Senedd: Gender quotas 'absolutely core' to proposed reforms

Chwarae Teg's Cerys Furlong said gender quotas have to be part of the "package as a whole" of Senedd reform

Plans to encourage better female representation are "absolutely core" to proposed changes around Senedd reform, according to a gender equality charity.

Chwarae Teg's Cerys Furlong said gender quotas must be introduced by the next Senedd election in 2026.

It has been claimed gender quotas could jeopardise wider plans to increase the number of Senedd members.

A Labour MS said the Senedd's ability to introduce gender quotas was "finely balanced".

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On Saturday, Welsh Labour overwhelmingly supported the Welsh government and Plaid Cymru's plans for Senedd reform, which includes introducing a new voting system.

As well as gender quotas with the aim of encouraging better female representation, the changes would see an increase in the number of Senedd members from the current 60 up to 96, with six members representing each of the 16 constituencies.

A new closed-list proportional voting system would give voters one vote, with the political parties deciding on the order of the candidates.

Mark Drakeford attended a special Labour conference in Cardiff Bay on Saturday, which saw 76% of members back the proposals

Despite concerns from some local Labour parties and trade unions about the proposed voting system, the package as a whole was backed at Welsh Labour's special conference on Saturday, with 76% for, 24% against.

Speaking on the BBC Politics Wales programme, Labour MS and chair of the committee on Senedd reform, Huw Irranca-Davies, said the closed-list system "allows us to go much further with gender diversity".

'Gender quotas can be done'

He dismissed Conservative MS Darren Millar's claim the Senedd reform committee had received "clear" legal advice the Welsh Parliament does not have the power to implement gender quotas because it is a matter for the UK Parliament.

Mr Irranca-Davies said he was "confident" gender quotas would be in place by the 2026 Senedd election because although the advice "says it's really finely balanced... it said that it can be done".

Plaid Cymru MS Rhys ab Owen said the changes would mark a "strong leap forward in the history of Welsh devolution" and that his party's "preference is to get gender quotas in the legislation for the next Senedd election".

Despite its opposition to the package of Senedd reforms, including gender quotas, Conservative MS Tom Giffard told Politics Wales parties needs "to do a lot more when it comes to gender and diversity".

Welcoming the proposed changes, Ms Furlong said gender quotas have to be part of the "package as a whole".

She added: "If the point of the change is to expand the Senedd to enable better scrutiny then that scrutiny is not going to happen by failing to address the lack of diversity.

"So, it's absolutely core to the expansion of the Senedd that we get those quotas in place and that that is not an afterthought as it is , unfortunately, too often."