North Wales MS Mark Isherwood put forward a number of amendments to the Welsh Government’s Welsh Elections (Coronavirus) Bill yesterday in a bid to prevent the Welsh General Election being delayed unless it is absolutely essential, but every one was voted down by Labour.
Speaking in the ‘virtual’ Senedd during the Bill’s ‘Stage 2: Consideration of Amendments’, Mr Isherwood emphasised again that the Welsh Conservatives believe the Senedd elections should take place on Thursday 6th May and put forward amendments which would have specified what situation the pandemic needs to be in before the First Minister could formally request an election delay, and prevented the election being postponed more than once and for as long as six months. However, these and every other measure he proposed were defeated.
He said:
“Delaying the election unnecessarily would undermine our democracy and damage the credibility of our still young Senedd.
“While this pandemic is undoubtedly exceptional, many countries including the Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Israel, United States, Spain, France, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea have succeeded in holding free and fair democratic elections. A further range of elections are due to be held internationally between March and May.
“The UK Government has announced that Local, Police and Crime Commissioner and Mayoral Elections will take place in England, and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections in Wales, on 6th May - and have published a robust Delivery Plan to ensure these go ahead smoothly and in a way that minimises the risk of spreading the Coronavirus.”
He added: “I have previously expressed concern that the Welsh Government has not said what situation the pandemic needs to be in before the First Minister formally requests a delay to the Welsh General Election.
“Our Amendment 12 seeks to commit the Welsh Government to giving a specific reason for delaying the election, beyond simply saying ‘it’s due to Coronavirus.’
“The people of Wales need to have confidence that if their democratic will is to be temporarily delayed, they will be entitled to know why.“
Mr Isherwood also stressed that Welsh Conservatives believe that a six month delay to the scheduled election on 6th May is too long.
“The National Assembly for Wales usually sat for four year terms. Now the Senedd is sitting for five, but a delay to 5th November, Bonfire Night, would take us half way through a sixth year. There is no mandate from the people of Wales for that.
“We wouldn’t support an election on Guy Fawkes Night and propose the possible extension be reduced so that 9th September is the last possible date for the Senedd elections, although clearly the summer months of June or July would be preferrable if there had to be any delay at all.”
He added: “We don’t support a delay at all, but if the Senedd elections are delayed, they should only be delayed once, and in exceptional circumstances.”
Mr Isherwood also put forward an amendment seeking “to ensure that there is equality of opportunity, specifically for all candidates seeking election and only in that capacity and context, regardless of whether they are incumbent Members of the Senedd or not.”