Could sin bin-style approach be used to sanction Senedd Members?

Published

7 months ago

June 11, 2024

AN ACADEMIC urged the Senedd to introduce a sin bin-style approach to sanctioning misbehaving members.

Jonathan Tonge, a professor at the University of Liverpool, gave evidence to a Senedd inquiry on creating a recall system to allow voters to remove members between elections.

Prof Tonge raised concerns about a suspension of ten sitting days or more being used as one of the criteria for triggering a petition under Westminster’s recall system.

He told the standards committee the “blunt, arbitrary” cutoff creates a cliffedge as he called for a “tapered, sin bin” approach with different sanctions for ten to 30-day suspensions.

Prof Tonge contrasted relatively light sanctions, such as the removal of rights and privileges, below ten days with a “drastic and draconian” penalty above the threshold.

The politics professor warned it is “very, very difficult for the miscreant to ‘survive’”, pointing out that only one MP has remained in post following a recall petition.

Vikki Howells, who chairs the committee, asked whether Senedd members who change their political allegiance after an election should be subject to recall.

From 2016 to 2021, more than 10% of members jumped ship at least once – with Mark Reckless representing Ukip, the Tories, Brexit Party and Abolish the Welsh Assembly.

Prof Tonge said defecting should be grounds for recall, particularly under the closed-list electoral system which will see people voting for parties rather than candidates from 2026.

He told the committee: “If you’ve got a party list system and someone’s stood on a party label then switches, the electorate may struggle to understand the legitimacy of that.

“It is in many ways anti-democratic.”

Asked by Plaid Cymru’s Peredur Owen Griffiths how a Senedd recall system could work, Prof Tonge said a straightforward option would be to co-opt a replacement from party lists.

He said holding by-elections risks punishing parties for the wrongdoing of individuals.

But he warned it would be more of a removal petition than a recall one because MSs would not be able to fight a by-election to clear their name as in Westminster.

Prof Tonge told committee members he is “not a massive fan of co-option”, stressing it is possible to hold by-elections under a proportional representation system.

The expert raised the example of Ireland holding 138 by-elections since 1923, with seats changing hands in almost half of those instances.

He made a case for raising the threshold of 10% of voters signing a petition to 15%, if replacements are co-opted under Wales’ new fully proportional system.

Mark Drakeford suggested a simple retain-or-replace ballot, with a 20% threshold to ensure a reasonable proportion of the electorate takes part.

Prof Tonge was wary about raising the threshold too high, warning it might be a struggle to get 20% of the electorate to turn out.

“I wouldn’t start making the threshold insurmountable,” said the academic.

He pointed out that 18.9% signed a petition which triggered a UK Parliament by-election in Brecon and Radnorshire in 2019 after an MP was convicted of claiming false expenses.

Asked by the former first minister about spending limits, Prof Tonge said a £10,000 cap on expenditure by campaigners seems reasonable.

He told Mr Drakeford spending on recall petitions has been modest because campaigners are rightly not allowed to provide running commentary.

He said: “Parties have found themselves fairly hamstrung in what they can do any way and that might explain why they have, thus far, not spent a lot of money campaigning.”

Prof Tonge added that parties know the 10% threshold will likely be reached.

He explained that the threshold has been comfortably passed ever since the 2018 North Antrim petition, which was exceptional due to the particular politics of Northern Ireland.

Prof Tonge described the ad-hoc number of petition stations, for people to sign in person, as a flaw in Westminster’s model, which can be correlated with turnout.

He cautioned that recall petitions can be costly, with the most expensive costing £500,000, but he said: “It’s a balance – you don’t want to cost cut on democracy.”

Asked by the Conservatives’ Natasha Asghar for examples of best practice, he stressed that no institution has got recall 100% right and there will always be anomalies.

But Prof Tonge told the committee meeting on June 10: “It’s not often that these words might cross my lips but I actually think Westminster has got this broadly right.”

He added: “I do think you’ve got a great opportunity here … to correct the details that Westminster got wrong while retaining the 80%-plus that Westminster got right.”

Cars expected to remain banned from Newport Sands in 2025

Published

2 days ago

January 1, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

NO PLANS to review the decision to end car parking on a north Pembrokeshire beach are expected in 2025, with works on a new car park development due to start early this year.

Newport Sands/Traeth Mawr became car-free in May 2023, when Pembrokeshire coast National Park ended parking on the beach after purchasing the land in response to growing safety concerns.

It said the beach would be a ‘car-free’ zone, with exceptions only allowed for emergency services and essential car users such as the RNLI and coastguards.

A petition was later launched demanding a backtrack, saying an outright ban will have an adverse effect on a wide cross-section of beach users, including disabled visitors.

Last July, members of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s authority agreed to keep the car-free resolution, along with “actively pursuing options of how to improve access for people living with disability”.

In December, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee approved an application by the national park for the demolition and replacement of the existing public convenience block, the creation of an access ramp and steps to south slipway, the erection of a beach wheelchair storage building, and works to the existing car park, including new pay and display machines, at Newport Sands PCNP Car Park, Golf Course Road.

The works include an extra 52 car parking spaces over the 43 currently there, along with an increase in disabled parking spaces.

A report for committee members received at the December meeting said: “The proposal will result in improved and enhanced services for visitors to the Newport Sands car park by providing better beach access, clearly laid out parking bays and pedestrian zones, improved public convenience facilities, and landscaping enhancements across the site. The provision of a changing places facility, beach wheelchair storage and new access ramp are likely to assist in enhancing access for wheelchair users to this site.”

Concerns had been raised by Nevern Community Council, who had called for its refusal, saying: “Nevern Community Councillors are concerned that visitors pay for the car parking and then also have to pay for the use of the toilets, it is felt that this double pay is ripping people off and taking advantage of visitors.”

Following a request for any review on the beach parking, a Pembrokeshire Coast National Park spokesperson said: “We don’t have any plans to issue further updates on Newport Sands in the coming year.

“Planning permission was granted in the December DM meeting, and the intention is to commence construction on phase 1 (ramps and car parking surface / wheelchair storage and landscaping) in early 2025.”

News

Pembrokeshire County Councillor Andrew Edwards resigns suddenly

Published

4 days ago

December 30, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of PembroTHE CHIEF executive of Pembrokeshire County Council, Will Bramble, has released a statement announcing that Cllr Andrew Edwards has resigned for personal reasons. A notice of a casual vacancy will be published today (Dec 30).

The Pembrokeshire Herald contacted Cllr Edwards, who issued the following statement:

“Family matters have made my position as a county councillor untenable.

“I have therefore decided to resign from the council, as I feel unable to carry out my duties to the standard I would wish at this time.

“I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the staff and fellow councillors who have supported me during my tenure.

“I wish the very best to my successor, who I am confident will serve the community with dedication.

“This has not been an easy decision, but I believe it is in the best interests of those I represent.”

Edwards, a barber, has served on the council since May 2022.

In April 2023, the Conservative councillor referred himself to the Public Services Ombudsman following the emergence of a recording in which he appeared to make offensive remarks suggesting all white men should have a black slave. However, it was later suggested that the recording may have been artificially generated using AI to discredit him.

News

Christmas Eve sign-off for Pembrokeshire over-55s housing scheme

Published

6 days ago

December 27, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

THE FINAL sign-off for a scheme to build 24 affordable homes for the over-55s at the “eyesore” site of the former Motor World building in Milford Haven has been given the go-ahead.

W B Griffiths & Sons Ltd, on behalf of Pembrokeshire County Council, in an application before the council’s November planning committee, was given approval for the construction of a new residential redevelopment of 24 affordable apartments for over-55s at 70A-80A Charles Street.

It is planned to build 21 one-bed apartments and three two-bed apartments, along with associated works.

***How the building looked before it was demolished***

The former Motor World site, previously described as an “eyesore,” was cleared in 2018 to enable redevelopment, with planning permission granted on the site for the development of 15 affordable apartments for over-55s in 2020 but the previous contractor was put into administration under what was described as, ‘significant financial stress’.

The application, submitted through agent DPP Planning, followed a public consultation earlier this year.

At the November meeting, approval was proposed by Cllr Alistair Cameron, seconded by committee chair Cllr Simon Hancock, who said: “We need to achieve regeneration of our town centres by repopulating them, and they will be much more sustainable in the future.”

He was supported by Cllr Mark Carter, who said: “I like developments like these; I think this is the way forward for communities, we’ve got a site here that as far back as I’ve been a councillor has attracted questions about when it will be built.”

A sticking point for the application was it was subject to a Welsh Government Holding Direction where planning permission could not be fully granted until an awaited vehicle Swept Path Analysis has been approved demonstrating that a turning area can be provided within the site for the largest type of vehicle that would serve it.

Members backed delegated authority for the council’s head of planning to approve the application following resolution of the issue.

The application was formally conditionally approved by planning officers on December 24, a Welsh Government response saying it “as highway authority for the A4076 trunk road does not issue a direction in respect of this application”.