Cyflwynwyd yr ymateb hwn i ymgynghoriad y Pwyllgor Biliau Diwygio ar Fil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau).

This response was submitted to the Reform Bill Committee consultation on the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill.

SCME406 Ymateb gan: | Response from: Denise Graydon
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Dear Sir/Madam,

Please accept this email as my objection to the Senedd Reform Bill.

The Bill only seems to meet the needs of the Senedd and definitely not the needs of the people of Wales.

The Bill will prevent the citizens in Wales to vote for an individual of their choice.

The Bill will effectively prevent members of the Senedd as fear of not being on the list will not allow for healthy debate.

The Bill takes no account of the dire financial position of Wales and will only add further unnecessary costs.

The Bill will increase the element to power and control the Welsh Government has over the citizens of Wales, and decrease citizens involvement with politics

The Bill will not add anything to democracy and accountability it will in effect make Wales a one party state.

To put in context:

To vote for a party and not an individual, is to vote for the manifesto, the party plan.

Here in Wales, we have experienced that the first minister for Wales repeatedly has said, that ‘we’ the electorate, are in agreement, with all that the Welsh Government is doing,

a) because ‘we’ have voted Labour
b) because all that they are doing is in the manifesto

However, today over 464,000 citizens in Wales have now said that they do not like what the Welsh Government is doing.

We the electorate have told the Welsh Government this via a petition. Yet, the ruling party, will not listen to the voice of the people, and ignores the voice of the people.

A short sentence hidden in the manifesto that did not set out what the sentence meant, should not be taken as agreement to what has now been implemented.

I messaged my elected representatives who I voted for and have had a response, however, it just repeats the First Ministers mantra. I feel this is a good example of an MS who is effectively gagged and too scared to say ANYTHING in case her name is not on the list if this Bill went through.

To vote for a party, and only the party, will take away, all of our democratic rights to be involved, and to connect with our politicians of choice. There are some very good MSs here and also some very poor ones. If we have no say in which representative we get how can we vote out the poor ones who may get on the list because the party happens to like them.

The Senedd Reform Bill will not enhance democracy in Wales, it will not increase accountability, it will increase the cost of Government at a time of financial crisis.

Please rethink this Bill, show us the people of Wales you are listening!

Yours faithfully,

Denise Graydon