Cyflwynwyd yr ymateb hwn i ymgynghoriad y Pwyllgor Biliau Diwygio ar Fil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau).

This response was submitted to the Reform Bill Committee consultation on the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill.

SCME03  Ymateb gan: | Response from: Jeremy Miles
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Dear Sir/Madam,

I am submitting this as an individual and I am over 18 years old. You can publish my name and it is not confidential.

Firstly, I just want to double check that these reforms are being pushed through on the basis that a consultation response of 1,030 people were in favour of more assembly members and this represented 56% of the responses?

Just to be clear, of the 3m people in Wales, 0.061% responded to your consultation and 0.034% were in favour of your proposal.

This hardly seems like a glowing endorsement and in fact looks more like a complete lack of support for your proposal.

Surely questions have to be asked about the validity of the consultation if only 0.061% of the population responds. Why was this deemed an acceptable response rate? Why was it only run once in 2018 for less than a 2 month period?

Prior to Covid, the people of Wales did not realise the extent of the powers of the Welsh Government and there was a complete apathy towards the Welsh Government (which is probably the reason why only 0.061% responded to the consultation).  Post Covid, the people of Wales have woken up to the incompetence of Welsh Government, and I include all parties in this. It is my view that the Welsh public has no faith in the Welsh Government at all and our country is completely failing.

Our NHS is the worst performing in the UK (which is saying something), our schools are the worst performing in the UK (which we respond to by dumbing down the curriculum), there is no focus on business, tourism etc and the future for our children will lie elsewhere because the prospects in Wales are rapidly fading away.

Meanwhile, the Welsh Government contents itself with virtue signaling politics, avoiding Covid enquiries, shelving development, and trying to remove cars from the roads when there is no credible alternative.

On the basis that the Welsh Government has a proven track record of failure I would propose to reduce the assembly members to zero, and absolutely not support wasting any more of our money on the high, underserved incomes of 36 additional members.

I have lived in Wales for 50 years and for the first time in my life, seriously considering leaving to live elsewhere.

Regards,

Jeremy Miles