PENYFFORDD & PENYMYNYDD DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY

Chairman: Dennis Parry   
Secretary: Mrs Sue Jones  
Treasurer: Mrs C Hinds      

Dear Sir/Madam
Re:  Richards Commission
The party fully discussed the question posed by the Richards Commission.   In our part of North Wales there have been a huge disappointment in the way the Assembly governs Wales.
The Assembly has adequate powers and sufficient funds to deal with health, education and unemployment in a unique way purposely built to cater for Wales's needs.
The Party sees this as a failure, more powers could not help the situation and further terms of the Assembly proving that they can manage what they already have must continue.
The Assembly system of cabinet design puts too much workload onto to few members, in fact, the cabinet system now operating in all County Councils has reduced decision making to the few and frustrating to the majority. 
Having more Assembly members is unnecessary to resolve the problems, increased member involvement and fewer holidays should adequately take care of the problem.  The ideas of weakening the Parliamentary role in Wales would be a disaster, the fledgling Assembly can barely take care of itself than do without the help Welsh MPs can give.
The Party feels a closer working relationship should take on board especially since the recent Government re-shuffle further terms of Assembly and Parliament working together would, hopefully, bring about a clearer answer to what the Richard Commission proposes.
The Electoral System employed at Assembly Elections is an unmitigated disaster discriminating against democracy in Wales.
The flaws in the system are numerous -

a.  Ballot papers confusing.  Explanations nil.  When you cast your vote for the person who you feel is best equipped to serve your interests then that vote should also count for the list system.  Two votes totally unnecessary.

b.  Allowing candidates two bites of the cherry ie standing for election and being placed in the top places on the list system is undemocratic.  The system if continued and our Party hopes it does not, should be you either fight an election first past the post or allow your name to be placed on the list not both.

c.  If the system is to continue then proportional representation should be thought out much more clearly if our Assembly is to be governed on a European consensus style then maybe the present system could survive.  

Already the Assembly has decided that confrontational politics is to be the way the members want to operate so that the election on P.R. should reflect that there has to be, if possible, a majority group on the Assembly.
Yours faithfully
D R Parry
Chairman