TREHERBERT BRANCH LABOUR PARTY
Secretary: Margaret Phillips

20 Glanselsig Street
Blaencwm
TREORCHY
Rhondda
CF42 5EB

The Secretary
Richard Commission
Caradog House
1-6 Saint Andrews Place
CARDIFF
CF10 3BE

3^rd June 2003

Commission on the Powers and
Electoral Arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales

The powers granted to the Assembly by the Government of Wales Act should continue for a further significant period, and at least until the people of Wales are more persuaded of the Assembly's value and of the impact that the Assembly has on daily life in Wales.

If, at some time in the future, through a process of evolution, there is an identified need for the Assembly to be given additional powers for it to operate more effectively in the interests of the people of Wales, this should be the subject of a further referendum of the people of Wales.

The needs of Wales are not necessarily the same as the needs of Scotland, and additional powers on the Scottish model is seen by TBLP as simply an opportunistic stepping stone to full national status (or independence).

There is also a fear that additional powers based on the Scottish model would lead to the abolition of the Wales Office. This would mean the loss of a dedicated Welsh voice at Cabinet. There would probably be a reduction in Welsh representation in the House of Commons, as is happening in Scotland.

The Scottish model of law making powers may also not be appropriate for Wales because of differences between the judicial systems of Scotland and England and Wales.

Tax varying powers should not be granted. These powers would inevitably mean that they would either not be used or they would be used to increase (never decrease) tax.

Huge numbers of electors have been completely unable to understand the list system.

• How someone who has been defeated in a First Past the Post constituency seat (sometimes by significant margins) can still be elected. Indeed, no less than 19 of the 20 AMs elected on the list in 2003 were defeated in the FPTP constituency elections. The 20th list AM had been defeated in the Rhondda in the General Election.

• The 'closed' aspect of the list. Voters feel indignant that they have not had a choice between specified candidates, either within Party lists or between Parties.

• How the Rhondda had no Labour representative amongst list AMs in the Assembly from 1999-2003, despite polling 37% of the list vote in South Wales Central in 1999.

• How Labour could achieve 310,658 list votes across Wales in 2003 and there are no Labour list AMs.

• How the Party with the least support can weald the greatest power, as led to the Coalition Government from 2000-2003.

The elections to the Assembly by a combination of FPTP (Constituency based) and Additional Member (regional closed party list) is only one element of wider confusion resulting from the different forms of voting systems that exist and are proposed, and other changes that have been introduced in recent years:

• Elections to the European Parliament are held by means of an all-Wales closed Party list system.

• Unitary Authorities have replaced the previous two-tier system of local government, though this is something that TBLP supported as a move to reduce confusion.

• Members of Treherbert BLP note from the influential `Campaign for a Democratic Upper House' that elections for a reformed House of Lords in the future are likely to be on the basis of an all-Wales open list system. This would introduce further confusion.

• Elections to the House of Commons is by FPTP and TBLP note that there are no proposals for change here.

It is acknowledged that all electoral systems have their own benefits and foibles, and whilst FPTP of course has its own weaknesses and critics, TBLP believe that it is the 'least worst' option by far.

As indicated above, they believe that the PR system for the Assembly elections should be abolished. The following comments are made, however, in order to influence any outcome that may regrettably retain a PR element:

• The ability for one individual to stand in a FPTP constituency seat and to be nominated as a Party list candidate should be scrapped.

• Any PR system for additional members should reflect the votes cast in the election for the additional members and should therefore be distinct from and take no account of the elections of the FPTP members.

• Parties should be compelled to make it clear how they select their nominees to any system that may survive.

TBLP does not want to see an increase in the number of AMs; indeed, they would accept a reduction to 40 if that were the price to achieve the abolition of PR.

The people understand FPTP. We detect no support for PR amongst voters in our area.

As voters in the Assembly elections are not a separate group of people from those who vote in other elections, TBLP urge the Commission to consider the NAfW electoral system in the context of electoral systems across the UK, and in the context of the UK in Europe, and not in the context of the National Assembly for Wales in isolation.