Conservative Senedd member for the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend Andrew RT Davies has called on Plaid Cymru ministers to confirm next year’s local government elections will go ahead as scheduled.
Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Davies asked First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth to confirm if elections in May next year will be run on the existing franchise.
In response, ap Iorwerth said, “I think this close to next year’s local elections, I don’t think it would be possible to bring in a new way of electing members, though that decision will ultimately be down to local authorities themselves.”
Mr Davies said delaying elections to change the voting system would be unacceptable. He called on ministers to rule it out.
He has tabled a written question to Local Government Minister Sian Gwenllian asking her to confirm the elections will go ahead without any deferments, and no changes to current voting laws.
Mr Davies said:
“Local councils are responsible for vital services, and residents must get to decide who runs them.
“Any attempt to delay elections or stitch up the voting system would be unacceptable.
“Plaid Cymru separatists must rule this out.”
ENDS
NOTE: Please find below the Senedd’s record of proceedings from Tuesday 16th June
https://record.senedd.wales/Plenary/16074#C763525
Andrew R.T. Davies
13:58:02
First Minister, electoral reform is always important to make sure that the electorate engage fully with the opportunity to cast their opinion via the ballot box. Your manifesto touched on electoral reform in local government, which is an area that hasn’t seen much electoral reform during this Senedd term. Is it your commitment that the elections that will be run next May will be run on the existing franchise, and there will be no change to the electoral way that people will vote, but the electoral aspiration for local government is more longer term and those are changes you will seek to make in the back end of this Senedd term?
Rhun ap Iorwerth
13:58:43
I think this close to next year’s local elections, I don’t think it would be possible to bring in a new way of electing members, though that decision will ultimately be down to local authorities themselves. Work is still ongoing in relation to automatic registration, which is something that, as a principle, I adhere to. I want as many people as possible to be able to take part in the democratic process. We will judge whether timescales allow us to do that, but it’s something in principle that I would want to do.
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