SCECLB124 Individual

Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament

Y Pwyllgor Biliau Diwygio | Reform Bill Committee

Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol)| Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill

Ymateb gan Unigolyn | Evidence from Individual

What are your views on the general principles of the Bill and the need for legislation to deliver the Welsh Government’s stated policy objective (to make the Senedd a more effective legislature by ensuring it is broadly representative of the gender make-up of the population)?

I completely disagree with using gender, which is a meaningless term, rather than sex for this purpose.  The Senedd should be roughly 50% men and 50% women, NOT up to 50% people who identify as women.  Gender selfID is not the law in the UK, and I am concerned that the Welsh Government is using this bill to try to introduce selfID without a mandate and outside its legislative competence.

What are your views on the system of enforcement and potential sanctions for non-compliance proposed in the Bill?

No comment.

Are there any potential barriers to the implementation of the Bill’s provisions? If so, what are they, and are they adequately taken into account in the Bill and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment?

Are any unintended consequences likely to arise from the Bill?

Yes.  Conceivably, the number of women (human females) represented is likely to decrease, as men who identify as women/non binary use the opportunity of less competition on a women's list to engineer a place.  It is difficult enough to attract women into politics, this will make the situation worse. Highly motivated, aggressive and extreme transactivists will be in a position to capture the Welsh Givernment and disenfranchise women.

What are your views on the Welsh Government’s assessment of the financial and other impacts of the Bill?

You have not thought this through in your hurry to pursue a contested and ideological agenda that you wrongly perceive as "progressive".

What are your views on the balance between the information contained on the face of the Bill and what is left to subordinate legislation? Are the powers for Welsh Ministers to make subordinate legislation appropriate?

There is too much scope for Welsh Ministers to use this Bill to introduce damaging, ideologically driven subordinate legislation without considering your PSED or any adequate equality impact assessment on women and girls.

Do you have any views on matters relating to the legislative competence of the Senedd including compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights?

The Senedd has received legal advice that it does not have legislative competence to enact this Bill.  It is financially incompetent to pursue this, when Wales is in the middle of an economic crisis.  I also believe that opening women's candidate places to men who "identify"as women, breaches women's rights to representation under the ECHR and CEDAW.

Do you have any views on matters related to the quality of the legislation, or to the constitutional or other implications of the Bill?

The Welsh Government seems determined to implement any legislation that is at odds with the Westminster Government.  This particular bill,by using gender, rather than sex, sets the Welsh Government on an unnecessary adversarial track.  On this matter, I am firmly with Westminster.

Are there any other issues that you would like to raise about the Bill and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum or any related matters?

The whole bill should be rewritten to remove reference to "gender" and replace it with "sex", confirming that man/woman have the meanings stated in the Equality Act 2010.

Anything else?

Stop trying to force gender ideology on the Welsh people.  We don't want it.