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The Western Mail
July 17,
2003
Summary: Although an
independent commission created by a past government recommended
choice voting (single transferable vote) for Welsh council
elections, the current government has rejected the recommendation.
July 17, 2003.
The Western Mail
Assembly
rejects poll changes
By Duncan Higgitt
July 17, 2003 THE Welsh Assembly Government yesterday rejected
calls for a proportional representation system to be introduced for
council elections. An independent commission set up by the former
Assembly government called for the introduction of the single
transferable vote system for local government polls. But Finance
Minister Sue Essex yesterday announced she would not be adopting the
recommendation. "Local elections will be held next year using the
same electoral system as in the past," she said. "Although the
issue of implementing proportional representation is one of the
recommendations of the report of the commission of local government
arrangements in Wales, it is not one that I intend to pursue." Mrs
Essex said change would create far larger wards and weaken the link
between councillors and voters. The announcement was met with
disappointment by the Liberal Democrats. They forced Labour to set
up the commission as part of their deal to go into coalition. Lib
Dem economic development spokeswoman Jenny Randerson said the
current first-past-the-post system was not healthy for democracy.
"Low turnout is a problem at local elections as well as Assembly
elections. There is evidence turnout is lower where the electorate
perceive one party to have a safe majority under the current
system," she said. |
