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Electoral Arrangements for the National Assembly
a) SIZE. As a large number of people do not realise
the difference between the First Past the Post Constituency
Member or the Regional Member, I don’t think the
time is quite right to change the overall number of
members. Whilst there is still negotiation taking place
regarding the position and powers of Town and Community
Councils and the relationship with the Unitary Authorities
(County Councils), it is probably better to see how
these changes occur and what their effects are likely
to be before looking for changes in relation to Assembly
numbers.
b) CURRENT DUTIES. Again, time is needed for the Assembly
and its Members and Officials to bed-down into a satisfactory
working system. Any new organisation will take longer
over its business until, through custom and practice,
its workings become more efficient and effective. Constituency
members seem to be in no doubt as to their representative
responsibilities but it is more difficult for the Regional
Members who have no ‘home base’ as such and,
in practice, individual Regional Members seem to have
carved-up the Region to suit themselves preferring to
remain active in what they regard as their ‘home
area’. Perhaps there needs to be clear directives
as to the different type of members’ role - a kind
of job specification! Perhaps certain types of matters
could be dealt with by the ‘appropriate’ member
with the Regional Member acting in a kind of ‘Federal’
role covering all the constituencies in his/her region.
Deliberation and debate does go on but the PR element
has largely failed to remove the Party rivalry; action
in an Inclusive way is not yet evident.
The Scrutiny element will improve as Members gain in
confidence and experience.
Policy Development and subsequent solutions should
come through the relevant subject committees but the
Debating Chamber and its Party rivalry still works against
the Inclusive approach that the people of Wales need.
c) I think the NUMBER OF MEMBERS could/should only
increase if the Assembly received extra Powers and covered,
in some way, some of the duties of Major and Minor Local
Authorities. Perhaps 80 Members would be the ideal number.
d) The small SIZE of the Assembly has its advantage
in that every member needs to know quite a lot of what
is going on in Wales. It is doubtful if many, if any,
members can afford to take a back-seat ride!
SIZE OF THE ASSEMBLY AND ACQUISITION OF FURTHER POWERS.
P.5
a)I believe it would be difficult for the present number
of members to take on additional work for new functions
or primary legislative powers. Under the present arrangements,
members have to spend some time in Cardiff but the organisation
is such that those same members are also able to be
active in their constituencies to a far greater degree
than is the case with Members of Parliament. New powers
and duties could only be effectively carried out with
additional members.
b)One area that could be developed is the role of the
current Additional Members. If these members were given
specific roles it would assist the electorate in that
they wouldn’t suffer the interference of the Additional
Member clouding the work of the FPTP Member who, after
all, should more closely have the finger on the button.
The Additional Member is meant to cover the Region so
should be expected to have a wider yet less concentrated
role to play. I don’t believe reduced size of committees
or reduced number of meetings would help. Enough people
need to have awareness of what is going on or else knowledge
and power becomes wrested in the few – not really
democratic!
c)Probably 80 in total would make a good number. The
electoral arrangements would then need to change perhaps
by allowing two members to represent each constituency
with the 2nd member being elected on a proportional
system so that he/she reflects the minority viewpoint(s).
A lot of thought needs to be put into this as I didn’t
think the present Additional Members truly reflect the
Region as they tend to concentrate on their preferred
local areas almost as if they’ve ‘carved-up’
the Region between them.
THE PRESENT ELECTORAL SYSTEM
P.9
a) The present system is seen as a reflection of what
we know of Westminster elections certainly in relation
to FPTP. This produces a clear winner similar to a horse
race but doesn’t reflect the fact that a majority
of voters may be against the winner. This is because
the aggregate of votes for other candidates outweighs
the votes gained by the winner. As I have stated elsewhere
in this response, the Electorate doesn’t really
recognise the role or value of the AMS Member. It causes
confusion! There needs to be a clear role for the AMS
Member; too often, this AMS Member can confuse issues
being dealt with by FPTP Members especially as Party
Politics come into play without perhaps reflecting the
needs of the voter.
b) More should be done to influence the characteristics
of the candidates put forward by Political Parties.
This could be done by allowing the AMS Candidate to
stand in his/her own right. The same number of members
from the same Party as there are seats to be contested
could stand and they could either fight the Election
on a united front or stand as individuals and fight
accordingly. Similarly, Independent people could stand
as individuals without attachment to a Party. This would
all ensure that the Electorate has a clear idea of the
candidates for whom it is asked to choose. Party Lists,
as under the present system, produce candidates with
no opportunity for the Electorate to have a direct choice
FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN CONSTRUCTING A POSSIBLY
LARGER ASSEMBLY
Page.10.
a) Maintaining the link with the Westminster Constituencies
is important as this helps to create geographic identity
amongst the Electorate.
b) I don’t think this is really worthwhile. Certainly
in Mid-Wales, the Region is too large and the Regional
Members are not known outside their own particular localities.
This could be overcome by by giving the Regional Members
specific responsibilities so that there would be a member
in each region answerable for a topic and the members
in the different region could then work as a group on
their particular topic; this would ensure that members
of different political persuasions would have to work
together – a kind of working inclusivity!
c) If the present mixed-system is retained I believe
the enhancement should occur on the grounds stated in
b) above.
d) I have already commented on the Regional position;
therefore, a National List to take in my comments in
b) could include a National List with specific responsibilities
related to an identifiable topic or subject area.
e) To replace the present mixed system with another
proportional system might well cause total confusion
amongst the Electorate. However, it may be better to
do so that change comes all at once. In that case, I
would favour the system whereby voters choose a number
of candidates and number them in preference order so,
so that those elected reflect the choices of the voters.
f) I believe the purely FPTP system is outdated and
undemocratic; it needs to be replaced, if not totally
at first, certainly by stages.
g) Another option to consider is the current mixed-one
but with extra members to take into account extra powers
and responsibilities. This new system could reflect
in some way the wishes of the majority of voters, i.e.,
the numbers of votes accrued by successful FPTP winners.
The reduction of the party-vote by the division-formula
1+the number of FPTP winners in the region seems to
make a mockery of voters’ intentions. After all,
we now have AMS Members sitting in the Assembly who
have only a few thousand votes. A new system could involve
Regional Members standing campaigning in their own names
so that voters are actually voting for the Person rather
than the Party. This would ensure that the AMS Candidate
really worked to secure a place in the Assembly. If
the FPTP votes for the AMS Candidate were not taken
into account at all, then the Regional Member would
have to gain victory on his/her own merits. If the Regional
Candidate was not allowed to also stand as a FPTP Candidate,
then this again would more accurately reflect voters
intentions as regards the Additional Member.
These views are my personal ones but it should be noted
that I am a member of Cyngor Tref-y-Clawdd / Knighton
Town Council and Cyngor Sir Powys / Powys County Council.
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