Innovating Democracy Advisory Group meeting: 19 June 2025

• Anwen Elias (Chair)
• Mo Alamgir
• Sarah Allan
• Jess Blair
• Michael Corcoran
• Tomos Dafydd Davies
• Sally Holland
• Julie Sangani
• Diana Stirbu
• Daisy Thomson
• Leanne Wood

Apologies

• Yvonne Murphy

The note of previous meeting was agreed.

Actions

Note of previous meeting to be shared with the Deputy First Minister.

A summary of the May meeting will be published on gov.wales

2.1 Members of this group have been selected for their expertise in their respective fields. At times, the group may seek information on projects or topics that overlap with a member’s affiliations, potentially giving rise to a conflict of interest.

2.2 All known or suspected conflicts of interest must be declared by members. Each situation will be assessed individually.

2.3 Where a conflict of interest arises in the context of the group’s work, the member concerned must recuse themselves from both discussions and decisions relating to the matter.

2.4 Members who are unsure whether a particular situation constitutes a conflict should seek guidance from Welsh Government officials. All declared conflicts will be formally recorded and retained on file.

3.1 The Deputy First Minister will need to approve any proposed work programme before the group can commence work.

3.2 The draft work programme will be revised following this meeting and an updated version will be presented to this group in the meeting of 3 July 2025. The Chair will then seek approval from the Deputy First Minister for the work programme to go forward.

3.3 The Chair presented the draft work programme that had been shared in advance of the meeting and invited further reflections from the group.

3.4 The group discussed the path forward, acknowledging that its approach to work, its methods, partnerships, and ways of operating, will determine the direction of travel.

3.5 The group reflected that it should explore activities that will give greater agency to citizens and not take a top-down approach. The group should ensure it models the principles of democratic innovation and is intentional with its engagement and should serve every community in Wales with parity.

3.6 The group discussed the importance of ensuring that the context in which the group operates will need to be reflected in the language used to frame its work.

3.7 Activities undertaken will consider engagement with underrepresented groups. The group discussed an urgent/influence axis to plan activity.

3.8 The group discussed the path forward, acknowledging that its approach to work, its methods, partnerships, and ways of operating, will determine the direction of travel.

3.9 The group discussed scoping opportunities in education, both formal education and beyond formal education.

3.10 The group discussed engaging with educators to establish what barriers and opportunities exist and what help they want. The group should ensure this is a collaborative process. Activity in formal education settings would need buy-in from a range of stakeholders within education.

3.11 This group should consider opportunities to deliver its work in partnership with local government.

3.12 Research could be commissioned that would allow this group to suggest issues the Welsh Government might want to consider in the development of recommendation 2.

3.13 This group could commission research on how other countries have developed similar constitutional principles.

4.1 The draft work programme will be updated ahead of the next meeting of IDAG.

4.2 The group will continue to develop the work programme at the next meeting, in readiness for submission to the Deputy First Minister soon afterwards.

4.3 The group has been provided with a forward look of meetings and other activity relevant to the work of IDAG. Members of the group are encouraged to share any planned engagements for inclusion in the forward look.

None.