[UK] Welsh Assembly Changes Name

The Wales Act 2017 gave Wales the power for the welsh rate of income tax, changed the devolution settlement to a “reserved powers model” and allowed: 

• The National Assembly for Wales to changes its name and
• Allow the voting age in Welsh election to include 16 and 17 year olds 

On the 9th of October 2019, in a long debate, the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill has been amended so that:

• The Assembly will be renamed as the Senedd Cymru or the English equivalent Welsh Parliament. Assembly Members rejected a Welsh-only title (Senedd) and adopted a bilingual name
• The voting age will be reduced in Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament elections

The new name will come into force on the 6^th of May 2020 and the reduction in the voting age will be in time for the next elections in 2021. 

Global Payroll Association Comment

It’s interesting that proposals to change the name of Assembly Members to members of Senedd Cymru (MSCs) or members of the Welsh Parliament (MWPs) were short of a majority.  

So the provisions in the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill stand at the moment and members are set to be renamed Members of the Senedd (MSs).  Whilst the Assembly has got a new name, we feel that the names of the members sitting in it has yet to be confirmed. 

The Wales Act 2017 gave Wales the power for the welsh rate of income tax, changed the devolution settlement to a “reserved powers model” and allowed: 

• The National Assembly for Wales to changes its name and
• Allow the voting age in Welsh election to include 16 and 17 year olds 

On the 9th of October 2019, in a long debate, the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill has been amended so that:

• The Assembly will be renamed as the Senedd Cymru or the English equivalent Welsh Parliament. Assembly Members rejected a Welsh-only title (Senedd) and adopted a bilingual name
• The voting age will be reduced in Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament elections

The new name will come into force on the 6^th of May 2020 and the reduction in the voting age will be in time for the next elections in 2021. 

Global Payroll Association Comment

It’s interesting that proposals to change the name of Assembly Members to members of Senedd Cymru (MSCs) or members of the Welsh Parliament (MWPs) were short of a majority.  

So the provisions in the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill stand at the moment and members are set to be renamed Members of the Senedd (MSs).  Whilst the Assembly has got a new name, we feel that the names of the members sitting in it has yet to be confirmed.