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.