The Welsh Parliament is going through a raft of changes ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections.
I’m super keen to see how automatic registration will shake out. If it shows a significant bump in turnout I hope I’ll prompt Westminster to adopt it too.
I’m also hugely enthusiastic about the move to closed-list PR. I think it’s likely to break my party’s firm grip on power, but if it results (as it surely will) in a Senedd better representing the public expression of will then I’ll enthusiastically support it.
It’s been odd seeing the discourse around all this over the last year or more, with a particular focus on us gaining more members even as we lost seats in Westminster. Lots of folks appeared to want less democratic representation, more disparity between constituencies, and to stick with a less fair, less representative electoral system.
Agreed. although my worry with the closed-list system is that it makes parties, not people, the main thing we vote for. This feels like a barrier to entry for independents, and a way of propping up the power of established parties. It also feels like it removes voters’ ability to reject a politician that happens to be popular within the party, or to support a more maverick politician who doesn’t toe the party line but who resonates with the public.
