Issue - meetings

To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support.

Not to adopt a single transferable vote system for Cyngor Gwynedd elections hereafter in accordance with Section 8 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

Submitted – a report by the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Legal Services noting that Section 8 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 permitted any principal Council to choose between a Simple Majority System ("first past the post") or a Single Transferable Vote System ("STV") for principal councils, and invited the Council to consider the following statutory question following a consultation on changing the voting system:-

In accordance with Section 8 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, that the Council decides to adopt a single transferable vote system for Cyngor Gwynedd elections hereafter.

In presenting the report, the Cabinet Member noted:-

·       According to the requirements of the Act, this meeting had been called to discuss this decision only.

·       The consultation was undertaken between 15 July and 15 September this year.

·       In accordance with the Council's decision, they had consulted with Gwynedd local government constituents and the town and community councils, which was the statutory requirement, and a breakdown of the consultation results was available in Appendix 1 of the report.

·       An extensive consultation process had been undertaken using the Council website, the press and the county's libraries. In addition, direct contact was made with every town and community council in Gwynedd.

·       The consultation had received extensive publicity in the press and on social media.

·       Steps were taken over the consultation period to re-push the information.

·       The objective of the consultation was to seek views on a proposal, and not to hold a referendum on the question, and the consultation results contributed to the considerations, rather than set the direction.

·       The Council's decision, whatever it may be, had to be based on a range of considerations, including the evaluation of the consultation's results.

·       If the members voted in favour of moving to an STV System, it would be a historical opportunity for Cyngor Gwynedd to lead Wales in joining Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in their use of the system, instead of staying with England on the First Past the Post System.

·       Every vote was important, and every voice must be heard.

·       In the last election, 28 of the 69 seats on Cyngor Gwynedd had been uncontested, and since introducing the STV System in Scotland in 2017, there were fewer uncontested seats in the total number of elections than there had been in only one election in Gwynedd in 2022.

·       That Cyngor Gwynedd often led the way in terms of introducing policies that broke new ground, therefore why not this?

·       The STV System was a gold standard for electoral systems and it was believed that this was the right thing to do for voters, for the Council and for democracy in Gwynedd. Therefore, it was proposed that the Council voted in favour of introducing an STV System for Cyngor Gwynedd elections.

·       Should the Council decide to adopt the STV System, that would lead to a directive by the Minister for the Democracy and Boundary Commission Wales to hold  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5