Rt Hon Mark Drakeford
First Minister for WalesMark Drakeford outlines his reforms of the Senedd, which will introduce proportional representation, increase the number of representatives and introduce gender quotas for candidates.
In May 1997, the incoming UK Labour Government committed to hold referendums on the creation of devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland. On 18 September that year, people in Wales were asked if they agreed or disagreed whether there should be a Welsh Assembly. People in Wales agreed. The margin of victory was narrow, with 50.3 per cent in favour, but the work to create a new Assembly for Wales – the first Welsh Parliament since the time of Owain Glyndwr in the early 15th century – was underway.
The UK Parliament subsequently passed the Government of Wales Act, providing the legal basis for the National Assembly for Wales. It granted the Assembly powers to make secondary legislation in areas including agriculture, fisheries, education, housing, and highways.
Vote of confidence
In 2011, a second referendum was held – people in Wales were asked whether primary law-making powers should be extended to the Assembly. This time, 63.5 per cent of voters supported further devolution. The increase in support for the Assembly, from the slimmest of margins in 1997 to a healthy majority in 2011, was a clear seal of approval for devolution.
Since its inception, the National Assembly – now rightly called the Senedd, or Welsh Parliament – has grown, taking on new responsibilities, becoming a legislature in its own right. But while the breadth and depth of the matters discussed and decided on by the Senedd, and its ability to affect people’s lives, has grown substantially, the size of the Senedd and the number of elected members has remained the same.
This has made the Senedd’s ability to discharge its responsibilities and deliver on the important business that affects everyone’s lives, increasingly difficult. Furthermore, with a Welsh Government with greater powers, the need for greater scrutiny has increased proportionately.
While the Senedd is, relative to its counterpart in Westminster, still in its early years, I believe its youthfulness is one of its strengths. While the Senedd has grown in its powers and responsibilities – and I hope to see a further increase in the devolution of powers in the future – we can now take this opportunity to ensure it also evolves to better reflect modern life in Wales and represent the people it serves.
A modern Senedd
On 18 September this year, 26 years to the day after the historic referendum result, the Welsh Government introduced the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill before the Senedd. Senedd reform is a shared commitment in our Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru.
The Bill aims to create a modern Senedd, better able to represent people in Wales, with increased capacity to scrutinise, make laws and hold the Government to account.
It provides for the Senedd to have 96 Members – an increase from the current 60. It would create 16 Senedd constituencies, through the pairing of the 32 new UK parliamentary constituencies, with six representatives per constituency. Rather than a majority of members being elected first-past-the-post, all members would be elected using closed proportional lists, using the d’Hondt method.
With the overall increase in the Senedd’s size, the Bill enables the Senedd to elect an additional Deputy Presiding Officer. It would also increase the maximum number of ministers, which can be appointed, from 12 to 17, with powers for Welsh ministers to further increase this limit to 18 or 19 with the approval of the Senedd.
The Bill also provides a pathway for further consideration during the next Senedd term of the practical and legislative implication of job-sharing, including election on the basis of a job share.
Other provisions include the disqualification of any person who is not registered in the register of local government electors at an address within Wales from standing as a candidate for election. The Bill also provides for returning Senedd elections to a four-year cycle.
A separate Bill to introduce gender quotas for candidates for election to the Senedd, to make the institution more effective and more representative of the people it serves, will be brought forward later in the year. If the Senedd supports this Bill, it will be implemented in time for the next Senedd election in 2026.
This Bill will place Welsh democracy on firmer foundations and bring us closer in size to the legislatures in Edinburgh and Stormont. This is in stark contrast to the way Wales’ representation in the UK Parliament has been weakened under the current UK Government.
A stronger, more representative Senedd, elected through a proportional system, will be better equipped to continue to make a difference to people in Wales. It will ensure fairness, provide better scrutiny and help all of us realise our ambition for Wales and our maturing democracy.
