Earlier this week a story was published by the Powys County Times covering a recent meeting of Powys Council’s Democratic Services Committee.

Since last year councils across Wales have been able to vote to change from the current First Past the Post (FPTP) system to the system used in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Single Transferable Vote (STV). 

The meeting last week discussed the prospect of this change taking place in Powys and all but ruled it out. That is worrying because what that committee actually ruled out was a conversation with voters about this change.

It is clear that FPTP is not a system that works for Powys or for Wales. Firstly FPTP leads to to distorted results. At the last election, Labour took almost 70% of the seats in Cardiff Council with just 47% of the vote, giving it overall control without a majority of the votes. 

It was a similar situation in Ynys Môn, where Plaid took 60% of the seats with just 41% of the vote. That level of disparity between votes and seats could easily happen at the next election in Powys. 

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In Powys a big issue jeopardising local democracy has been uncontested seats; there were seven at the last election, meaning over 10,000 voters did not get a choice of who represents them in the council chamber. In the election before that, there were 17, affecting over 23,000 voters. 

The alternative, STV, is a system that has worked well in Scotland, which made the move in 2007. 

In 2003 under FPTP Independents in Glasgow only won 1.3% of seats with nearly 17% of the vote and the SNP in Midlothian had 24% of the vote but didn’t win any seats. That all changed massively in 2007 with the introduction of STV. In Midlothian, the SNP won 33.3% of the seats with 33.4% of the vote. In Stirling, the Lib Dems got 13.6% of seats with 11.1% of the vote – a fairer result than was ever possible under FPTP.

In Scotland, uncontested seats have been massively reduced with candidates more confident that votes cast will actually count Whilst there were examples in the two most recent elections these are significantly lower than we see in Wales - in 2017 Wales had 10 times the proportion of uncontested seats as Scotland. 

The difference between local elections in Wales and Scotland paints a really stark picture and demonstrates that there are merits to discussing a change in systems for Powys. 

At last week’s meeting the Committee voted against a conversation with voters about this, recommending the proposal is not taken forward to a full consultation, and did so using often inaccurate reasons. There is now a real risk that voters’ voices will not be heard on this issue. 

The issue will be discussed again at the next full council meeting on December 7, which will be the formal decision on whether this issue is taken forward for consultation. 

Yet, this decision by the Committee has stymied that debate. That’s why it is important that you have your say. If you think councillors should hear from voters about the suggestion of changing voting systems for the next local elections email them to let them know. 

There is a real chance to improve democracy in Powys. Surely it shouldn’t just be for councillors to decide how they get elected? 
Jess Blair, 
Director, ERS Cymru