4. 4. Plaid Cymru Debate: The Wales Bill and the Electoral System

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:22 pm on 29 June 2016.

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Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 3:22, 29 June 2016

(Translated)

I think that’s quite right. What we should say, of course, is that we want the power—and it has been given to us—to change the electoral system to any system that the Assembly should vote for, rather than restricting ourselves to one system. What we have at present is a wording that states that we ask Westminster to change the system to a particular model, rather than us having the power to change the system to the system that the National Assembly thinks would be the best for Wales.

What the amendment does is to broaden the scope of the motion that we have before us in order to ensure that, yes, the Assembly would decide what kind of system would ultimately be adopted, but without narrowing the debate to considering only one system and saying that we should only consider one system when we ask for the power from Westminster. So, for me, the amendment broadens the powers that the Assembly would have, and, ultimately, it would be up to the Assembly to decide on a cross-party basis what kind of system should be adopted in this Assembly and in local government.