{{Short description|Representative in the devolved parliament of Wales}} {{For-multi|current members of the Senedd|7th Senedd|all of them|List of members of the Senedd}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Use British English|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox official post | post = Member | body = the [[Senedd]] | native_name = {{native name|cy|Aelod o'r Senedd}} | image = | imagesize = | alt = | imagecaption = | incumbent = [[7th Senedd]] | acting = | incumbentsince = [[2026 Senedd election|2026 election]] | department = | style = | type = [[Member of Parliament]] | status = | abbreviation = MS ([[plural]]: MSs);<br>({{langx|cy|AS}}, plural: {{lang|cy|ASau}}) | member_of = the [[Senedd]] | residence = [[Senedd building]] | seat = [[Senedd constituencies|List of Senedd Constituencies]] | nominator = | appointer = | appointer_qualified = | termlength = 4 years | constituting_instrument = [[Government of Wales Act 1998]] | precursor = | inaugural = [[Members of the 1st National Assembly for Wales|1st National Assembly]] | formation = 1999 | founder = | named_for = | first = | last = | abolished = | succession = | unofficial_names = Member of the Welsh Parliament;<br> Welsh Parliament Member;<br>Assembly Member (AM; 1999{{em dash}}2020) | deputy = | salary = [[Pound sterling|£]]67,920 | website = | footnotes = }} {{Politics of Wales}}[[File:2026 Welsh Senedd.svg|thumb|Members of the Senedd after the [[2026 Senedd election|2026 election]].{{legend|#005B54|[[Plaid Cymru]]: 43 seats}}{{Legend|#26C6DA|[[Reform UK]]: 34 seats}}{{legend|#E4003B|[[Welsh Labour|Labour]]: 9 seats}}{{legend|#0087DC|[[Welsh Conservatives|Conservative]]: 7 seats}}{{legend|#02A95B|[[Wales Green Party|Green Party]]: 2 seats}}{{legend|#FF6400|[[Welsh Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrats]]: 1 seat}}]] A '''member of the Senedd''' ('''MS'''; [[plural]]: ''MSs''; {{langx|cy|aelod o'r Senedd}}; {{Langx|cy|AS|label=none}}, plural: {{lang|cy|ASau}}), also known as a '''member of the Welsh Parliament''',{{efn-la|as also used in English-language media and by members, using the legislature's official English name, the "Welsh Parliament".|group=la}} is a representative elected to the [[Senedd]] (Welsh Parliament; {{Langx|cy|Senedd Cymru}}). 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; {{langx|cy|aelodau'r cynulliad}}; {{Langx|cy|AC|label=none}}, plural: {{lang|cy|ACau}}), under the legislature's former name, the [[National Assembly for Wales]], from its [[1999 National Assembly for Wales election|inception in 1999]] until [[Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020|2020 when it adopted its current names]], Welsh Parliament, and {{Langx|cy|Senedd Cymru|label=none}}, simply referred to as Senedd in both [[English language|English]] and [[Welsh language|Welsh]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2020/1/section/4/enacted/data.htm |website=www.legislation.gov.uk |access-date=2020-05-03}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Explanatory Notes to Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2020/1/notes/division/1/5/1/data.htm|last=Commission|first=Assembly|website=www.legislation.gov.uk|access-date=2020-05-03}}</ref> From 1999 to 2026, members were elected using the [[Additional-member system|additional member system]], in which 40 MSs represent smaller geographical divisions known as [[Senedd constituencies and electoral regions|"constituencies"]] and are elected by [[first-past-the-post voting]], and 20 MSs represent [[Senedd constituencies and electoral regions|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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-06 |title=Call for Senedd to return to elections every four years as Westminster poised to scrap fixed terms |url=https://nation.cymru/news/call-for-senedd-to-return-to-elections-every-four-years-as-westminster-poised-to-scrap-fixed-terms/ |access-date=2021-07-27 |website=Nation.Cymru |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Method of election== The 96 MSs are elected through [[closed list]] [[party-list proportional representation|proportional representation]] (using the [[D'Hondt formula|D'Hondt method]]) in [[Senedd constituencies|sixteen six-member constituencies]].
==Elections== All MSs positions become simultaneously vacant for [[elections]] held on a four-year cycle. If a [[Vacancy (economics)|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" ({{langx|cy|Aelod Cynulliad}}), abbreviated to "AM" in English (plural: AMs; or in {{Langx|cy|AC|links=no}}, plural: {{lang|cy|ACau}}), under the legislature's then name, the [[National Assembly for Wales]], from its [[1999 National Assembly for Wales election|inception in 1999]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
In June 2018, the [[Assembly Commission]] held a public consultation into a potential name change, with the commission favouring the title "Welsh Parliament Member", abbreviated to "WPM", in line with the existing name.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=2018-09-30 |title=Welsh AMs worried about 'looking like muppets' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-45699408 |access-date=2025-10-04 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> 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%.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-06-13 |title=Assembly set to be renamed Welsh Parliament |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-40263684 |access-date=2025-10-04 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> "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 "{{lang|cy|twp}}" ({{gloss|daft}}) and "{{lang|cy|pwp}}" ({{gloss|poo}}), or sounding similar to a Welsh pronunciation of "muppet".<ref name=":2" /> [[Elin Jones]], [[Presiding Officer of National Assembly for Wales]], called for the legislature to be called just the "Senedd", leading to members being called a "Member of the Senedd" as a way to address the concerns. Although this raised its own concerns that the corresponding Welsh name "{{Lang|cy|Aelod o'r Senedd}}" would have the same Welsh abbreviation as "{{Lang|cy|Aelodau Seneddol}}" for [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] to the [[UK Parliament]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-11-12 |title=Assembly set to be renamed Senedd, instead of Welsh Parliament |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-46180039 |access-date=2025-10-04 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
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 "{{Langx|cy|Senedd Cymru|label=none}}" in Welsh.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Holders of the office would instead be called a "Member of the Senedd", abbreviated to "MS", or in Welsh, {{Lang|cy|Aelod o'r Senedd}} (AS).<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-05-05 |title=Why are Welsh Assembly Members changing their name? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-52442634 |access-date=2025-10-04 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> While "Member(s) of the Welsh Parliament" has also been used.<ref>{{Cite web |title=People {{!}} The Welsh Conservative Party |url=https://www.conservatives.wales/people/type/Member-of-the-Welsh-Parliament |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=www.conservatives.wales}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Members of the Welsh Parliament |url=https://party.coop/people/ms/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=Co-operative Party |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-03-28 |title=Senedd: Welsh Parliament politicians get 3% pay rise |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-68676593 |access-date=2025-10-04 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==See also== * [[List of members of the Senedd]] * [[List of female members of the Senedd]] * [[List of Plaid Cymru MSs]] * [[Members of the 1st National Assembly for Wales]] * [[Members of the 2nd National Assembly for Wales]] * [[Members of the 3rd National Assembly for Wales]] * [[Members of the 4th National Assembly for Wales]] * [[Members of the 5th National Assembly for Wales]] (or 5th Senedd) * [[Members of the 6th Senedd]] * [[Members of the 7th Senedd]] * [[2016 National Assembly for Wales election]] * [[2021 Senedd election]] * [[Senedd constituencies and electoral regions]] * [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] * [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland)]] * [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]]
==Notes== {{notelist-la}}
==References== {{reflist}} {{Senedd}} {{Current MSs|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Member Of The National Assembly For Wales}} [[Category:Members of the Senedd]] [[Category:Welsh politicians]]