8. Plaid Cymru Debate: The UK Government's Elections Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:19 pm on 26 January 2022.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Rhys ab Owen Rhys ab Owen Plaid Cymru 5:19, 26 January 2022

(Translated)

My colleagues Heledd Fychan, Peredur Owen Griffiths and Sioned Williams will discuss the impact of this Bill on the citizens of our nation. I would like to focus on the impact on our Senedd. Although the Bill doesn't directly impact devolved elections, the indirect impact is clear for all to see. First of all, the Bill will mean that ID will be required for police and crime commissioner elections. As we saw last May, different elections can happen on the same day, and it's entirely credible that one could think that voters would leave the polling station without having voted in Senedd and local elections because of a lack of ID—they will see that they need ID, and they will turn away. It makes the situation more complex, it makes the system more complex in a way that's entirely unnecessary.