Welsh voters against cut in number of Welsh MPs

Most Welsh voters do not believe the number of Welsh MPs should be reduced as outlined in the Parliamentary Voting and Constituencies Bill currently being considered by the House of Lords. In a poll commissioned by the BBC and carried out by ICM, 40 per cent of respondents said the number of Welsh MPs should not be reduced, 20 per cent said cuts to Welsh representation in the Commons should only be made if it properly reflects Wales’s geography and status and 27 per cent believe the number of Welsh MPs should be cut in line with the UK government’s policy.

In September, Left Foot Forward reported the concerns being expressed by Welsh Conservative MPs at the coalition’s plans. Research by the Electoral Reform Society suggests the plans will hit Wales disproportionately harder than the rest of the UK, with a loss of more than a quarter of its current 40 constituencies (as shown on page six).

In a far researching survey for BBC Wales, ICM also found:

• Fifty seven per cent of respondents would vote in favour of the Welsh Assembly gaining primary law making powers when given the opportunity to on March 3rd, with 24% against and 18% yet to make up their minds.

However, of the 37% who said they were certain to vote, nearly four-fifths (77%) said they would vote yes; and

• Whilst 70% of respondents felt public spending cuts were necessary, 39% feel the UK government’s plans go too far too quickly, with 22% believing the speed of the cuts is about right.

Meanwhile, on the first anniversary of Carwyn Jones’s elevation to the post of Welsh Labour leader and first minister of Wales, 53 per cent of those polled approved of the job he is doing.

The results follows polling last week by YouGov which showed 44 per cent of respondents supporting Welsh Labour in the constituency vote of next year’s Assembly elections compared with 21 per cent for the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru and just 9 per cent for the Liberal Democrats. On the regional vote, Welsh Labour enjoyed the support of 41 per cent of respondents compared with 20 per cent for both the Conservatives and Plaid and 9 per cent for the Lib Dems.

With elections to the Senedd now just 6 months away, Mr Jones called for Welsh Labour to offer voters a positive case to vote Labour, saying:

“The key will be in May to have an election that excites people. We want a manifesto that firstly gives people a good reason to vote, and secondly gives people a light at the end of the tunnel because all we’ve heard is gloom and doom and that’s not going to bring people out to vote.”