Mark Drakeford and Adam Price Senedd reform proposals ‘like a dictatorship’ says Welsh Tory leader
First Minister Mark Drakeford and Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price presented their Senedd reform proposals “like a dictatorship,” the Welsh Conservative leader has said.
Andrew RT Davies said that the way the proposals, which will now go to a cross-party committee, were formulated was “not democracy”.
His comments come after the First Minister and leader of Plaid Cymru, in a joint statement last week, announced plans for all members to be elected through proportional representation, making Wales the first country in Britain to abolish the First Past the Post system at a parliamentary level.
But speaking on Politics Wales, Andrew RT Davies said: “There is no coherence at all in the argument that the Welsh Government and the nationalists are making.
“And you will see that coherence is lacking by the way they came out at the last minute with a joint statement and said: ‘This is what you’re having.’
“And like a dictatorship, telling us what we’re having as such, rather than trying to discuss it and formulate a joint response.
“They slapped it on the table and said, that’s what’s happening. That’s not democracy, that’s just pork-barrel politics.”
‘Accountability’
His comments come after Monmouth MP David TC Davies used his speech at the Welsh Conservative conference to say that reforming the Senedd’s voting system will “lock in a Labour government forever”.
said that the Welsh Conservatives would “”fight against Welsh government plans to try and lock in a Labour government forever by removing local representation and fiddling with the voting system”.
“By creating huge constituencies and using close PR [proportional representation] lists they’re going to remove the local accountability, which was supposed to be one of the advantages of having a Senedd, and concentrate power in the hands of a few party managers,” he said.
“The simple fact that they kept these plans a secret until the day after the local council elections tells us all we need to know.”
‘Foundation’
In last week’s statement, Mark Drakeford and Adam Price said they wanted reform to be implemented in time for the next election in 2026, even if some of the changes are introduced on an interim basis.
They stated:
- The Senedd should have 96 Members.
- It should be elected using closed proportional lists with integrated statutory gender quotas and mandatory zipping. Seats should be allocated to parties using the D’Hondt formula.
- The 2026 Senedd election should use the final 32 UK Parliament constituencies proposed by the Boundary Commission for Wales once it has concluded its 2023 Parliamentary Review.
- These constituencies should be paired to create 16 Senedd constituencies. Each constituency should elect six Members.
- A full boundary review should be instigated in this Senedd term and its recommendations should take effect from the subsequent Senedd election.
Mr Drakeford said: “The case for Senedd reform has been made. We now need to get on with the hard work to create a modern Senedd, which reflects the Wales we live in today. A Parliament that truly works for Wales.
“The joint position statement we are publishing today will help support the important work of the cross-party Special Purpose Committee to move Senedd reform forwards.”
Mr Price added. “These reforms will lay the foundations for a stronger Welsh democracy and a fairer, more representative Senedd that will look entirely different to the outdated political system at Westminster.
“A stronger, more diverse, more representative Senedd will have a greater capacity to perform its primary purpose of making a positive difference to the lives of the people of Wales.”
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RT Davis makes me chuckle… He has no real clue about democratic process, he doesn’t understand that the proposals offer a more direct engagement and greater accuracy of what people are actually voting for. He is just gutted that he and his chum Boris “Its Not Even His Real Name” Johnson can’t come in and gerrymander Cymru the way the Tories have done in England, where they have rigged the boundaries so it will always offer the Tory scum an advantage in demographics. The amusing thing is he doesn’t have an alternative to offer, the system for the Westminster government… Read more »
This coming democratic change needs to engage and involve as many as possible to feel involved. Our Parliament has a proud record of inclusion and engagement.
The Liberals and Greens speak for many across Wales and should not feel excluded and at the mercy of party managers and fixers sitting in cabals in Cardiff Bay
What a clown this man is, he says that it is not democracy because “they slapped it on the table and said that’s what your getting” , well, that is exactly what Cymru has had from Westminster for several hundred years, Tryweryn, was that democracy, the discredited Barnett formula, HS2 and the nuclear plants now planned. He is the ultimate hypocrite, who can not gain controll of the Senedd, so cries ” democracy ” when it suits his party.
The man is a disgrace to Wales.
How is it a dictatorship wanting to increase the level of democracy? Ahh, he’s a Tory they aren’t into democracy.
Huge constituencies and elected by PR! If I’m not mistaken than is the exact same way Andrew RT Davies is currently elected to the Senedd.
The only dictatorship in UK politics at present is the sh×× show in Westminster being run by fatboy’s boss who happens to be yet another morbidly overweight tory pig.
I hate the Tories as much as the next person, but there’s no need for the fatphobia please.
The man is allowed to state a fact – ART Davies is fat.
you should see his reaction when you say it to his face, he gets very animated, oink! oink!
Such a shame Wales has an out of date government .
The countrys North and South Wales are devided by stupidity .
North Wales deserves so much more.
RTD2 looks like he’s been reading up on the Trump playbook. Behave appallingly and accuse your opponents of the very disgraces you perpetrate yourself. Once again RTD2 aims … and hopelessly misses. His populist comments and language is clearly aimed at the hardcore Britnat abolish mob. So much for his recent pitiful attempt to drape himself in Y Ddraig Coch! Yet the penny has not dropped for this complete simpleton, that the gallery to which he’s singing represents only the noisy minority and that it will never provide the Tories with a majority in Wales. He and his rabble are… Read more »
A dictatorship is when the voters of a country permanently reject a party and are subsequently ruled over by that party when they have democratically stated they do not want them. Just add ‘dictatorship’ to the long list of other slurs levelled against our Parliament and Government such as ‘Authoritarian’, ‘Power mad contrarian’, ‘One party state’, ‘Stasi’ and ‘Anti English’. The filth that spews from the mouths of these people must be ruining their teeth.
So two parties working together for the common good of the nation is a dictatorship according to Andrew RT Davies?. Okay, let me get this straight in my head. Having a Tory party in London that we as Welsh people never voted for. Who since Brexit hijacked our EU powers, interfered with devolution, threatened & intimidated Welsh Government competency unless they jumped to England’s tune. Whose leader Boris Johnson since office has lied continually, broke his own Covid rules with Partygate and is the first sitting UK Prime Minister in history to be fine by the police. Who like a… Read more »
I’ve been having this back-and-forth debate with some of yhe vocal (minority) gammon on WOL – Senedd reform was literally in both Labour and Plaud’s pre-election manifesto. Yet they feel the need to whinge that this has come out of nowhere. 🤦
*the vocal
Not a problem if ALL interested parties are able to join in discussing the proposals.
They are, aren’t they? Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru.
If ARTD dislikes it so much then it’s got to be a great plan!! 👍👍
Wonder what RT stands for. I and friends have opinions. Also this other Prat TC some idiot. What is wrong with these people. Can they not use their real names. Maybe i should adopt a middle name cc and vote conservative. I think not.
If you look at how much time he spends on Twitter I always assumed it was Re-Tweet.
Alternatively:-
Reckless Twit?
Robbing Tory?
Royalist Thrall?
(Remember the profanity filter this page operates if suggesting any more)
This article seems unreal coming from the leader of the Conservatives. You couldn’t make it up. Its so hilarious.
The Tories in Westminster have a ‘mandate’ Labour in the Senedd is a ‘dictatorship’
Long may he stay as leader of the Welsh Tories, after all he is by far the best leader………… Labour could wish for.