Member of the Senedd

thumb|Members of the Senedd after the [[2026 Senedd election|2026 election.]]

A member of the Senedd (MS; plural: MSs; ; , plural: ), also known as a member of the Welsh Parliament, is a representative elected to the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; ). There are 6 members for each of 16 constituencies, with a total of 96 members. Seats are allocated using the D'Hondt method.

A holder of this office was formerly known as an assembly member (AM; plural: AMs; ; , plural: ), under the legislature's former name, the National Assembly for Wales, from its inception in 1999 until 2020 when it adopted its current names, Welsh Parliament, and , simply referred to as Senedd in both English and Welsh. From 1999 to 2026, members were elected using the additional member system, in which 40 MSs represent smaller geographical divisions known as "constituencies" and are elected by first-past-the-post voting, and 20 MSs represent five "electoral regions" using the D'Hondt method of proportional representation.

Typically, the largest party holding the largest number of MSs in the Senedd forms the Welsh Government, and in the event of not securing a majority of MSs, the largest party has first rights to begin coalition talks with other smaller parties. They hold four-year terms; from 2011 to 2026, they held five-year terms.

Method of election

The 96 MSs are elected through closed list proportional representation (using the D'Hondt method) in sixteen six-member constituencies.

Elections

All MSs positions become simultaneously vacant for elections held on a four-year cycle. If a vacancy arises at another time, due to death or resignation, it may be filled by the next available candidate on the relevant party list. If no such candidate is available, the seat lies vacant until the next election.

Renaming

Holders of this office were first called an "Assembly Member" (), abbreviated to "AM" in English (plural: AMs; or in , plural: ), under the legislature's then name, the National Assembly for Wales, from its inception in 1999. The public consultation showed the most supported option was "Member of the Welsh Parliament" (MWP) at 30%, followed by "Member of the Senedd" (MS) on 28.4%, and the commission's preferred option on 11.1%. "Member of the Welsh Parliament", abbreviated to MWP, raised concerns from some AMs, over potential ridicle. Their concerns were that the abbreviation "MWP" was too close to Welsh words "" () and "" (), or sounding similar to a Welsh pronunciation of "muppet".

In 2020, the legislature was renamed following the ratification of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020, which renamed the legislature as the "Welsh Parliament" in English, and "" in Welsh. While "Member(s) of the Welsh Parliament" has also been used.

Member of the Senedd

Method of election

Elections

Renaming

See also

Notes

References