The proposed names for new constituencies in Wales have ignited debate, with critics arguing that a heavy reliance on Welsh names disenfranchises English-only speakers.
The former leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, has criticized the proposed names of new constituencies in Wales , arguing that they 'will disenfranchise English-only speakers'. Davies, who resigned after narrowly winning a confidence vote two weeks ago, stated that using predominantly Welsh names for constituencies in areas with a majority English-speaking population is 'quite wrong'.
The boundaries and names of Senedd constituencies are currently under review as part of a consultation. Wales is set to increase its number of members of parliament from 60 to 96 at the next election in 2026. The current system of electing members from 40 constituencies and five regions will be replaced by 16 larger constituencies, each electing six members. Davies specifically pointed to areas like the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend as examples where the majority of residents speak English and constituency names should reflect this. Out of the 16 proposed names, 12 are exclusively in Welsh, and in some cases, like Bangor and Conwy, there are no corresponding English equivalents. A spokesperson for Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru stated that legislation mandates a single name for constituencies, unless it would be deemed 'unacceptable'. The commission emphasized that they aimed to use monolingual names in most cases and remain receptive to further modifications based on public feedback. The consultation period ends on January 13th. The Welsh Language Society, a campaign group, expressed satisfaction with the proposals, advocating for Welsh as the nation's unique language and encouraging its use and promotion.
WALES WELSH LANGUAGE CONSTITUENCIES ELECTIONS POLITICS
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