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The Additional Member System in the Welsh Assembly

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Title: The Additional Member System in the Welsh Assembly


1
The Additional Member System in the Welsh
Assembly
  • Dr Jonathan Bradbury, Department of Politics and
    International Relations, University of Wales
    Swansea
  • j.p.bradbury_at_swansea.ac.uk

2
What were the expectations of AMS in Wales?
  • Westminster traditions simple plurality
    elections, party decentralisation and single
    member constituent representation
  • AMS in Wales 40 constituency members (simple
    plurality), 20 list members from five four-member
    regions (Dhondt method)
  • The advent of new politics?
  • Or more pluralism but continued Labour party
    power

3
How have voters responded to AMS in Wales?
  • The 1999 and 2003 elections new voting patterns
    and political pluralism
  • Electoral administration smooth elections
  • Problem of turn-out
  • Problems of public understanding
  • Problems in institutionalising party interest in
    either constituency or list members
  • Problems in representing party preferences

4
How have parties responded to party
representation under AMS?
  • Labour Party adaptation living with pluralism
    belies underlying continuities
  • Michael minority government1999-2000 Morgan,
    Labour-Liberal Democrat partnership government
    2000-2003 Morgan majority government since 2003
  • Other party adaptation intra-party tensions and
    the problems of coalition formation

5
Party candidate selection how do you do it?
  • Constituencies the dominance of membership
    selectorates (OMOV)
  • List selection central selection, automatic
    mechanisms, delegate selectorates, OMOV
  • List selection issues of candidate eligibility
    and postal voting
  • Promoting gender balance twinning, all-women
    shortlists, gender balanced shortlists and
    zipping

6
Party candidate selection what are the problems?
  • Promoting black and minority ethnic (BME)
    representation Labours BME list ballot (2003)
    or positive action
  • Party tensions and perceived central control
  • (i) constituency selection
  • (ii) list selection
  • The Conservative Party least change, least
    tensions, least change in recruitment

7
Constituency/List members how do they represent
constituents?
  • Minimal rules equal status of constituency and
    list members equality of allowances
  • Enhanced local representation a market in
    constituent representation
  • Labour critiques of list members acting as
    shadow constituency members the West Clwyd
    question (2003)
  • Perceptions of first and second class members
    and a culture of resentment

8
Overall, how is AMS perceived to be working in
Wales?
  • The Richard Report (2004) a critique of AMS
    and STV to reconstruct new politics
  • Party responses to the Richard Report
  • Legislating rules on eligibility for candidate
    selection Labours 2005 plans
  • Watching Scotland (i) a different AMS (ii) STV
    (iii) same AMS with guidance on the roles of
    constituency and list members
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