Campaigners called for voters to be given a say over who replaces Senedd politicians booted out of office for bad behaviour under a proposed system of recall.

Jessica Blair, director of the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) Cymru, supported calls for a recall system to allow voters to remove misbehaving politicians between elections.

But Ms Blair said voters should have a say over the replacement, warning an element of personal accountability will be lost with the Senedd’s new “closed-list” electoral system.

From 2026, people will vote for parties rather than individuals as Wales ditches first past the post in favour of a full form of proportional representation, with no by-elections being held.

Ms Blair said: “This idea of replacing someone with the next person on the list, it could be … from the voters’ perspective …  seen as a party being rewarded for bad behaviour.”

Giving evidence to the Senedd’s standards committee, she added: “This shouldn’t be necessarily about parties keeping control, it should be about voters having their say.”

Labour’s Mick Antoniw pointed out it is the person, not the party, that has transgressed.

But Ms Blair said: “That could also reflect badly on the party or the way a party’s handled it, so I don't think it's necessarily as clear cut, as this is one person’s actions.”

She told the committee that three of the four UK Parliament by-elections triggered by recall petitions since 2019 were won by a different party.

She said: “Parties can be punished for an individual’s bad behaviour or it could be a reflection of changing political support post election. There doesn’t seem to be a real case for retaining that party’s seat, especially three years after an election, for example.”

The standards committee will make recommendations on how a recall mechanism should work in Wales as part of its inquiry on Senedd members’ accountability.

Hannah Blythyn, who chairs the committee, asked witnesses whether the circumstances for recalling a Senedd member should be the same as Westminster.

Ms Blair suggested the triggers – a custodial sentence of less than 12 months, a suspension of at least ten sitting days, or an expenses offence conviction – make a good starting point.