Law must be changed to make Welsh Assembly candidates live in Wales

Under current rules there is nothing to stop people living outside of Wales standing as a candidate for the Welsh Assembly. The National Assembly for Wales (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The rules as they stand are an anomaly in the Government of Wales Act 2006 and need to be corrected. This has been recognised by two former Welsh Secretaries of State, Peter Hain and Paul Murphy. They want to change the law to ensure all candidates are on the Wales electoral register. Peter Hain described being represented by people who live outside the country as "insulting to the people of Wales". The proposed amendment would ensure that a person may not stand as a candidate unless they are recorded on the Welsh electoral register as "living in Wales".