I've Voted!

It's a lovely spring day, and there's a steady stream of people heading down to the Bowling Club to vote.

I had wondered if it would be set up in the new Bowling Club building, since I'm nosy and wanted to see what it looked like inside, but it's in the usual place, with two people allowed in at once, and lots of perspex screens.  Voters have been encouraged to bring their own pencils.

I chatted to a lady who was a bit confused about what the Senedd does - she likes to know what it is she's voting for but she couldn't find anything in plain English online to tell her.  So I did a bit of research myself.

The Senedd website says that they have the responsibility to make laws in Wales, and to set some taxes.  The main ones are Welsh rates of income tax, a Land Transaction Tax (was Stamp Duty), and a Landfills Disposal Tax.  The Senedd used to be funded entirely from Westminster.  Now it's about 80%, topped up by the taxes the Senedd raises itself  They also have influence over the amount of Council Tax County Councils can charge.  You have to do a bit of digging to find out exactly what they are responsible for, but it's clearly set out on the Wikipedia page.

It was the Senedd that decided to abolish NHS prescription charges in Wales, and charges for Welsh university students in Welsh universities are different to the rest of the UK.  They have also set up a different system of payment for residential care in Wales, with a flat rate of contribution towards nursing care.  In practice this means that people are entitled to higher rates of state assistance in Wales than in England.

The Senedd has the powers to make law for agriculture, forestry, rural development, culture, economic development, education and training, the environment, health, highways, local government and the Welsh language.

The Senedd does not have powers in the areas of foreign affairs, police and justice, currency, most benefits and most taxes.  Those are the responsibility of Westminster.

Today we had two votes for the Senedd.  Forty Assembly Members are chosen by the usual First past the Post system, as used in General Elections.  The remaining twenty members are chosen from a regional list according to the percentage of the vote their parties received.

This is the first year that sixteen and seventeen year olds have been allowed to vote.