The number of members of the Welsh Government could be increased by up to half under major newly-announced reforms.

A report from the Committee on Senedd Electoral Reform has set out recommendations for reform of the Government from the 2026 elections.

They would see the number of members increased from the current level of 60 to between 80 and 90, and replace the current first-past-the-post voting system with a single transferable vote, a form of proportional representation which allows for the election of local representatives.

Last year the Senedd decided that more members were needed, but further work was required to consider how that could be achieved. The new report, published on Thursday, September 10, is the result of that work.

Currently, two Members of the Senedd cover Powys – Montgomeryshire's Welsh Conservative MS Russell George and Brecon and Radnorshire Welsh Liberal Democrat MS Kirsty Williams.

County Times:

Kirsty Williams MS

County Times:

Russell George MS

Single transferable voting was the preferred option for many of those who responded to the committee’s consultation with stakeholders, highlighting the potential reduction in ‘wasted’ votes or the need for tactical voting, while retaining a clear constituency link between voters and their representatives – often mentioned as a key advantage of first past the post ballots.

Why use STV?

  • The committee said it should be simple for voters to complete their ballot papers, and there should be a clear constituency link between constituents and their representatives
  • Votes should be translated into seats fairly, and the electoral system should produce broadly proportional outcomes
  • All members should be elected by the same route to resolve the debate over whether regional members are accountable to voters or parties
  • The Senedd’s electoral system should operate on the basis of multi-member constituencies. This would offer more choice to voters and enable parties to put forward multiple candidates, allowing them to diversify their selection processes and encourage the election of a more diverse Senedd

Black Lives Matter

The plans have also taken into account the Black Lives Matter movement in the proposed reforms, highlighting issues of "structural racism and discrimination".

A series of recommendations have been made to improve the diversity of the Senedd including:

  • Creating an access to an elected office fund to support people with disabilities to stand for election
  • Support for candidates with childcare or other caring responsibilities by exempting this from election expenses
  • Requiring political parties to publish diversity and inclusion strategies and collect, anonymise and publish data about the diversity of their candidates
  • Further cross-party work on how job sharing of elected roles could work in practice

The response

A spokesman for the Welsh Liberal Democrats said:

“Liberal Democrats have long called for a truly democratic voting system which delivers maximum and equal power to the voter and gives the people of Wales a representative Senedd that reflects the way they vote.

“STV is a such a simple system that even a young child can understand it. It is used in countless parliaments around the world as well as by sports clubs and societies to elect chairs and captains due to its simplicity and fairness.

“We completely support this proposal and encourage other parties to do the same.”

Mr George said: "While it is vital for our Welsh Parliament to have the correct number of Members so that it can function as efficiently as possible and to scrutinise legislation effectively, I'm not convinced that this is the right time to be talking about electoral reform. I think it would smack of extraordinary naval-gazing if we politicians were to start talking about ourselves while we are dealing with the most significant global pandemic in our lifetimes.”

"There are significant challenges in the capacity of Members of the Senedd to undertake satisfactory scrutiny of legislation and the Welsh Government, but I am adamant that certain steps must be taken so that such an increase has its intended, positive effect.

"This is a difficult decision to make, but politicians need to be careful not to create the perception of a separate political class by expanding the number of Members without explicit public support.

"This is why I would only support such a move to increase the number of Members if there is public support for such a move, because I believe that if the public are not invested in the reasons behind expanding the Welsh Parliament, then the results would be counter-productive.”