8. Plaid Cymru Debate: Assembly Reform

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:29 pm on 10 July 2019.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 6:29, 10 July 2019

So, let me highlight some key principles. I'll come back in a moment if I can.

Voter choice, where the chosen system of election going forward should enable voters to select or indicate a preference for individual candidates; where the electoral system should deliver Members with broadly equivalent mandates that afford equal status; where we have at least the current level of proportionality as the current system, and ideally more; where votes should have the same value; where the system is as simple and intelligible as possible to voters; and where it's futureproofed to changing needs and trends, and which can deliver government accountability, effectiveness and stability, whether those are majoritarian governments or coalitions. Now, I won't rehearse the full and thorough detail of the report—others can read it at their leisure—but it leads to very clear and well-evidenced conclusions: that we need more Assembly Members to do effectively the job of scrutiny for which we are elected, and that no amount of clever working will make up for a current and a growing capacity gap, and also that we need to consider a new system of election that, together with more AMs, will not only deliver on the principles outlined in the report, but will, together with the recommendations on positive action to promote gender equality, lead to all parties and the Assembly as a whole leading the way on greater diversity in action, not just in words, and by making all votes count equally can promote higher voter turnout. I will give way.