Senedd election gender quota plan delayed to 2030

Gender quotas for Welsh Parliament elections will be delayed until the 2030 Senedd election to protect the "integrity" of the next poll in 2026, the Welsh government has said.

Plans requiring political parties to have at least 50% women as candidates were meant to be in place by 2026.

But concerns have been raised that legal challenges to the law could potentially disrupt the result.

A minister has said the delay would give more time for any "potential legal challenges to the legislation to be resolved well in advance of the election".

Plaid Cymru said the news was disappointing while the Conservatives said the legislation should be scrapped altogether.

On Tuesday Senedd members will debate and vote on the general principles of the new law.

The Llywydd, or Presiding Officer, Elin Jones has warned that the Senedd does not have the power to pass the bill.

The Senedd's Reform Bill Committee has also called for "urgent action" to be taken to avoid "endangering the 2026 election".

Although the government believes the bill is within their powers, Business Minister Jane Hutt has suggested it could end up in the UK's highest court.

In a letter to the Senedd's legislation committee, she said that only a ruling by the Supreme Court could "put the matter beyond doubt".

But the issue can only be referred to the Supreme Court once the legislation has become law.

Concerns have also been raised about plans to allow candidates to self-identity their gender.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has expressed concern that this could be "unlawful".

Ms Hutt argued that the bill is "not about defining "a woman" and is not about gender recognition.

"The bill's purpose is to make the Senedd more effective, which will be achieved through aiming to ensure there is greater gender balance of its members".

She said it will be up to individual candidates and political parties to ensure that statements made about gender are accurate.

Adding that "candidates and their parties run the risk of reputational damage and legal challenge in the event of a false gender statement being made".

Darren Millar of the Welsh Conservatives said the Welsh Labour government "finally appears to be waking up to the fact that the Senedd does not have the powers" for the legislation, and said Senedd politicians "should be elected on their merit, not on the basis of their gender, race, religion or any other protected characteristic".

Plaid Cymru's Heledd Fychan said: "Whilst I welcome the fact that work is progressing, it is extremely disappointing that this is being delayed until 2030. With a larger Senedd in 2026, it is important that it is also a more representative Senedd."