7. Motion to annul The Local Government (Coronavirus) (Postponement of Elections) (Wales) Regulations 2020

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:49 pm on 10 June 2020.

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Photo of Suzy Davies Suzy Davies Conservative 3:49, 10 June 2020

Diolch, Llywydd. Can I just thank Caroline Jones and the Minister for responding to that, and particularly to the Minister for the reasons why elections won't be postponed until May? But, that's actually not part of what I'm arguing for anyway, but I'm grateful for the update.

Regrettably, though, both of you have missed the point that I was trying to make, which is not about introducing by-elections imminently or any sooner. I'm asking this legislature to be sure that the Government is making it plain to us about why they're delaying it arbitrarily, it seems to me, until February. There is no opportunity to introduce by-elections any more quickly than that, even if coronavirus were to end tomorrow, which, obviously, it's not going to be doing that. But, we are delaying something here for the best part of a year without any process at all being available to us to shorten that period, should it turn out to be the situation that earlier by-elections would be possible. So, just to reinforce that point: I'm not asking for earlier ones, I'm asking for Government explanations of why we have to wait a year from now, when we've had no consultation and no explanation as to how that particular period of time was reached. But, thank you, everybody.