James Evans MS has voted against the Welsh Government’s plans to expand the number of Senedd members.
After the Stage 4 debate on Wednesday (8th May), the Senedd has voted to pass the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill – meaning that from the 2026 election, the number of members will increase from 60 to 96, and a closed list voting system introduced meaning votes will be for parties rather than candidates.
Speaking after the vote, James Evans MS said:
“I am frustrated that Welsh Labour and Plaid’s plans to fundamentally alter our democracy in Wales have passed this evening. It is telling that the Welsh Labour Government believe now is the right time to waste more tax-payer money on their vanity projects, and not fund vital front-line services.
“Many of my constituents do not support having more politicians in Cardiff Bay. From the start, I believed that there should be a referendum giving the people of Wales the final say on any proposals.
“Although the Welsh Government argue that more politicians mean more scrutiny, the vote today has weakened our democratic process, and ignored the will of the Welsh people.”