PENYFFORDD & PENYMYNYDD DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY
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Chairman: Dennis Parry
Secretary: Mrs Sue Jones
Treasurer: Mrs C Hinds
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| 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.
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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.
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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 |
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