Voters could soon have the chance to replace a Member of the Senedd between elections if plans are taken forward to introduce a ‘recall’ system in Wales.
Last year Welsh Government committed to work with all parties in the Senedd by the 2026 election in order to address the lack of a sanction and power to remove Members of the Senedd. The Standards of Conduct Committee has now developed options for how this could work in practice.
On Wednesday 12 March, the Senedd will debate the Committee’s report and its recommendation that a system of recall is introduced for Members of the Senedd.
What is recall?
‘Recall’ mechanisms allow voters to remove politicians from office between elections. They are relatively rare around the world, but a system has been in place for Members of the UK Parliament since 2015.
The Scottish Parliament is also considering a Member’s Bill introduced by Graham Simpson MSP that would establish a system of recall in Scotland.
What has the Standards Committee recommended?
The Committee fully agrees with the principle of recall being introduced for the Senedd. It recommends that the Welsh Government should bring forward legislation to introduce a system ahead of the 2026 Senedd election.
The report’s recommendations aim to create a bespoke system that takes account of the distinct circumstances in Wales.
The Committee recommends that:
- the Senedd’s standards process includes a standalone sanction for a recall ballot to be triggered if an MS has broken the code of conduct, with guidance published for when it should be used;
- if a ballot is triggered, the electorate would be asked whether they want to retain the Member or ‘remove and replace’ them with the next candidate on their party’s list at the last Senedd election;
- the ballot should be held on a single day across multiple polling stations in a process similar to a by-election, after a six-week notice period;
- if a majority of participants vote for the MS to be recalled, they will automatically lose their seat and the next candidate on their party’s list will be elected; and
- the Welsh Government should work with the electoral community to ensure that voters are informed about the reason for the recall and the options available to them.
How is this different from the system for MPs?
The recall system in the House of Commons has so far seen four MPs removed from their positions. A recall petition in Westminster can only be triggered in particular circumstances. For example, if an MP is suspended for at least 10 sitting days.
Under the Westminster system, a recall petition is open for 6 weeks. If 10% of registered voters in the constituency sign the petition during this period, the MP is recalled and loses their seat.
When an MP is recalled, their seat is filled using a by-election. The recalled MP can stand in the by-election.
The Westminster system is not being recommended by the Committee. From 2026, the Senedd will use a different electoral system to its current one – closed list proportional representation – that will remove the possibility of by-elections. This new electoral system means that if the Westminster recall system was used for the Senedd, a Member would be recalled by only 10% of their constituents. But it would also mean there would be no opportunity to win back their seat in a by-election, because they would automatically be replaced by the next candidate from their political party that was on the list from the previous election.
Does the Committee’s proposal take choice away from voters?
The Committee’s recommendations have been criticised by the Electoral Reform Society Cymru (ERS). The ERS has concerns about the impact the system would have on voter choice and accountability.
It believes the system recommended by the Committee would deny voters the opportunity to punish a political party as well as an individual. This is because a recalled Member would be automatically replaced by the next person on their political party’s list from the last Senedd election.
The ERS supports the principle of recall but wants a system that in its view ensures that voters can determine who represents them, rather than political parties.
The Chair of the Committee, Hannah Blythyn MS, told the BBC’s Walescast podcast that the challenge facing the Committee was to find a solution that’s workable with the electoral system being introduced in 2026. She said the emphasis of the Committee’s work was on individual accountability and that it was important the system was simple and accessible for the public to understand.
What else is happening to strengthen accountability?
The Committee’s report forms part of a wider programme of work looking at how the Senedd’s standards regime operates.
In February 2025, the Committee published a report on ‘deliberate deception’, which recommended the Welsh Government take steps to strengthen the law to prevent and punish MSs and election candidates who deliberately lie. This would include toughening existing laws covering Senedd elections and strengthening the Senedd’s standards procedures and Code of Conduct for Members.
Alongside this, the Committee has also committed to review the structures and procedures that support the standards framework. This will include the effectiveness of the Senedd’s Dignity and Respect policy, consideration of barriers to accessing the standards regime and whether any legislative changes are needed to make the system more effective.
What happens next?
The Welsh Government supports the majority of the Committee’s recommendations and has confirmed that it will bring forward a Bill to establish a system of recall during the current Senedd term.
The Government has accepted in principle the Committee’s recommendations for recall to be a standalone sanction but it will explore whether a prison sentence of less than 12 months should be included as an automatic trigger.
The Welsh Government has said that whilst primary legislation can be passed during this Senedd term, full implementation (such as the development and passage of secondary legislation) will need to take place “at pace” after the 2026 election.
The Senedd will debate the Committee’s report in plenary on Wednesday 12 March 2025. You can follow proceedings on Senedd.tv.
Article by Josh Hayman, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament
