Welsh Secretary Simon Hart MP has blasted Welsh Government proposals to increase the size of the Devolved Administration in Wales after Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies sought his views on the controversial plans in Parliament this week. .
Earlier this month, Labour and Plaid Cymru announced plans to raise the number of politicians in the body from 60 to 96.
The proposals would also end the first-past-the-post voting system for devolved elections, instead using a "closed list system" where voters back a party list rather than a candidate, and cannot reject any individual candidates nominated.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, James questioned the Welsh Secretary on the proposals.
He first asked what discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Government on the potential effect on the levelling-up agenda of proposals, before seeking his views on the changes.
He said:
“What assessment has my right hon. Friend made of the proposed changes to the voting system at Cardiff Bay and the potential impact on democratic representation?”
The Welsh Secretary said he has not yet had any discussion with the Welsh Government on the potential effect on the levelling-up agenda of the proposals, but was critical of the proposals overall and the way in which the Welsh Government announced them.
He said:
“It is mystifying that this proposal was announced on the same day as the Queen’s Speech. It will impose a £100 million burden on Welsh taxpayers and demolish a voting system that has served us well for years, and there has been no consultation with any voters at all. Even the Lib Dems describe it as a stitch-up.
He later said:
“I have to say that if this Government were making suggestions of that nature that involved the constitution and voting measures, pretty well all Opposition Members would be saying that that should be subject to a public referendum at the very least. I suggest that the proper course of action for the Welsh Government is to seek the approval of their voters before they proceed with any of the extremely costly measures proposed.”
Speaking afterwards James said:
“These changes would cost £100m over a five-year term - that is a staggering amount of money that the Welsh Government is prepared to spend at a time when pressures are being felt everywhere else.
“Taxpayers should not be burdened with this extortionate cost in order to create a system in which democratic representation would be more distant; it would no longer be possible to vote for an individual, and those elected would represent areas the size of two Westminster constituencies. It is very telling that the Welsh Government only announced these plans the day after the local elections.
“I agree totally with Simon Hart that these proposals should not be allowed to proceed without first seeking the views of the public.”
On Saturday, Simon Hart's deputy, Wales Office minister David TC Davies, accused the Welsh Labour Government of seeking to "lock" itself in power "forever" with the changes.
He told the Welsh Conservative conference the electoral system envisaged would "concentrate power in the hands of party managers”.
