Plans to increase the number of politicians in the Senedd by more than half have been unveiled, with the Welsh Parliament set to grow to 96 members, a rise of 36. The expansion, the first since the Senedd opened in 1999, is aimed at coping with its increasing workload.
The proposals, agreed by Labour and Plaid Cymru, include measures to boost the number of women elected. Parties will be required to nominate an equal number of men and women, with lists alternating between genders in a system known as 'zipping'. The first-past-the-post system for electing 40 of the current 60 members would be scrapped.
Under the plan, the 96 members would be elected from 16 constituencies, each returning six members. Voters would have a single vote for a party list, replacing the current two-vote system. The changes are expected to cost an extra £12 million, based on 2020 estimates.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said the reforms would 'put right' a Senedd that 'cannot do the job in the way that people in Wales have a right to expect'. Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price described the plan as building 'a modern democracy' with a 'fully gender-balanced working parliament'.
The Welsh Conservatives opposed the expansion, with leader Andrew RT Davies arguing Wales needs 'more teachers, doctors, dentists and nurses' rather than more politicians. Their representative on the Senedd reform committee, Darren Millar, resigned in protest.
The proposals require a two-thirds majority in the Senedd to become law, which is highly likely given Labour and Plaid Cymru's combined numbers. The changes are scheduled to take effect for the 2026 election, with a boundary review planned for 2031.
