16 News A GOVERNMENT White Paper Proposals to lower the voting


has suggested that local authorities be given the choice of voting systems they use to elect councillors. Local Government Secretary


Mark Drakeford wants to let councils decide which voting system they use, specifically a choice between first past the post (FPTP) and the single- transferrable vote (STV) system. Mr Drakeford also suggested that the voting age should be lowered to 16. Speaking to the BBC, Mr


Drakeford said: "The WhitePaper explores the idea of permissive PR in which just as the national assembly will be able to decide on our voting system, so will individual councils. "They will be able to decide


between first past the post and STV as a way on conducting elections in their area. "It would be a decision entirely for the councils themselves." However, Conservative Shadow


Local Government Secretary Janet Finch-Saunders accused Labour of offering the vote to 16-year-olds as a ‘fop’ to Plaid Cymru. “I’m pleased that the Cabinet


Secretary has approached this process in a more conciliatory way than predecessors, but I do have concerns that the decision to graft electoral reform in to these proposals is just a fop to buy off the support of Plaid Cymru,” she said. “Carwyn Jones invested significant


sums of taxpayers’ cash and personal political capital on the Williams’ Commission – and here we are again some years later. “The Welsh Government’s top


priority should be the delivery of efficient, well-run services, and fair levels of council tax. That’s what ratepayers want, not electoral reform. “There’s a real danger that sub-


dividing local government into different regional layers will muddy the waters, taking decision-making further away from residents and doing little to reduce the complexity of the public sector in Wales.”


age to 16 have surfaced before the last general and Assembly election in Wales, with one poll in 2015 showing that a clear majority of 16-17-year-olds (53%) favoured the voting age being lowered. This followed the Scottish referendum, in which 16-17-year-olds were allowed to vote. Plaid Cymru has been supportive


of plans to lower the voting age to 16, and it was an election pledge of former Labour leader Ed Milliband in 2015. However, it would be fair to say


that lowering the voting age has not been a priority of the Conservatives, with Monmouthshire MP David TC Davies suggesting in 2015 that lowering the voting age would remove protections from 16-year-olds, because they would be considered as full adults: “How long will it take for an aggrieved parent to demand that his 16-year- old should be able to marry a foreign national whom she has never met? “How long before a teacher


convicted of sleeping with a 16-year- old pupil takes a case to the Supreme Court arguing that the pupil was legally an adult?” he asked. Commenting on Finance and


Local Government Secretary Mark Drakeford’s proposals to introduce proportional representation for local councils in Wales, Darren Hughes, Acting Director of Electoral Reform Society Cymru, said: “This White Paper is a hugely encouraging sign, and shows that the Welsh Government is serious about empowering voters and revitalising democracy in Wales. “A fairer voting system for local


government – which would allow voters to rank their candidates by preference – would be a big step forward. Moving away from the Westminster winner- takes-all system across the board would mean everyone’s vote counted in local elections, drawing to a close the era of wasted votes and ‘holding your nose’. “PR is a normal part of life for


voters in Scotland and Northern Ireland, ensuring that all council seats


Decision for the councils: Mark Drakeford


are contested and that all votes count. “We warmly welcome these


proposals and will be responding to the consultation in full as it progresses. “We commend the government for


leading on this and look forward to working with Ministers on improving democracy for Welsh voters.” A Plaid Cymru youth spokesperson


told The Herald: “Plaid Cymru Youth welcomes the announcement proposing to lower the voting age for council elections to 16. Allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to influence key decisions that affect their lives is great step forward for our democracy. Engaging young people in local issues will bring a new voice in local politics - one that has been missing for far too long. “We also welcome the


announcement of changing the voting system to the STV system, a change Plaid Cymru has supported for years. It would mean the way we vote in our councillors would be far more proportional and fairer. “We are concerned, however,


that the cabinet minister for local government is allowing councils to opt in to these measures. We believe that both should be rolled out across the whole country. It wouldn't be fair on the citizens living within a council area if their neighbours can vote at 16 under a fair system but they cannot. Also, if an STV system would mean a ruling group of a council would lose seats, would they genuinely vote for it without bias?”


THE DYFED-POWYS


POLICE and Crime Panel has agreed a precept increase to enable plans to re-invest in CCTV and lead to improvements in HMIC gradings. The panel met last Friday (Jan


27) to discuss the proposed precept put forward by Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn. He said: “My decision to ask


for an increase in the amount of money our communities pay towards policing was not made lightly. “The precept agreed by the


Police and Crime Panel equates to an additional 27p per week, per household, for an average band D property. This band D tax will be at a level that is 6.9% higher than the 2016/17 level and is 1.55% higher than the 2014/15 level. “This increase in budget will


enable me to move ahead with my plans to re-invest in CCTV across the counties, as well as enhance the service provided to our most rural communities. It will also go towards


THE HERALD FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3 2017


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Let councils choose on voting systems Police precept increased


implementing required improvements in order to improve the HMIC gradings for the force, a significant challenge but a priority for myself and the Chief Constable. “The consultation I undertook at


the end of last year confirmed that our communities are willing to pay more for policing. The majority suggested they were in support of an increase of up to 5%, with some willing to go to 10%. “I am very aware of financial


demands our communities face and have done my best to keep the increase to a minimum. The increase means that the communities served by Dyfed-Powys Police continue to pay the least for their local policing, when compared to the other Welsh forces. “In light of a freeze on precept


last year, a cut of 5% in the previous year and the continuation of cuts to police budgets nationally, no increase was not an option. I will use every penny of this increase to ensure that we continue to do everything possible to keep our communities safe.”


MP signs Book of Commitment


Mark Williams MP: Signing the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment


MARK WILLIAMS, Member


of Parliament for Ceredigion and Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, has signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, in doing so pledging his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as paying tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people. Last Friday (Jan 27) marked the


anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the largest mass murder in history. In the lead up to and on


Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events were arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. The theme for this year’s commemorations is ‘How can life go


on?’


After signing the Book of Commitment, Mark Williams MP commented: “Holocaust Memorial Day is an important opportunity for people from Ceredigion and across the country to reflect on the tragic events of the Holocaust. As the Holocaust moves from living history, to just history, it becomes ever more important that we take the time to remember the victims and also pay tribute to the survivors. I would encourage everyone to show their support for such an important day.”


Karen Pollock MBE, Chief


Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “Our mission is to educate young people from every background about the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance. We are very grateful to Mark for signing the Book of Commitment, signalling a continued commitment to remembering the victims of the Holocaust as well as challenging antisemitism, prejudice and bigotry in all its forms.”


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