Llywydd of the Senedd

Llywydd of the Senedd
Post	Llywydd of the Senedd
Native name	Llywydd y Senedd
Incumbent	Elin Jones
Incumbentsince	11 May 2016
Department	Senedd Commission
Style	Presiding Officer
Status	Elected officer
Formation	1999
Inaugural	Dafydd Wigley

Llywydd of the Senedd is the presiding officer of the Senedd Cymru, the devolved legislature in Cardiff, Wales. The officeholder chairs plenary sittings at the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay, oversees procedure linked to the Senedd Commission, and represents the Senedd in relations with bodies such as the United Kingdom Parliament, the Welsh Government, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords. The Llywydd interacts with institutions including the Electoral Commission, the National Assembly for Wales (former name), the Welsh Office, and the Government of Wales Act 1998 framework.

Role and responsibilities

The Llywydd presides over debates in the Senedd chamber, enforces standing orders derived from the Government of Wales Act 2006, determines speaking rights during proceedings involving Members such as Rhodri Glyn Thomas, Leanne Wood, Carwyn Jones, Andrew R.T. Davies, Adam Price and Nick Ramsay, and ensures compliance with rules set by the Senedd Commission and the Speaker of the House of Commons conventions. The office represents the Senedd at events with bodies such as the National Assembly for Wales Commission (now Senedd Commission), the Welsh Local Government Association, the Church in Wales, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. The Llywydd supervises administration linked to committees like the Finance Committee, Public Accounts Committee (Senedd), Petitions Committee (Senedd), and the Constitution, Justice and Rights Committee, and liaises with international partners such as the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the Celtic Congress.

Election and term

The Llywydd is elected by Members of the Senedd (MSs) in a secret ballot at the start of each Senedd term or when a vacancy arises, under procedures influenced by precedents from the House of Commons, the Scottish Parliament, and the Senedd Commission guidance. Candidates have included figures like Christine Chapman, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Brynle Williams, Ieuan Wyn Jones, and Alun Davies. The term aligns with the Senedd term established after legislation such as the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 and the Government of Wales Act 1998, and incumbents may be re-elected subject to political distribution among parties such as Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, Welsh Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and UK Independence Party. Election protocols reference rulings and traditions associated with the Electoral Commission, the Electoral Reform Society, the Law Commission, and comparative offices like the Lord Speaker, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, and the Speaker of the House of Commons.

List of Llywyddion

A chronological register of Llywyddion reflects devolved politics and personalities drawn from parties including Plaid Cymru, Welsh Labour, and the Welsh Conservatives. Notable officeholders include inaugural presiding officers such as Dafydd Wigley, successors like Alun Michael, Rod Richards, and more recent personalities such as Catherine Thomas, Elfyn Llwyd, Jane Hutt, and the incumbent linked to an era of devolution including Carwyn Jones and Rhodri Morgan. The list intersects with principal figures in Welsh public life such as Leanne Wood, Neil Kinnock, Geraint Davies, Simon Thomas, Mark Drakeford, Andrew R.T. Davies, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Leighton Andrews, and Nick Bourne.

Powers and procedures

The Llywydd exercises procedural authority to select questions for oral questions sessions, allocate time for statements by Members such as First Minister candidates including Mark Drakeford and Carwyn Jones, and manage votes that may invoke legislation like the Wales Act 2014 and the Wales Act 2017. The office interprets standing orders that reference statutes including the Government of Wales Act 2006, the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2020, and interacts with the Attorney General for England and Wales on legal points. Powers include calling divisions, certifying urgent questions, and certifying matters under devolved competence contested against institutions such as the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the High Court of Justice in Wales, and the UK Government. The Llywydd also oversees standards and conduct frameworks alongside the Independent Remuneration Board (Wales), the Commissioner for Standards (Senedd), and ethics panels akin to those in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament.

History

The office originated with the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999 following the Welsh devolution referendum, 1997 and legislation such as the Government of Wales Act 1998. The role evolved through milestones including the Government of Wales Act 2006, the Silk Commission, the Wales Act 2014, the Wales Act 2017, and the renaming to Senedd Cymru in 2020 under the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020. The Llywydd has featured in constitutional debates alongside figures such as Gareth Evans, Ray Powell, Peter Hain, Tony Blair, and Margaret Thatcher in discussions about devolution scope, and has engaged with inquiries like those led by the Constitutional Affairs Committee (House of Commons), the Welsh Affairs Committee, and external reviews by the Institute for Welsh Affairs and the Oxford University faculties focusing on Constitutional Law.

Office and staff

The Llywydd is supported by an office funded through the Senedd Commission with staff roles comparable to those found in the offices of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, and the Lord Speaker. Staff include clerks versed in Standing Orders, legal advisers familiar with statutes such as the Government of Wales Act 2006 and the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2020, communications officers interacting with media outlets like the BBC Cymru Wales, Western Mail, Wales Online, ITV Wales, and international press including Reuters and the Guardian. Administrative support coordinates with bodies such as the His Majesty's Passport Office for ceremonial functions, the Royal Household for state events, and the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales on constituency matters. The office manages resources overseen by the Senedd Commission and liaises with parliamentary services in Cardiff, Swansea, and pan-UK institutions including the House of Commons Library and the Parliamentary Digital Service.

Category:Politics of Wales