Here is the result in plain text:
Members of the Senedd who lie could lose their seats under new recommendations being made to the Welsh government. But the Senedd’s Standards of Conduct Committee has stopped short of recommending that deliberate deception be made a criminal offence – to be investigated by the police and prosecuted in the courts.
The committee said the existing standards regime should be strengthened, with the ultimate sanction of a referendum-style vote in an MS’s constituency to decide whether they stay in office.
Under the plans the Senedd’s standards commissioner would also have the power to start their own investigation, rather than wait for a complaint, and could compel an MS to issue a correction. If they do not make that correction then they would be considered to have broken the rules, or code of conduct, and face tougher sanctions.
The report also called for lay members, from outside the Senedd, to join the standards committee. This has been the case in the House of Commons’ equivalent committee since 2015, using people from outside the institution with relevant knowledge to bring an “independent and external perspective” to decision-making.
Ministers are currently considering a previous committee report which recommended the Senedd introduce a “recall” procedure which would give voters the chance to remove MS’s who had misbehaved.
The committee concluded that introducing a criminal offence risked unintended consequences which might outweigh any benefits. It had heard evidence that it might overwhelm police and the criminal justice system – which is already facing severe backlogs – and that any allegations of deliberate deception would have to reach the criminal standard.
The committee also wanted one standards system, and not have lying treated separately and seen as more serious than other breaches. If the circumstances were deemed serious enough – subject to a recommendation from the committee and a vote in the Senedd – committee members felt that the ultimate decision should lie with the electorate to recall their Senedd member.
“Toughening rules for Members of the Senedd and candidates standing for election is critical at a time when public trust in our institutions is low. By strengthening the law governing elections, toughening our code of conduct and giving more power and independence to those investigating complaints, we can start to rebuild public trust in our political institutions and support a parliament fit for the future.”
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