Closed petition Require list-elected MSs to vacate their seat if they leave the party that elected them
Voters choose a political party and its list of candidates.
If an MS elected from that list leaves the party, they can currently keep the seat and join another party without voters having another say.
We believe that if a list-elected MS leaves the party they were elected for, the seat should pass to the next eligible candidate from the original list.
More details
This proposal is not about stopping Members from changing their political beliefs.
It is about protecting the vote cast by the public.
Under a closed-list system, voters choose a political party and its list of candidates. If a Member elected from that list later leaves the party, the voter has no opportunity to approve that change.
A fairer system would allow the Member to leave the party if they wish, but require them to give up the list seat. The seat could then pass to the next eligible candidate from the original party list.
This would keep the result closer to what voters actually chose at the election and help maintain trust in the Senedd electoral system.
This petition is now under consideration by the Petitions Committee
Petitions that collect more than 250 signatures are discussed by the Petitions Committee
Find out about the Petitions Committee’s discussion of this petition