Major Senedd reform plans pass after vote
The Senedd will have a new voting system and more members from 2026
Last updated 9th May 2024
Major changes to how the Senedd is run passed in the Welsh Parliament last night.
Members voted to increase their numbers from 60 to 96 and change how those MSs are elected with proportional representation to be used in time for the next election in 2026.
In Wednesday evening's vote, on the Senedd Reform Bill, the changes were backed by 43 MSs from Labour, the Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru, whilst 16 Conservatives voted against the plans.
It means the legislation attained the two-thirds majority needed for it to become law in Wales.
The Welsh Government's minister for the constitution, Mick Antinow, called it "a once in a generation opportunity to invest in our democracy."
He said: "We're creating a modern Senedd that reflects and represents 21st century Wales... a more effective Senedd, to hold the government to account, a better Senedd to serve the people of Wales."
However, the legislation, opposed by the Welsh Conservatives, has been criticised as "deeply flawed" by Tory MS Darren Millar.
He said: "Wales needs more doctors, nurses, dentists and teachers... it does not need more politicians. These changes only serve to undermine our democracy."
Leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth also backed the plans in the chamber and promised the new law would ensure "the people of Wales are no longer democratically short-changed."
He said: "A bigger, more representative Senedd, a parliament fit for the 21st century and beyond gives us a new foundation on which to build a fairer Wales."
Supporters of the bill say that the 36 additional members are needed for the Senedd to work effectively and scrutinise the law-making process, in a more robust Welsh Parliament than the one that was founded 25 years ago this week.
However, as Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies outlined to us, Conservatives argue the money being used to reform the Senedd should be better spent on behalf of the Welsh people.
He said: "Are the answers to the questions people are posing to us as politicians more politicians? No, it's not.
"What people want to see is those resources put into health, education and other key public services that would be spent on extra Senedd members.
"This bill at a cost of £120million, that's going to divert money away from the NHS and the education system... people want to see more doctors and nurses not more politicians in Cardiff Bay.
"I think we can manage with what we've got, we could more imaginative with our time, with our regional and constituency work."
The reforms now mean that the current make-up of 40 local and 20 regional members will be replaced by 16 larger constituencies, each of which will have six representatives.
The first-past-the-post Westminster-style voting system will also be changed to proportional representation, with the vote "accurately reflecting" the share of the vote each party receives in each respective constituency.
But as Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds outlined, the new bill still doesn't give voters the chance to expel, or re-call, members who misbehave after they're elected like in Westminster.
Despite voting for the bill, Dodds called the new legislation "deeply flawed."
She said: "The introduction of closed party lists also risks robbing voters of true choice."
There's also been criticism of the fact the plans don't include a mechanism by which to hold by-elections, used in the UK parliament when an MP resigns, dies or is re-called after a vote by their constituents.