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

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:22 pm on 26 January 2022.

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Photo of Rhys ab Owen Rhys ab Owen Plaid Cymru 5:22, 26 January 2022

At a time when turnout for elections is low, with general elections sitting at around 60 per cent, and with the Senedd struggling to reach 50 per cent, why would we want to limit people and dissuade them from sharing their voices and their opinions with us? Anyone who supports this Bill—and I'm looking at my friends who usually sit opposite me in the Siambr—should never again criticise this Senedd or any other election for that matter for low turnout, if they are supporting, through this, the voter ID that will actively turn people away and discourage voters. Democracies represent the voices of their citizens. A democracy that fails to include all its citizens or stops them from voicing their opinion is not a proper democracy. Diolch yn fawr.