Senedd reform: Voters to be able to expel misbehaving politicians
Voters will be able to eject politicians from the Welsh Parliament for misbehaviour after the next Senedd election.The Welsh government has agreed to pass legislation to introduce a recall process as soon as possible, saying "public trust in politics is hard-won, but easily lost, and it's our duty to safeguard it".But ministers suggested it may not be not come into force in time for the beginning of the new Senedd, in May 2026.Currently if Senedd members are found to have broken the rules they can be suspended for a period of time but, unlike at Westminster, cannot be removed from the parliament altogether.
The Standards of Conduct Committee has proposed a system giving electors the opportunity to vote to remove a misbehaving politician, but unlike in Westminster they will not be able to choose their replacement.If a Senedd member breaks the rules in a way serious enough to warrant a recall process, voters in their constituency would then have a vote to either keep the existing politician or remove them and replace with the next member on the party list.Committee chair Hannah Blythyn said the changes would help build "trust and transparency in our processes, in our politicians and in our politics".She pressed the Welsh government to introduce the new system in time for the next Senedd term "so that all members elected to that Senedd will be held to a consistent standard from the start".Although Counsel General Julie James agreed to introduce legislation before the next election, she warned "time is tight".She suggested work on agreeing guidelines on what level of offence or suspension from the Welsh Parliament would trigger the recall process will not happen until after the election.There is agreement across the parties of a need to change the system and according to James "public trust in politics is hard-won, but easily lost, and it's our duty to safeguard it"."People rightly expect high standards from their elected representatives, and when those standards aren't met, they expect consequences," she said."And that's why we need a fair, transparent system that allows voters, the very people who put us here, to have the final say."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
'Nowhere near enough' secondary teachers being recruited
Hayden Llewellyn, the Education Workforce Council (EWC) chief executive, gave evidence to the Senedd education committee's inquiry on recruitment and retention on June 5 Mr Llewellyn identified a clear pattern in initial teacher education, with recruitment problems centred on secondaries and 'no problem' in primary schools. The head of the workforce regulator said the Welsh Government aims for about 600 primary teachers to be trained each year, with that number overdelivered in August 2024. But he warned of a stark picture for secondaries, saying ministers are seeking to train about 1,000 teachers each year but the EWC issued 369 certificates, according to the latest data. 'About a third of the number of secondary teachers that Wales is looking for were managing to train,' he said, adding that a further 34 trained through an Open University route. Mr Llewellyn stated the trend for secondary schools has gotten worse over the past ten to 20 years, with improvements during the pandemic 'dropping back significantly'. He told Senedd members: 'I'm sorry to say, having tracked recruitment and retention for many years – I can't really see secondary improving.' He explained recruitment in some subjects – such as PE, history and geography – is fine but maths, English, sciences, Welsh and modern foreign languages are particularly low. Mr Llewellyn raised the example of 27 maths teachers being turned out in August, with Wales looking for nearer 130. 'It's the lowest I've ever seen over the years,' he said, adding that Wales wanted 80 to 90 Welsh teachers but only 20 completed training in 2024. He pointed to EWC data showing 75 per cent of those teaching maths are trained in the subject and, speaking more generally, he said the number is lower still for sciences. He warned: 'Given the picture with recruitment, we could see that picture deteriorating.' Mr Llewellyn raised the example set by Scotland where teachers' registration is linked to a specific subject or phase. 'You cannot teach a subject you're not trained in,' he said.
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Senedd rejects calls for Betsi Cadwaladr public inquiry
Gareth Davies led a Conservative debate calling for a public inquiry, with Sunday marking the unwelcome milestone of a decade in special measures for the north Wales health board. Mr Davies, who worked for the NHS before his election in 2021, warned the health board remains mired in systemic failure, 'with no clear timeline for recovery'. He said: 'A decade on, the Welsh Government has acknowledged that Betsi could languish in this state indefinitely. This is not just a failure of management, it's a failure of accountability, leadership and political will under Labour's stewardship.' The Vale of Clwyd Senedd member argued a public inquiry is needed to uncover the root causes of the prolonged crisis and deliver justice for the people of north Wales. 'The evidence is damning,' he said. 'When combined, Betsi has spent longer in special measures than any other organisation in the history of the NHS. 'Political expediency saw the Welsh Government prematurely lift Betsi out of special measures – only for dire realities, safety breaches, patient harm and operational chaos to force its reinstatement back in 2023.' Mr Davies told the Senedd only two people were waiting longer than two years for treatment in June 2015, compared with 5,747 today – 'a staggering 287,250 per cent increase'. He told the chamber that a 2024 Audit Wales report on Betsi painted a grim picture of ongoing leadership instability and a lack of coherent, long-term planning. Mabon ap Gwynfor, for Plaid Cymru, denounced a long story of 'chronic failure, executive dysfunction and organisational chaos that has bedevilled the north Wales health board.' He pointed out that Betsi, which was established in 2009 with the merger of six local health boards, has been in special measures for two-thirds of its existence. Labour's Carolyn Thomas and Lesley Griffiths argued Wales needs to start celebrating what is good about our health service, with many people receiving fantastic treatment. Senedd members rejected the Tory motion, 33-13, with Labour and Plaid Cymru voting against. The Welsh Government's amended version was agreed, 24-23.
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
'Nowhere near enough' secondary teachers being recruited
Hayden Llewellyn, the Education Workforce Council (EWC) chief executive, gave evidence to the Senedd education committee's inquiry on recruitment and retention on June 5 Mr Llewellyn identified a clear pattern in initial teacher education, with recruitment problems centred on secondaries and 'no problem' in primary schools. The head of the workforce regulator said the Welsh Government aims for about 600 primary teachers to be trained each year, with that number overdelivered in August 2024. But he warned of a stark picture for secondaries, saying ministers are seeking to train about 1,000 teachers each year but the EWC issued 369 certificates, according to the latest data. 'About a third of the number of secondary teachers that Wales is looking for were managing to train,' he said, adding that a further 34 trained through an Open University route. Mr Llewellyn stated the trend for secondary schools has gotten worse over the past ten to 20 years, with improvements during the pandemic 'dropping back significantly'. He told Senedd members: 'I'm sorry to say, having tracked recruitment and retention for many years – I can't really see secondary improving.' He explained recruitment in some subjects – such as PE, history and geography – is fine but maths, English, sciences, Welsh and modern foreign languages are particularly low. Mr Llewellyn raised the example of 27 maths teachers being turned out in August, with Wales looking for nearer 130. 'It's the lowest I've ever seen over the years,' he said, adding that Wales wanted 80 to 90 Welsh teachers but only 20 completed training in 2024. He pointed to EWC data showing 75 per cent of those teaching maths are trained in the subject and, speaking more generally, he said the number is lower still for sciences. He warned: 'Given the picture with recruitment, we could see that picture deteriorating.' Mr Llewellyn raised the example set by Scotland where teachers' registration is linked to a specific subject or phase. 'You cannot teach a subject you're not trained in,' he said.
