law.

The bill, which has been overshadowed by contentious amendments about deception, would also lay the groundwork for councillors to be given cash when they are voted out.

Councillors who unsuccessfully stand for re-election could receive “resettlement payments”, dubbed in some quarters as “golden handshakes”, but those who stand down would not.

The policy aims to remove barriers, such as for people with caring responsibilities, and ease the transition for those who are giving up their careers to stand for election.

Wales’ 22 local authorities have about 1,250 councillors. Similar transitional arrangements are already in place for unseated Senedd members and MPs.

After the 2021 election, 20 ex-Senedd members were awarded payments from £14,000 to £50,000, costing the public purse £632,000, according to a freedom of information request.

If the bill is passed, community councillors would be barred from being Senedd members.

South Wales Central MS Joel James serves on Llantwit Fardre community council and a Conservative amendment seeking to remove the disqualification was defeated.

But the South Wales Central MS gained agreement on a related amendment which would ensure clerks cannot be a member of community councils.

He told the Senedd: “I’ve always been concerned by that. I think, as a clerk, you need to be politically neutral and it should be a restricted role.

“As, maybe, an opposition politician, or maybe an independent, what confidence would I have that the conversations I have with that clerk, or the advice I was given, would be fair?”

Adam Price tabled ultimately unsuccessful amendments, calling for voters to be given a “right to know” whether artificial intelligence has been used in electoral literature.

The former Plaid Cymru leader raised a “frightening” recent Dispatches documentary on the potential for technology to have a detrimental impact on democracy.

He said: “It is something that could have very dangerous implications for the integrity of our political discourse over coming years, and we can’t afford to remain static.”

The bill now moves to the fourth and final legislative stage – a vote of the whole Senedd on the proposals as amended – which has been pencilled in for July 9 at about 4pm.

With Labour and Plaid Cymru’s support, and no legal challenge expected, the bill is likely to be passed next week – with royal assent to follow.

News

What new Parliament would look like under proportional representation

Published

10 hours ago

July 6, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Electoral Reform Society has modelled what the new parliament would look like after the general election under proportional representation.

The modelling shows what Parliament would look like under the Additional Member System (AMS) [1] of proportional representation (PR), which is used for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments as well as the London Assembly, compared to the results under the current Westminster system of First Past the Post (FPTP)

	Vote share	AMS – MPs	FPTP – MPs
Labour	33.7%	236	412
Conservatives	23.7%	157	121
Reform	14.3%	94	5
Lib Dems	12.2%	77	71
Greens	6.8%	42	4
SNP	2.5%	18	9
Plaid	0.7%	4	4

A visual representation of how the results would look for PR compared to the First Past the Post results can be found here https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/18633267/

The Parliament elected under PR would far more closely reflect the way the country voted. It could lead to a number of scenarios politically, and likely lead to a government that represented a far greater share of voters. For instance, a Labour, Lib Dem, Green coalition under AMS would represent 52.7% of voters, rather than the just 33.7% represented by the Labour majority government.

In the coming weeks the Electoral Reform Society will also be releasing a model of the 2024 General Election result under the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system of PR, which is the ERS’s preferred system and used in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The model comes after the general election produced the most disproportional parliament in British electoral history.

The results saw the Labour Party win 64% of seats (412) with just under 34% of the votes. Meanwhile, Reform UK and the Green Party won just 9 seats (just over 1%) between them with over 20% of the vote share combined.

Research by the Electoral Reform Society also showed that Labour won an MP for every 24,000 votes they received, compared to one for every 49,000 for the Lib Dems, one MP for every 56,000 votes for the Conservatives, one for every 485,000 votes for the Greens and one for every 820,000 for Reform.

Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society said: “The job of Parliament is to represent the way the country voted. However, this election has produced the most disproportional result in British electoral history.

“This is because of the distorting Westminster First Past the Post voting system, which means the seats parties get in Parliament often are not matching the share of the votes they’ve received.

“In simple terms, people should get what they vote for. Our modelling shows what Parliament would look like with a fairer proportional voting system such the ones used for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.

“It’s time we moved to a fairer proportional voting system for Westminster so Parliament accurately reflects the way the country voted.”

News

The National Eisteddfod 2026 could be held in Pembrokeshire

Published

10 hours ago

July 6, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE National Eisteddfod 2026 could be held on the outskirts of Cardigan, just inside Pembrokeshire if Pembrokeshire County Council formalise the proposal.

It would mark 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in the town by Lord Rhys.

The site is in Llantood, between Cardigan and Eglwyswrw on the Pembrokeshire side of the border.

“The Cabinet is now asked to formally approve a proposal by the Welsh Local Government Association to host the 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire at a site in Llantood, just off the A487,” said the council agenda.

“Following an expression of interest by the former Leader in 2022, the Welsh Local Government Association has confirmed that the 2026 National Eisteddfod will be held in Pembrokeshire.”

The document adds: “There are also several historical reasons for the decision as 2026 marks 850 years since the establishment of the Eisteddfod in the Teifi Valley area.”

The document stated that the council has two options:

The Cabinet approves the decision to host the Eisteddfod at the Llantood site.
The Cabinet withdraws its application to host the festival.

The council document stated that officials recommend “approving the proposal to host the 2026 Pembrokeshire National Eisteddfod at the Llantood site within the Teifi Valley.”

The Cardigan Eisteddfod of 1176, held over Christmas, is the first known Eisteddfod. It was hosted by Lord Rhys of Deheubarth at his court in Cardigan.

Politics

Total annihilation of Tories in Wales

Published

2 days ago

July 5, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH Conservative Party has been completely wiped out in Wales in the latest General Election, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of the region. Labour emerged victorious, securing all but five of the 32 Welsh Commons seats. Plaid Cymru captured four seats, while the Liberal Democrats won Brecon, Radnor & Cwm Tawe.

In stark contrast to the 2019 election results, where the Tories held 14 of the 40 seats, Labour had 22, and Plaid Cymru maintained their four seats. This recent outcome represents a dramatic change, with Labour now holding 27 seats in Wales.

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies expressed his disappointment on X, stating, “We are a party that exists to govern and improve people’s opportunities. Let’s be frank: We’ve let a lot of people down.”

He acknowledged the party’s solid record in Welsh communities across various levels of government, from local councils to the Senedd and Parliament, and emphasised the need to rebuild the party ahead of the 2026 elections. Davies stressed the importance of not taking lifelong Conservative voters for granted as the first step in this rebuilding process.

This election marks the first time in 23 years that the Tories have been entirely ousted from Wales, reminiscent of the 2001 scenario when there was no Conservative representation in the region. The ‘Boris bounce’ that turned much of North Wales blue in 2019 has now dissipated, returning those constituencies to Labour.

Plaid Cymru also had a strong showing, retaining their four seats, and the Liberal Democrats managed to secure one seat. The early signs of this outcome were apparent when the now-former Welsh Secretary, David TC Davies, conceded defeat hours before the results were announced, stating he had only prepared a concession speech.

An intriguing development in this election was the performance of Reform UK, which came second in 12 of the Labour victories, surpassing the Tories and other parties. This could pose a challenge for Labour in the upcoming Senedd elections in 2026.

As the Welsh Tories reflect on their losses, Andrew RT Davies has reiterated the party’s failures and the need for substantial change. Despite the setbacks, the Conservatives still hold 16 of the 60 seats in the Welsh Senedd, while Welsh Labour has half the seats, Plaid Cymru has 13, and the Welsh Lib Dems have one seat, now occupied by Jane Dodds, MP for Brecon, Radnor & Cwm Tawe.

Nationally, the Conservative Party is predicted to win just 131 seats, the lowest in its history, while Labour is projected to secure 410 seats, achieving an overall majority of 170. This wider national trend underscores the significant challenges facing the Conservative Party as they move forward.