Senedd urged to heed public on recall system

A NEW recall system allowing voters to remove misbehaving Senedd politicians between elections must command public confidence, the UK’s standards watchdog has stressed.

- CHRIS HAINES

Daniel Greenberg, the UK parliamentary standards commissioner, gave evidence as the Senedd scrutinised plans for Wales to follow in Westminster's footsteps.

Under the recall bill, the Senedd would adopt a similar system with some tweaks due to differing electoral systems to one introduced in the House of Commons in 2015.

Mr Greenberg, who investigates MPs, told the Senedd’s newly formed accountability committee that the public view is “absolutely key” to the success of the new system.

However, appearing before the committee yesterday, he said he had seen no evidence that the Recall of MPs Act has improved the conduct of politicians. In Westminster, a 10-day suspension leads to a recall petition but the Welsh bill includes no detail of the triggers other than a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or less. Sentences of more than 12 months already lead to disqualification.

Mr Greenberg said the proposed approach of leaving the detail to recall guidance, to be issued by the Senedd’s standards committee, leads to flexibility but a lack of certainty and “perhaps a little bit of a lack of openness and transparency”.