(A) NOTICE OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR GRUFFYDD WILLIAMS
In accordance with
the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution,
Councillor Gruffydd Williams will
propose as follows:-
In January 2026, the Westminster
Government made a U-turn regarding their plans to make digital ID cards
mandatory for proving the right to work, following a significant response from
members of the public with a petition with over three thousand names being
submitted to the Government stating their opposition to DI. While the mandatory
requirement for employment has been dropped, the government plans to move
verification processes online by 2029, leading to concerns that a digital
identification system will still be introduced gradually through the back door,
as it were.
That this Council is totally opposed to
the Digital Identification system and that Cyngor Gwynedd calls on the Welsh
Government to oppose DI in line with the Government in Scotland and also in line with several local authorities across the
UK. Convenience should never come at the expense of personal liberty.
(B) NOTICE OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR ELIN HYWEL
In accordance
with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Elin
Hywel will propose as follows:-
This Council recognises that trust
is the foundation of democracy. We know that recent events locally, nationally
and internationally have undermined that relationship with the people of
Gwynedd. Democracy cannot function well without public trust in those who
represent them; that trust enables people to participate in local democracy
and, in turn, ensures their voice in shaping their future.
This Council notes evidence from
the Office for National Statistics indicating that trust in politics and
politicians is at a very low level, with only one in five trusting political
parties, and that there is a direct link between low trust and low participation.
In light of that, this Council notes the low
participation in the 2022 Gwynedd Council election, in line with wider trends
throughout Wales, with around 38-39% voting, and that 28 of the 69 seats were
elected without opposition, meaning that a large number of
Gwynedd's electors did not have a democratic choice.
The Council recognises that these
figures highlight a serious challenge to the health of local democracy and to
the relationship between electors and their representatives.
It is recognised that our
behaviour as public leaders sets the standard for
democratic discussion. That trust cannot be built, or participation increased,
unless we model those values ourselves.
This Council welcomes the actions
of the Senedd through the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act to
strengthen the integrity of public life and place honesty and truth at the
heart of our democratic culture.
In accordance with this, this
Council clearly states that we, personally and collectively, have the duty to
maintain and restore public trust.
We are committed to the truth, to
transparency, to fairness, and to respect - the cornerstones of our right to
represent the people of Gwynedd.
Decision:
Item
13(A): NOTICE OF MOTION FROM CLLR GRUFFYDD WILLIAMS
In
accordance with the Notice of Motion received in accordance with Section 4.19
of the Constitution, Councillor Gruffydd Williams proposed as follows:-
In January
2026, the Westminster Government made a U-turn regarding their plans to make
digital ID cards mandatory for proving the right to work, following a
significant response from members of the public with a petition with over 3
thousand names being submitted to the Government stating their opposition to
DI. While the mandatory requirement for employment has been dropped, the
government plans to move verification processes online by 2029, leading to
concerns that a digital identification system will still be introduced
gradually through the back door, as it were.
That this
Council is totally opposed to the Digital Identification system and that Cyngor
Gwynedd calls on the Welsh Government to oppose DI in line with the Government
in Scotland and also in line with several local authorities across the UK.
Convenience should never come at the expense of personal liberty.
Item
13(B): NOTICE OF MOTION FROM CLLR ELIN HYWEL
In
accordance with the Notice of Motion received in accordance with Section 4.19
of the Constitution, Councillor Elin Hywel proposed as follows:-
This
Council recognises that trust is the foundation of democracy. We know that
recent events locally, nationally and internationally have undermined that
relationship with the people of Gwynedd. Democracy cannot function well without
public trust in those who represent them; that trust enables people to
participate in local democracy and, in turn, ensures their voice in shaping
their future.
This
Council notes evidence from the Office for National Statistics indicating that
trust in politics and politicians is at a very low level, with only one in five
trusting political parties, and that there is a direct link between low trust
and low participation.
In light of
that, this Council notes the low participation in the 2022 Cyngor Gwynedd
election, in line with wider trends throughout Wales, with around 38-39%
voting, and that 28 of the 69 seats were elected without opposition, meaning
that a large number of Gwynedd's electors did not have a democratic choice.
The Council
recognises that these figures highlight a serious challenge to the health of
local democracy and to the relationship between electors and their
representatives.
It is
recognised that our behaviour as public leaders sets the standard for
democratic discussion. That trust cannot
be built, or participation increased, unless we model those values ourselves.
This
Council welcomes the actions of the Senedd through the Elections and Elected
Bodies (Wales) Act to strengthen the integrity of public life and place honesty
and truth at the heart of our democratic culture.
In
accordance with this, this Council clearly states that we, personally and
collectively, have the duty to maintain and restore public trust.
We are
committed to the truth, to transparency, to fairness, and to respect - the
cornerstones of our right to represent the people of Gwynedd.
Minutes:
13(A)
NOTICE OF MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR GRUFFYDD WILLIAMS
The notice
of motion was submitted by Councillor Gruffydd Williams under Section 4.19 of
the Constitution, and was seconded.
The motion
was supported, noting the following:-
·
That
personal freedom was all important and something that can be lost.
·
It
has often been highlighted that actions like this happen – starting small and
growing over time and that there is a risk to individuals' data.
RESOLVED
to adopt the motion, namely:-
In January
2026, the Westminster Government made a u-turn
regarding their plans to make digital ID cards mandatory for proving the right
to work, following a significant response from members of the public with a
petition signed by over 3 million being submitted to the Government stating
their opposition to DI. While the mandatory requirement for employment has been
dropped, the government plans to move verification processes on-line by 2029,
leading to concerns that a digital identification system will still be
introduced gradually through the back door, as it were.
That this
Council is totally opposed to the Digital Identification system and that Cyngor
Gwynedd calls on the Welsh Government to oppose DI in line with the Government
in Scotland and also in line with several local
authorities across the UK. Convenience should never come at the expense of
personal liberty.
13(b)
NOTICE OF MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR ELIN HYWEL
The notice
of motion was submitted by Councillor Elin Hywel under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and was seconded. The member set out the
context to her motion, noting:-
·
That
democracy cannot function without trust, and that it is won or lost through the
way people speak, conduct themselves or the decisions that are made. It was
stressed that trust in politics was currently extremely low.
·
It
was a very challenging time for the residents of Gwynedd at
the moment with national and local events affecting trust in
politicians.
·
She
noted that the responsibility lay with Councillors and asked the question, what
was their part? As councillors they had a responsibility to declare and
demonstrate a willingness to exercise and maintain trust. She explained that to
declare this was only the first step.
·
She
expressed that only 38-39% of Gwynedd residents had voted in the Local
Government Election back in 2022, and that 28 seats
had been elected uncontested. As a result there had
been no democratic procedure in those areas, because without a choice there was
no election.
·
She
welcomed the Senedd's actions through the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales)
Act to strengthen the integrity of public life and place honesty at its heart.
·
She
expressed that most of the Councillors were here for the best reason which was
to improve people's lives and to create better communities. She highlighted
that discussions could be heated but that serving the residents of Gwynedd was
focal to everyone.
·
She
noted that what happened in the Chamber needed to serve to strengthen democracy
and to build respect and confidence in organisations.
·
It
was explained that if we can lead through words then we must be honest and they
must truly mean something, because by losing trust in words there will be a
loss of trust in democracy.
·
She
emphasised that the motion was not intended as a partisan accusation or
finger-pointing but to stand together on one principle and to follow the
Senedd's actions to strengthen integrity. She noted that Councillors had a duty
to maintain and restore public trust.
Members
provided observations on the notice, stating the following:-
·
Trust
was the foundation of democracy, because if the public were not involved then
the connection between members and the public would disappear. The trust must
be earned, and we must be transparent and respectful in our work and
discussions.
·
It
was acknowledged that there were challenges but these
were not unique challenges. It was expressed that the motion was a positive
call to lead by example and to make it clear that Councillors took their
responsibility seriously.
·
A
member disagreed with the paragraph about the Councillors who had been elected
uncontested meaning that there was no democratic procedure, as individuals did
have a choice, the choice to put their names forward and therefore there was a
democratic procedure. It was expressed that it was not a reflection of trust
but the need to encourage more people to get involved and to stand up for their
area, and the need to include this as part of the motion.
·
It
was highlighted that some seats were perhaps elected uncontested because the
public was satisfied with the Councillor who had been serving them.
·
The
public's reasons for not standing were discussed, highlighting that time and
work commitments can be reasons.
·
The
motion was supported, stating that the 2022 figures caused concern in terms of
polling rates and a high number being elected uncontested. Reference was made
to the need to look at culture, because trust was dependent on how individuals
and organisations behaved, and the place and environment where individuals feel
comfortable and safe to voice their opinions.
·
It
was noted that the motion was timely and that we needed to look at what we
could do locally. A member expressed the need to look at what hung in the
balance, as research showed that if people lose trust in an organisation they
will move to non-organisational right-wing leaders.
·
Plaid
Cymru was asked to trust the Independent Group when considering chairs as they
felt that their voice was not being heard.
·
A
member expressed that claiming there is no democratic choice if a Councillor is
elected uncontested was not an insult to those particular
Councillors, but rather a reflection of the flaws in the system.
·
A
member asked how the Senedd legislation was relevant to the motion. It was
expressed that there had been an amendment to the legislation to ensure that
lying during election campaigning was illegal. By doing this the Senedd had
prioritised honesty and recognised the importance of that. It was noted that in
a time where people do not trust politicians, it needs to be highlighted that
transparency and honesty were at the heart of Gwynedd politics.
RESOLVED
to adopt the motion, namely:-
In
accordance with the Notice of Motion received from her pursuant to Section 4.19
of the Constitution, Councillor Elin Hywel will propose as follows:-
This
Council recognises that trust is the foundation of democracy. We know that
recent events locally, nationally and internationally have undermined that
relationship with the people of Gwynedd. Democracy cannot function healthily
without public trust in those who represent them; that trust enables people to
participate in local democracy and, in turn, ensures their voice in shaping
their future.
Evidence
from the Office for National Statistics indicates that trust in politics and
politicians is at a very low level, with only one in five trusting political
parties, and that there is a direct link between low trust and low
participation.
In light of
that, this Council notes the low turnout in the 2022 Cyngor Gwynedd election,
in line with wider trends throughout Wales, with around 38-39% voting, and that
28 of the 69 seats were elected uncontested, meaning that a
large number of Gwynedd's constituents did not have a democratic choice.
The Council
recognises that these figures highlight a serious challenge to the health of
local democracy and to the relationship between constituents and their
representatives.
It is
recognised that our behaviour as public leaders sets
the standard for democratic discussion. That trust cannot be built, or
participation increased, unless we model those values ourselves.
This
Council welcomes the actions of the Senedd through the Elections and Elected
Bodies (Wales) Act to strengthen the integrity of public life and place honesty
and truth at the heart of our democratic culture.
Accordingly,
this Council makes it clear that we have a duty, both personally and
collectively, to maintain and restore the public's trust.
We are
committed to the truth, to transparency, to fairness, and to respect - the
cornerstones of our right to represent the people of Gwynedd.