Does Wales need more Senedd members?

"Getting the electoral system right is fundamental to the health of democracy in Wales, and I agree with the committee on their significant reservations about the closed list system. With the bill having completed its first stage then we need further consultation on the electoral system. In democracy," Very well said, Mike.

Maybe we should abandon the idea that all constituencies need to be the same size. Let Brecon, Radnor and Cwmtawe be a standalone 3-seater. But keep the proposed 6-seaters in more densely populated areas.

Expanding/improving the M4 system will not alleviate congestion. The reason we have more congestion is simple - more vehicles, particularly cars. Mainly due to cheaper and easier finance. I remember to the days when there were few cars during the morning, after people had got to work, now it's like rush hour a couple of decades ago all the time. A better, cheaper, more efficient transportation system is the answer but even then getting people out of their cars again will be a very hard task.

A great article, and manages to explain to a simple farmer like myself where the number 96 came from. I'm all for more Senedd members, but if that means a closed list system then forget it. I'd honestly rather stay as we are now. At least people actually have a choice now over which individual they'd like to represent them. There's something very sinister about a closed list. It's effectively a way of keeping the 'trouble makers' out and the 'chancers' in.

I used to work in the Senedd and have seen up close the problems the current numbers cause. There are simply not enough members for them to be able to give the job of scrutinising the government the attention it deserves. So I absolutely agree with Mr Hedges that the number of members needs to increase. The number proposed seems reasonable given Wales geography and other factors. I have no strong views about 6 member constituencies, although he makes a fair point about the size of some of these. I also think it would make sense for the new boundaries to follow those of parliamentary constituencies. As to the electoral system, I am not a fan of D'hondt and would much prefer STV (but either is acceptable). However, what I find completely unacceptable is any form of 'closed list' system. This is a massive transfer of power from the electorate to party managers and should be resisted at all costs. Despite being hugely in favour of expanding the size of the Senedd, for very practical good governance reasons, I have come to the view that I would prefer it not to happen if it means a closed list electoral system

Does Wales needs more Senedd members? Simple answer. Yes. Wales is the only nation in the UK that has a Senedd Cymru undermanned since the inception of devolution in 1997 compared to overmanned overrepresented English Westminster machine that has over a 650 MPs & 783 Peers , not forgetting hundreds civilians servants to grease the gogs of government. And take Scotland with its 129 MSP, especially Northern Ireland's Assembly, who initially had twice the members of Wales before a reduction of MLAs from 110 to 90 with their constituency boundary changes. Besides more members our Senedd also needs more powers too. You can't have threadbare democracy that lacks powers & levers to make a difference when central government in London has no interest in improving Welsh infrastructure or eradicating poverty because they not only play political games but regard Wales as a region rather than a nation in its own right. Our Senedd struggles to function because there's not enough civil servants but members to scrutinise Welsh government legislation. The increase will also mean those extra members and civil servants mentioned will live, work and spend money in Wales rather than as before where direct rule meant Wales MPs largely lived in England where businesses in the South East & London financially benefitted. And I agree with others who criticise the new closed system voting system. But that can be changed. Bolstering Wales limited Senedd with additional members & powers is far more difficult thing to do. Less we forget. In 2020 we had the English Conservative government at Westminster and their agent provocateurs in Cardiff Bay criticise the renaming of our then Welsh Assembly to Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament when section 2 came into force even though they devolved the power to do so under the "Senedd & Elections Wales Act". And more recently. We had Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt bemoan the increase of Senedd members even though they are reducing Wales MPs from 40 to 32 and increasing England's MPs by an additional 10. So this is what we face as a people & country. A foreign government in London dictating our terms. And to rub our noses further into the democratic dirt, now we have Keir Stasi & UK Labour indicate they are to copy & paste Conservative attitudes towards Wales & devolution. And to quote fishy Rishy Sunak. "There will be no more devolution to Wales!" So expect business as usual from Labour when they are elected to power. And Brexiteers said Brussels were full of faceless bureaucrats who stole our sovereignty & power. No, that was Whitehall not Brussels. Sady, we in Wales have a habit of embracing our Unionist abusers. When will we ever learn? 😐

For a Welsh government to function you need more members plain and simple as that Scotland has more reflects their population of 5.5 Million with 129 seats in their parliament 2.4 million more people but 69 more seats where as Northern Ireland has a population of around 1.9 Million with 90 seats in the assemby of Northern Ireland so again we have not enough to function properly as a democracy paving the way to day we can rule our selves NOT THE ENGLISH but they and our Tories try to block and stop our path to FREEDOM

I agree with Mike Hedges on this matter (couldn't disagree more on his opinions wrt our Statehood). STV, 3 memb's per constituency will produce a reasonably balanced, proportional outcom whilst retaining that crucial local link with the electorate. These closed lists are terrible!

One compromise to the "closed list" issue that virtually everyone is against would be for each political party to have "primaries" (as they have in the usa) so the electorate could decide the ranking order of those seeking election.

The welcome interventions by Dafydd Wigley re the “ Party “ list system must allow for this debate to be re visited.. I am yet to find anyone who supports the destruction of the named member to the named constituency system we have had since gaining universal sufferage .

...and the Consul- General is adamant that the closed list is democratic!

The proposed closed list system would mean the likely leader of the opposition (i.e. a Tory) would be enforced on the nation by a couple of thousand right-wingers who could be bothered to pay for party membership, all hell-bent on ending Welsh democracy.

No. I dont think we need any more Senedd politicians. Too many already.

Why on earth would we need more politicians? I mean, really? We're facing the prospect of having our council tax hiked by 10% here in Gwynedd and the Assembly is just AOK with that. Just think, where is the money for extra Ams going to come from?