PROPOSALS to dramatically reform the Senedd, including increasing the number of members, changing the electoral system, and bringing in statutory gender quotas, have been presented by first minster Mark Drakeford and Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price.

Among the proposed changes – which Mr Drakeford and Mr Price say should be put in place in time for the next Senedd Election in 2026 – are for the number of MSs to be increased from 60 to 96.

Members would be elected using proportional representation, with each of the 32 new Parliamentary constituencies in Wales proposed by the Boundary for Wales paired, creating 16 Senedd constituencies, with each electing six members.

Mr Drakeford and Mr Price have set out their proposals in a joint letter to chairman of the cross-party Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform, Huw Irranca-Davies. The committee is currently preparing a report, which must be presented by the end of May, before being debated and voted on by the Senedd.

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The proposals also include allocating all seats via the D’Hondt method, the system already used to allocate regional Senedd seats.

Presenting the recommendations, Mr Drakeford said: “The case for Senedd reform has been made. We now need to get on with the hard work to create a modern Senedd, which reflects the Wales we live in today. A Parliament that truly works for Wales.

“The joint position statement we are publishing today will help support the important work of the cross-party Special Purpose Committee to move Senedd reform forwards.”

Mr Price said: “These reforms will lay the foundations for a stronger Welsh democracy and a fairer, more representative Senedd that will look entirely different to the outdated political system at Westminster.

"A stronger, more diverse, more representative Senedd will have a greater capacity to perform its primary purpose of making a positive difference to the lives of the people of Wales."

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The full letter from Mark Drakeford and Adam price to Huw Irranca-Davies:

Dear Huw,

As you will be aware, Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru recently voted to support Senedd reform at our respective party conferences and to enable further cross-party negotiations on the detail of Senedd reform proposals to progress.

The detailed work of your committee to date, the McAllister Report and the previous Senedd’s Committee on Senedd Electoral Reform has facilitated a number of discussions between our two parties to explore areas of common ground.

As a result of those discussions, we set out below our joint view on the package of proposals that is most likely to succeed in achieving the 2/3rds Senedd majority that is required by law to deliver reform.

We are grateful for the hard work of your committee in exploring some of the core elements of Senedd reform.  We are confident that the statement below will enable you to make recommendations on these fundamental issues.

We are mindful that there are a number of further matters that will need to be considered by the Government and by the Senedd once the work of preparing and scrutinising the proposed legislation gets underway.  We have committed to undertake further detailed work on these matters.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Drakeford MS, Prif Weinidog (first minister)

Adam Price MS, leader of Plaid Cymru

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