Labour MS warns that 'democracy is at a precipice' and calls for 'radical reform' of the way the UK is governed

Emily Price 

A Senior Labour politician will make the case for radical constitutional and electoral reform in a keynote speech to the Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) this week.

Member of the Senedd for Pontypridd, Mick Antoniw, will deliver his speech to the IWA’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday (September 25) when he will accept an Honorary Life Fellowship.

The 72-year-old announced in January that he is to step down in 2026 after serving in the Senedd for 15 years.

He said it was time for "fresh blood, new energy and new progressive ideas for the future of Wales".

Antoniw has been the member for Pontypridd since 2011 and served as the Welsh Government’s most senior legal advisor on several occasions.

He quit the Counsel General role in 2024 after losing confidence in embattled First Minister Vaughan Gething.

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'More important'

Speaking ahead of the speech Mick Antoniw said: "The constitution’ is a subject that regularly gets sidelined by politicians, who argue that it’s not a ‘bread and butter’ issue. There is always something that is more important.

"But they are wrong.  The most disturbing developments in our society, be that civic insatiability, the rise of populist politics and voter disengagement or distrust of the judiciary and the rule of law, all have their roots in our over-centralised governance and a constitution that has not evolved in line with the population it serves."

In the speech, Antoniw will make particular reference to the lost opportunity of UK Labour’s failure to act on former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown’s landmark ‘A New Britain, Renewing our Democracy’ report.

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'Suffering'

He will say: "I consider this report to be one of the most important constitutional reports of the last few decades.

"It is a road map for the change our constitution urgently needs, including parity for Wales’ devolved responsibilities with those of Scotland.

"It is a matter of great regret that the UK Government has allowed this report to gather dust on the shelf.

"Our democratic health is suffering, and our democracy is at a precipice. The majority of people in the UK have lost confidence in our political system, and it is our responsibility as elected representatives to act.

"I believe that there is a special responsibility on the UK Labour government, which was elected on just a third of the vote, to reinvigorate our constitution, so that it mirrors our country of nations as it is, not as it was a century ago.

"The first and very obvious step, should be a reform of the electoral system."