Support our Nation today - please donate here
Opinion

Three councils. One goal: Fairer local democracy

14 Aug 2024 4 minute read
Gorsaf Bleidleisio / Polling Station

Jessica Blair, director Electoral Reform Society Cymru

A month ago, we saw one of the most disproportionate elections in Welsh history.

The Welsh Labour party received 37% of the vote – a decrease of almost 4 percentage points compared to the 2019 general election. Yet, they gained nine seats, winning over 84% of the seats on offer.

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Time after time we have seen the First Past the Post voting system produce unfair results which has left huge swathes of voters without representation.

The 2022 local election is another example. In councils right across Wales, voters were left without a voice, underrepresented or not represented whatsoever.

The results meant that in half of all local authorities in Wales there’s a party which won 10 percentage points more seats than their vote share, and in over a third of councils there’s a party with a majority of seats despite winning only a minority of votes.

Cardiff

Let’s use Cardiff as an example:  there, the Plaid Cymru-Green ‘Common Ground’ Coalition received 17% of the vote and yet ended up with just 2 councillors – out of 79. Or Ynys Mon, where the 19% of voters who wanted a Conservative Party councillor received no representation on the council at all.

What’s even worse is that over 100,000 voters across Wales had no say at all in who represented them at a local level because there was only one candidate on the ballot paper. In Gwynedd, a staggering 41% of seats were uncontested.

The bottom line is that the First Past the Post system is outdated, unfair and just plain wrong.

The good news

The good news is that there’s a chance for change. Unfair local elections could be a thing of the past in three county councils: Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Powys.

Following the passing of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2022 in the Senedd, councils have the power to change the voting system used at their local elections from First Past the Post to the Single Transferable Vote (STV).

These three councils voted to begin having a conversation with the public about the change by launching consultations.

The STV system, which has been used in Scotland since 2007, is much fairer than First Past the Post and eliminates many of the problems discussed above.

Under STV a voter will be able to rank candidates on their  ballot paper; putting their  favourite as number one, second favourite as number two, and so on for as many candidates as you like. This then tells the people counting to move your vote if your favourite candidate has enough votes already or stands no chance of winning.

In Scotland, this system has helped improve the correlation between votes and seats won whilst ensuring that local voices are heard, and everyone gets a say.

Make your voice heard

While getting to this point is a huge win, it’s what happens next which is the most important.

Following the consultation period, a vote will need to be held on whether to make the switch in voting systems. For this to vote to be won, two-thirds of councillors on each council must vote for it – no easy task.

Wales might be small but we are mighty when it comes to democracy. We were the first parliament in the world to achieve gender parity and have always strived to establish ourselves as a democratic stronghold within the UK.

Which is why this consultation period is so key in helping to secure this change. People in Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Powys have the chance to make their voices heard on whether they want fairer elections.

By having your say you will help persuade as many councillors as possible to vote for it and help secure a stronger local democracy for Wales.


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

6 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
John Ellis
John Ellis
3 months ago

‘What’s even worse is that over 100,000 voters across Wales had no say at all in who represented them at a local level because there was only one candidate on the ballot paper.’ Even if there are two candidates on the ballot, you’re not necessarily getting much of a choice. At the last election in our Denbighshire local government ward, the sole choice was between the sitting councillor – elected the previous time round as a Conservative but, having fallen out with the Welsh Tory party for some reason, opted to join the independent group while still retaining his personal… Read more »

Jack
Jack
3 months ago

STV is great – but there is no reason to combine constituencies. STV will work just as well with single meber constituencies – and the elected member will have an area to to be responsible for. On another matter raised in this article I am not in favour of compulsory gender equity in Parliament. In fact I think it’s a stupid idea. I have no problem with 100% of the members being female, or male or Martians. But I want the best people to be in that parliamen , not second rate people filling a gender quota. It’s a woke… Read more »

Mawkernewek
Mawkernewek
3 months ago
Reply to  Jack

I was thinking if there is provision for STV at council level why not use it for the Senedd as well?

Alf
Alf
3 months ago
Reply to  Mawkernewek

Because Labour would lose their monopoly

Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
3 months ago

Why don’t all councils in Cymru adapt the Single Transferable Voting System (STV) ?
It will make those councils more representative and more accountable to their community.
You will be able to vote for your individual representatives by order of choice.

The people in other council areas deciding not to even consider change seem to be those councils that practice those shenanigans with one group in control.

Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Powys are already open to improving democracy.
Cymru needs to see other councils follow their example to adapt STV.

Stephen Foot
Stephen Foot
3 months ago

How or when is the consultation achieved? Haven’t heard anything yet here in Powys

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.