Senedd Reform

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:31 pm on 7 June 2022.

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Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 1:31, 7 June 2022

Thank you for that response. Of course, the conclusions of the Senedd committee tie in very well with the conclusions of the discussions between you and the leader of Plaid Cymru. And, of course, if those conclusions and recommendations are implemented, it will be the most significant shake-up to elections to the Senedd since it was founded back in 1999, scrapping the current system whereby 40 Members are elected on a first-past-the-post basis. Now, when such significant changes to voting systems have been presented in the past, they have been put to the public vote, for the public to have a say via a referendum. Back in 2011, when there was a proposal to scrap the first-past-the-post system for Westminster elections, quite rightly, the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, put that decision into the hands of the public via a referendum. Given that there was no specific mention of an increase in Members of the Senedd in your party's manifesto for the last Senedd election, do you accept that there is a need for the public to have a direct say on the package of proposals that is being put forward before this Senedd and will be debated tomorrow?