Politics

Senedd set for crunch vote on banning lying politicians

Published

5 days ago

July 2, 2024

THE SENEDD will today debate a “historic, world-leading” plan to ban lying politicians amid claims members have been given “erroneous” legal advice ahead of the crunch vote.

Adam Price’s plan would make it a criminal offence for Senedd members, ministers or candidates to deliberately deceive the public, with a four-year disqualification as punishment.

The Plaid Cymru politician’s proposed ban was added to the elections bill, under clause 64, after Labour backbencher Lee Waters abstained in a vote during an earlier committee stage.

Now, the Welsh Government has introduced an amendment to delete clause 64, which will be subject to a vote of the whole Senedd – the final opportunity to change the bill.

Activists and legal experts have accused Mick Antoniw, the counsel general, of making “legal and factual errors” in letters to Senedd members, which urged them to resist change.

Speaking on the eve of the vote, Mr Price, who represents Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, urged his fellow Senedd members to act.

He said: “Trust in politics is at an all-time low and the existing solutions – standards committees, standards commissioners and recall – have failed to solve that problem.

“So, it’s time to do something different.

“If the three opposition parties stay united and independent-minded Labour members join us then we have the chance to start to rebuild that trust.”

Mr Price, who led a campaign to impeach former prime minister Tony Blair for “duping” the UK into the Iraq war, added: “Winning is the next step in this process – not the end, however.

“We hope the government will then shift from defending an old system that isn’t working to helping us design and build a new one together that will.”

In a letter to members, Mick Antoniw, who is the Welsh Government’s chief legal adviser, raised concerns the bill could have profound, unintended consequences.

Describing the proposals as “unworkable” and lacking consultation, he warned clause 64 could stifle political debate and undermine effective scrutiny of government.

Mr Antoniw wrote: “While the underlying intentions behind the provision seem morally right, the proposed new crime represents a radical departure from modern constitutional norms in this country that has the potential to do much more harm than good.

“I do not overstate my concerns by highlighting that it is the kind of criminal law that was used as a tool to suppress dissent in the distant past in this country, is still used for that purpose in other countries today.

“And I worry that the good intentions that lie behind this provision could be abused in that way again here under different political circumstances.”

Mr Antoniw suggested the bill could be referred to the Supreme Court or prevented from receiving royal assent by the Welsh secretary.

Sam Fowles, of Cornerstone Barristers, who has provided free advice to Mr Price, criticised “legal and factual errors” in the counsel general’s advice to members.

Dr Fowles claimed Mr Antoniw was wrong to say the bill would restrict freedom of speech and that issues of honesty cannot be adjudicated on by the courts.

He said: “[The law] does not impose any restriction on the freedom of speech of Senedd members beyond that already in place. It is surprising the counsel general implies otherwise.

“The counsel general’s scepticism as to the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion is at odds with the day-to-day reality of public discourse as well as law.”

In a follow-up letter to MSs, the barrister, who is director of the Institute for Constitutional and Democratic Research, argued that freedom of speech has never implied a freedom to lie.

Dr Fowles, who was involved in high-profile cases around the post office and prorogation of the UK Parliament, said clause 64 would make it easier to regulate deliberate deception.

Jennifer Nadel, co-director of Compassion in Politics, a cross-party think tank, called for decisive action at a dangerous time, “with a Putin apologist set to enter parliament”.

She said: “Sadly those who are perhaps concerned that the tradition of gentlemen’s agreements is about to be replaced by something altogether more transparent and accountable have made erroneous arguments in defence of the status quo.

“It is clear that something bolder and more courageous is needed to restore trust in politics.

“Honesty matters to the public and they want to see clear independent action, not politicians continuing to police themselves.

“They are on the wrong side of history. This bill is supported by the vast majority of the population. I am hopeful that Wales will do something truly historic and back this bill and let truth and integrity prevail.”

The author and award-winning journalist accused Douglas Bain, the Senedd’s standards commissioner, of being out of touch with public opinion.

Giving evidence on Monday, July 1, Mr Bain criticised clause 64, describing its drafting as “clumsy at best” before adding “and I think that’s being rather generous”.

Ms Nadel said: “We are gravely concerned that the commissioner doesn’t appear to appreciate the gravity of the situation or the loss of public confidence in existing measures.

“His inability to see why the measure is needed makes the case for reform all the stronger.”

Dr Fowles also hit back at Mr Bain’s comments, saying: “The Senedd standards commissioner seemed to call political lying ‘a problem that isn’t really there’.

“Only 9% of the public trust politicians to tell the truth. It’s not a problem, it’s a crisis. The commissioner should take 91% of the public more seriously.”

Richard Symons, director of the Ministry of Truth – a BBC documentary on political lying – was followed by cameras on his campaign to persuade MPs to back a ban in 2007.

Mr Price, then a member of the House of Commons, agreed, proposing a “Misrepresentation of the People Act” which ultimately failed to make it onto the statute book.

But now, 17 years on, the pair are closer than ever to changing the law.

Mr Symons pointed to December’s Ipsos poll which found trust in politicians has fallen below a low set amid the expenses scandal, with trust in ministers at its lowest since the early ’90s.

The filmmaker said: “In other words, the existing mechanisms and those introduced after 2009 have brought only further decline. Nothing more.

“We don’t have a mechanism to engender public trust, we have mechanisms which erode it. Both the standards commissioner and the Labour government seem blind to this.”

News

What new Parliament would look like under proportional representation

Published

17 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

17 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.