Senedd reform: New election rule erodes trust - academic

A major overhaul of the Senedd would see members elected from ranked lists of candidates

A new way of electing members to an expanded Senedd could erode trust in politicians, an academic has warned.

Prof Laura McAllister said the "closed lists" system would put too much power in the hands of parties, with voters choosing between them instead of candidates.

The change is part of plans to add 36 more politicians to the Senedd.

The Welsh government said the change would allow it to be "better able to represent people in Wales".

The closed lists system is said to have been designed to make the Welsh Parliament more proportional, giving voters choice between parties instead of individuals.

Candidates are then elected from a list of names selected and ranked by each party.

Prof McAllister told the Politics Wales programme she fears the system has "major weaknesses" because it "removes the choice from electors to choose individual candidates".

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"It seems odd to me that at a time when there's such a disconnect between the politicians and the public, we're disconnecting it further," she said.

Prof Laura McAllister says the close lists system could leave voters "aggrieved"

"The risk... is that they will reward loyalty and longevity rather than calibre and challenge.

"I think that won't help the diversity of the class of politicians we get, and I think the public will very quickly get aggrieved when they realise they won't be able to select a politician that they wish to."

The closed list system is part of a major overhaul of the Senedd which will see the number of politicians increase from 60 to 96.

Currently elections use a mix of first past the post, where the candidate with the most votes wins a constituency seat, and lists in regions.

If agreed by two-thirds of the Senedd, the legislation will take effect from 2026 and could cost as much as £17.8m extra a year.

The Welsh government said the Senedd Reform Bill "aims to create a modern Senedd, better able to represent people in Wales, with increased capacity to scrutinise, make laws, and hold the government to account."

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