THE Welsh Liberal Democrats said yesterday that they would not support any local government reorganisation proposals without the introduction of a “fair” voting system.

Peter Black AM tabled an amendment to the Local Government (Wales) Bill calling for the single transferable vote (STV) system to be introduced; however this amendment was voted down in Committee.

STV (Single Transferable Vote) is a voting system in which voters list the candidates in order of preference. If any candidate does not receive enough support to win a seat, that candidate’s votes will then be transferred to others according to voters’ next preferences. It gives voters more choice and helps to ensure fewer votes are ‘wasted’ at the ballot.

Peter Black, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Local Government, said: “Without introducing a fair voting system, this whole reorganisation process is pointless.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats will not support any local government reform that doesn’t bring power closer to people and that includes a fairer voting system. If councils are going to be larger, then it is essential that they reflect the people that voted for them.

“The Welsh Labour Government is obsessed with lines on the map, but far less focused on properly thinking about what services councils are expected to deliver.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats believe in devolving power from Cardiff Bay into our communities, giving councils the tools to be able to properly deliver services for local people.

“I am disappointed but not surprised that Labour voted down my amendment.

“For them this is about what works best for Labour, rather than what works best for the people of Wales.”

Public services minister Leighton Andrews has insisted that his plan to merge the 22 councils in Wales into eight or nine make logical sense to drive down costs and to help protect frontline services.