The Welsh Assembly becomes the Welsh Parliament: Everything you need to know

The name change is to reflect the Senedd’s “constitutional status” as a national parliament, equipped with “full law-making powers”.

Why now?

The decision to change the name was passed in the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act, becoming law in January 2020.

The date of May 6, 2020 is written into the Act and was chosen to mark one year before the 2021 Senedd Elections.

The new logo of the Welsh Parliament

What else does the Act introduce?

As well as introducing the new name, the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act lowers the voting age to 16 and gives votes to eligible foreign nationals.

It also changes the law regarding who can become a member of the Welsh Parliament, allowing more people to stand for election.

And it also makes the Electoral Commission funded by, and accountable to, the Assembly for Welsh elections.

How does this affect AMs?

AMs are now known as Members of the Senedd, or MSs.

What does Senedd mean?

Senedd is the Welsh word for parliament.

What is the Welsh Parliament?

Its mission statement says: “The Welsh Parliament is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people.

“Commonly known as the Senedd, it makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account.”

What is the difference between the Welsh Government and the Welsh Parliament?

The Welsh Parliament is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account.

The Welsh Government is the devolved government for Wales. It is formed after an election and is made up from a single or a coalition of the political parties represented in the Assembly. It delivers policies and proposes laws on devolved subjects such as health, education, public services and the environment.

Newport East's John Griffiths is one of only a handful of MSs elected when the Welsh Assembly was founded in 1999 to still be serving today, and reflected on the changes he had seen over the past 21 years.

“The change from Assembly to Parliament is a reflection on the change in status of the Senedd," he said. "It is a very different institution to the one I was elected to in 1999 with us now having full law-making powers and the ability to vary taxes in Wales.

“I am also very pleased at next year’s elections across Wales, we will be lowering the voting age to 16. This is something I have consistently supported and as chairman of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee in the Senedd I have pushed for.

“The 16 and 17-year olds I have met in schools and colleges across Newport have always been engaged and interested in the political process. Young people are the future and that’s why it’s so important we give them a democratic voice in shaping it. From speaking up about climate change to the future of our National Health Service, these are just some of the issues are young people care passionately about.”

On the changes, presiding officer Elin Jones said: “Responding to the coronavirus crisis remains the priority of the Senedd and its members.

"Now, more than ever, our citizens expect a strong national parliament working for Wales: Members asking questions of the government, scrutinising emergency powers and laws, and representing their communities to the best of their ability in the Senedd.

“The role of our parliament is of far more significance than its name. But it is right that the name reflects the range of powers and responsibilities this parliament holds on behalf of the people of Wales. The Senedd today is a very different institution to the one established as the Assembly in 1999. Now with full law-making powers and the ability to vary taxes, the new name reflects the Senedd's constitutional status as a national parliament.”

Timeline: The Welsh Parliament

• March 1, 1979: A referendum on setting up a Welsh Assembly sees just 20.26 per cent voting for the idea.
• May 1, 1997: Labour win a landslide in the UK General Election. Among their manifesto commitments is to hold devolution referendums in Wales and Scotland.
• September 18, 1997: A second referendum saw voters narrowly back the creation of a Welsh Assembly, with 50.3 per cent voting for it.
• May 6, 1999: The first National Assembly election is held. Labour win 28 of 60 seats, and set up a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, with Alun Michael as its first secretary.
• May 26, 1999: The Queen and the Prince of Wales officially open the Welsh Assembly for the first time.
• February 9, 2000: Alun Michael resigns as first secretary in a row over EU funding. Rhodri Morgan is elected to succeed him. The role is renamed first minister later that year.
• October 17, 2000: Labour signs a coalition deal with the Liberal Democrats. Mike German becomes deputy first minister.
• May 1, 2003: Second Welsh Assembly election. Labour wins 30 seats, one short of a majority, and forms a minority government. The Welsh Assembly becomes the first Parliament in the world to achieve a 50-50 gender balance.
• March 1, 2006: The Senedd in Cardiff Bay is opened by the Queen. Previously debates had been held in the adjoining Ty Hywel building.
• May 3, 2007: The third Welsh Assembly Election is held. Labour loses four seats, and forms a collation with Plaid Cymru, with Ieuan Wyn Jones as deputy first minister. Although discussions around forming a ‘rainbow coalition’ were held between Plaid, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems, these broke down.
• April 1, 2007: Prescription charges are scrapped in Wales.
• December 10, 2009: Rhodri Morgan resigns as first minister, Carwyn Jones is elected as his successor.
• March 3, 2011: A referendum on the Welsh Assembly being given the power to make its own laws on devolved areas without needing Parliament’s consent sees 63.49 per cent backing the idea.
• May 5, 2011: Fourth Welsh Assembly Election. Labour wins 30 seats and forms the government, with Carwyn Jones as first minister.
• October 1, 2011: Wales becomes the first nation in the UK to introduce a charge for non-reusable carrier bags.
• March 27, 2013: The Welsh Government buys Cardiff Airport for £52 million following concerns it could collapse.
• November 18, 2013: Wales becomes the first UK nation to require food outlets to display hygiene ratings.
• December 1, 2015: Wales introduces an opt-in organ donation system. Again, it is the first UK nation to do so.
• May 5, 2016: Fifth Welsh Assembly Election. Labour loses one seat and forms a minority government, with Lib Dem Kirsty Williams brought into the cabinet as education secretary. Labour and Plaid entered into a two-year agreement through which Plaid promised to support certain major votes, such as the budget.
• May 17, 2017: Rhodri Morgan dies while out cycling near his home. He was 77.
• November 7, 2017: Alyn and Deeside AM Carl Sargeant is found dead, three days after he was sacked as a minister following allegations about personal misconduct. An inquest later found he had killed himself. His son Jack Sargeant is later elected to replace him in a by-election.
• April 21, 2018: Carwyn Jones announces he will resign as first minister by the end of the year.
• December 11, 2018: Mark Drakeford is elected as the new leader of Welsh Labour and first minister.
• January 11, 2019: Plaid Cymru South Wales East AM Steffan Lewis dies of bowel cancer. He is replaced by Delyth Jewell.
• April 6, 2019: The Welsh Assembly gets power sot vary income tax for the first time.
• May 6, 2020: Welsh Assembly is officially renamed the Welsh parliament, or Senedd. AMs become Members of the Senedd, or MSs.
• May 6, 2021: Next Welsh Parliament Election to be held.