If the Welsh Government was in control of thought, it would have you believe that its new legislation to expand the Senedd and change the way we vote for its members would be the greatest thing since the invention of sliced bread.

Gladly, Labour’s powers don’t extend that far. And even when the new Senedd is elected, they won’t either. Nor will it have the powers, for instance, to declare 1 March a national holiday in Wales for St David’s Day.

Last week, landmark legislation to expand the Senedd were passed. If there’s a plus, future Senedd elections will use a full form of proportional representation, with Wales becoming the first UK nation to scrap the first-past-the-post system. That system is flawed in that it greatly exaggerates the seats won by a party that is riding high. While it might have a 35 per cent share of the national vote, in the single-seat constituencies and using the first-past-the-post method of electing MSs or MPs, the 35 per cent is sufficient in most cases to win most seats.

True proportional representation is supposed to more accurately reflect voters’ intentions, with 35 per cent translating into roughly 35 per cent of the seats. It is supposed to give smaller parties and independents a better chance of being elected in multi-seat constituencies.

The trouble with this new Welsh method is that people will vote for political parties rather than individuals, with those parties controlling the order of candidates on its lists. Welsh Conservatives were the only party to opposed the new structure, claiming that it would damage the relationship between the public and their elected representatives -- and the party’s argument does have some merit.

For voters who are fully wedded to a party’s political philosophy and outlook, it’s a positive thing. Sadly, for those who are not, they lack the ability to pick and choose the individuals they would like to see in the Senedd - defeating the object of casting a fully free democratic ballot in the first instance.