Farewell Welsh Assembly

I have been so used to referring to the legislative mechanism in Wales as made by the Welsh Assembly and by Assembly Members.  I am going to have to get used to not using those terms from 06 May 2020.

Introduced by Elin Jones (my own ex-Assembly Member), the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2019 became law in Wales on 15 January 2020.  The Act has three main purposes:

1. To rename the National Assembly of Wales (the representation and law-making element of the Welsh Government) (Part 2)
2. To rename the Assembly Members (Part 2), and
3. Lower the minimum voting age of National Assembly elections to 16 (Part 3)

Part 2 comes into force on 06 May 2020.  Part 3 comes into force for polls held on or after 05 April 2021.

Exactly one year ahead of the scheduled 2021 elections, the following changes have been made with effect from 06 May 2020:

• The National Assembly becomes known as Sennedd Cymru (or Welsh Parliament)
• Assembly Members (AMs) become known as Members of the Sennedd (MSs) (or, in Welsh, Aelodau o’r Senedd)

The Sennedd Cymru Website says that the name change:

‘Reflects the institution’s full status as a national parliament, with law-making powers and the ability to vary taxes.’

And quite right too.  Welcome Sennedd Cymru (pronounced senneth cumrie)!