All future Senedd candidates must live in Wales under new plans

New Welsh Government plans have revealed all future Senedd election candidates must live in Wales and stopped from leaving a political party to join another.

All these plans are part of a reform package which would increase MS’s from 60 to 96.

The Welsh Government has said it will give an update on the plans by Easter and Plaid Cymru described the proposed changes as “a significant milestone in Wales’s constitutional journey”

Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies said the Welsh Government should instead focus on “fixing our Welsh NHS, our education system and our economy”.

The Welsh Government hopes to introduce the new plans by 2026 which would see 96 Ministers split across 16 constituencies, with each electing six.

Rules that would require a certain percentage of female candidates are also being considered to ensure a fairer and more even representation.

However, there is uncertainty around whether the Senedd holds the legal power that would enable them to implement such a change.

Welsh ministers and Plaid Cymru are currently working on finalising the plans which will be published by autumn 2023.

It’s hoped that ensuring election candidates live in Wales would prevent the situation in the last Senedd where UKIP leader Neil Hamilton who lived in Wiltshire was able to represent mid and west Wales