The latest pre-electoral niggle to emerge in recent days is that ballot papers for regional Assembly contests will not bear the names of candidates. This rather late ‘discovery’ has reportedly raised consternation among Conservative & Lib Dem hopefuls eager to distance themselves from their respective toxic party brands, in the flimsy hope that there might possibly be a personal vote for some of them.
Among these is Peter Black, who publicly agonised last June over his decision to go for a regional candidacy instead of the Swansea West seat. His contention now is that the move to de-personalise ballot papers places “more power in the hands of the party machines” and reduces the status of regional list AMs to being “purely representatives of their party”.
Yet such uncharacteristically clumsy obfuscation, possibly linked to increasing level of desperation, cannot change the in-your-face reality that the regional list mechanism is all about party votes. Even the Assembly’s own explanatory notes state the Additional Member system is about “ensuring that the overall number of seats held by each political party reflects the share of the vote that the party receives”.
Besides being a rather disingenuous portrayal of circumstances, and regardless of any amazement expressed by Shipton of the Mail, the idea that regional elections are personal popularity contests begs the question of just how many voters had even heard of Bethan Jenkins before she became a Plaid AM. Similarly, would South Wales West electors actually recognise Suzy Davies, who is tipped to replace Alun Cairns as tory regional representative?
The fallacy that Black is attempting to float has however already been effectively holed by revelations that the matter was previously considered without protest by the Wales Elections Planning Group and then the Electoral Commission. It also transpires, according to a Wales Office spokeswoman, that the changes were made following discussions with the main political parties and with no objections raised. These talks were presumably held before the present anti-ConDem sentiment took its grip among the voting public, but those are the breaks.
What will be depressing news for Lib Dems in South Wales West however, is that most pollsters maintain that the effect of ‘anonymous’ ballot papers will be probably prove minimal as electors very seldom know who is standing – even in constituency elections – and that an inclination to cast a party vote most often prevails.
Update: We had not seen Black's own post at the time of publishing but nothing changes.
Update: We had not seen Black's own post at the time of publishing but nothing changes.
10 Comments:
Black thinks Plaid takes the biscuit but he wants the penny and the bun for himself. Gotta love those cute analogies.
I'm afraid I disagree to some extent. I've already commentate on this and whilst I accept that few voters would have reconised the candidates name on the top of the Party List it would encourage the buggers to work harder.
And as much as we all detest Peter Black,isn't he better than some Lazy anonymous AM (hard Choice maybe)
But isn't the real issue . How was this passed?
According to the Western Mule
"At the end of last year, the plan was approved by Parliament as part of a general order laying down procedures for the running of the Assembly election".
Surely such changes should be made by the Assembly?
Surely the change should be for all 60 members be elected by Single Tranferable Vote. Candidates & party get equal billing and voters get an elected body that reflects their stated and overall preferences.
Theirs loads of people deteste Peter Black am but the bottom line he is one of the most dynamic Assembly members and it would be a big loss to Welsh politics if the UKIP or Bee-End-Pee sneaked it,
Due to the odd arrangement of the d'hondt regional system he will no doubt hope that none of the lib den constituency candidate quite make it, yet put up a good showing
Of course seeing Peter Black on top of the Libdem list could well be a reason not to vote for them as well.
If Black is as hardworking and dynamic as claimed here then why is he standing as a regional candidate and no putting himself forward as a household name in Swansea West? It’s just a rhetorical question.
For myself, I think he's an opportunistic, hypocritical, two-faced, ambulance-chasing, self-publicist who has an opinion on everything but a very short record of actual achievement during his time in Cardiff Bay.
His primary success has been to relentlessly work the Welsh political media so as to gain an undeserved level of recognition which is then mistaken for influence. The man's actual casework performance is no better than of most AMs although his numerous acquired "interests" somehow justify a rented flat at public expense. Black knows how to work the system, but I think the system is about to let him down.
Lambaster, I don't think the system will let him down.
It may well be a rhetorical question but his achievements is that he has held Welsh Labour-plaid government to account like no other assembly member. He often amends government directives to make them more pallatable and feasible.
Just as a matter of factual information I am not and never have been a member of the Electoral Commission. It is in fact against the law for a serving politician to belong to this body.
Accepted. This was initially read as Assembly Commission. Reference has now been removed.
Correction to Anonymous 18:29 - I concede that Black often puts forward amendements on a range of issues, often just after the obligatory press release, but his success rate is mediocre at best. He did slightly better when he served as a junior minister 2001-2003.
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