More on Welsh Lib Dems and the Senedd expansion

 This is the text of an emergency motion passed today at the Welsh Lib Dems' "spring" (well, you know what Covid-19 does) conference:

Conference notes:

1. Proposals for reform of the Senedd and elections to the Senedd ahead of the 2027 Welsh General Election, including:
   1. Increasing the number of Senedd Members to 96.
   2. Electing MSs using the Closed List D’Hondt Method.
   3. Pairing new Westminster Constituency boundaries to form 16 multimember Senedd constituencies to be later reviewed by the Boundary Commission for Wales.
2. The work of the 2017 Expert Panel on Senedd reform.
3. Welsh Lib Dem proposals to expand the Senedd and for democratic reform in the 2014 Policy Paper Paying Down the Democratic Deficit

Conference believes:

1. That the current Senedd is ill-equipped to properly scrutinise government, generate innovative ideas, and meet the growing demands on legislative time arising from Brexit and the UK Government’s assault on devolution.
2. That the electoral system should give voters meaningful choice, and should be fair and proportional ensuring that seats match the number of votes cast for a party.
3. That the link between representatives and their constituents is crucial, which is why constituencies should be based on natural communities.
4. That the proposals brought forward by Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru fail to meet these principles.

Conference calls on the Welsh Liberal Democrats to:

1. Support increasing the number of MSs to 96.
2. Work with others to bring forward amendments to elect MSs by STV.
3. Work with others to bring forward amendments to form multimember constituencies based on Local Authority boundaries.

I was relieved on one score. Early reports suggested that our leader, Jane Dodds, had accepted the full package without consultation. Instead, her motion revealed that she fully takes on board the party's preference for a fair voting method. Single Transferable Vote allows electors to vote for people individually, not an indiscriminate list selected by party bosses. It must also be sensible to base electoral districts on what the Welsh Government controls, not depend on the whims of Westminster. (With the imminent change of UK administration, constituency boundary changes may be up in the air again.)

There is a chance that Plaid Cymru may have second thoughts about endorsing party lists. Their manifestos routinely advocate STV for filling both House of Commons and Senedd seats and there may be pressure from their membership to stand fast on this principle. Jane, in introducing the subject this morning, said words to the effect that the proposals were not set in stone and it will be many months before the substantive Bill is brought before the Senedd. There is time for further negotiation.

On the other hand, Jane indicated that the number of 96 is non-negotiable. We either expand to 96 members or we do not expand at all. I have already set out my objections to this, objections which were brought into focus at Welsh questions in the Commons this week. Junior minister at the Welsh Office David TC Davies made plain that their main line of attack on Welsh Labour will be the increased cost of politicians. It may be the only card which Welsh Conservatives can play in future elections, but it will be a strong one. I really do trust that ordinary voters get the message through to all the parties who support expansion that this is too big a number - by at least a dozen, in my view.

For the reason set out in the last paragraph, I abstained on this motion. I did not want to vote against expansion, or the advocacy of STV and sensible boundaries, but I objected to the motion not being presented on the substantive agenda, giving time for parties to submit reasoned amendments. One hopes that the "top table" will bring this back with time for a proper debate at the autumn conference. 

At the same time, the separate proposition that "zipping" to provide sex balance to electoral lists should be discussed. It is sad that the Welsh electorate still has to be directed to return a Senedd which is not dominated by middle-aged white males. In the UK parliament, there is a preponderance of women in the Liberal Democrat party. Here, zipping would have had the deleterious effect of preventing the election of some exceptional members because they were women. I would also point out that at one time the Liberal Democrat contingent in Cardiff Bay consisted of one male AM (as they were designated then) and five women.