The Senedd, officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and Senedd Cymru in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees to certain taxes, and scrutinises the Welsh Government. It is a bilingual institution, with both Welsh and English being the official languages of its business. From its creation in May 1999 until May 2020, the Senedd was officially known as the National Assembly for Wales and often simply called the Welsh Assembly.
The First Minister of Wales, known as First Secretary of Wales from 1999 until 2000, is the leader of the Welsh Government and keeper of the Welsh Seal. The first minister chairs the Welsh Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Welsh Government policy. Additional functions of the first minister include promoting and representing Wales in an official capacity, at home and abroad, and responsibility for constitutional affairs, as they relate to devolution and the Welsh Government.
The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales is a Welsh Government sponsored body, responsible for defining borders for local elections and government in Wales.
The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, informally known as the Wales Office, is a department of His Majesty's Government. It replaced the former Welsh Office, which had extensive responsibility for governing Wales prior to Welsh devolution in 1999.
Politics in Wales forms a distinctive polity in the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with Wales as one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (UK).
Welsh independence is the political movement advocating for Wales to become a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom.
Propel is a sovereignist and Welsh nationalist political party in Wales which advocates Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. The party was formed in early 2020 by its current leader Neil McEvoy. Propel currently has one county councillor in Wales.
Mick Antoniw is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative politician, serving as Counsel General for Wales since 2021, having previously served in the position from 2016 to 2017. He previously served as Minister for the Constitution from 2021 to 2024. He has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Pontypridd since 2011.
Jeremy Miles is a Welsh Labour Co-op politician, serving as Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language since 2024. He previously served in the Welsh Government as Counsel General for Wales from 2017 to 2021, Brexit Minister from 2018 to 2021, and the Minister for coordinating Wales’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021. Miles has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Neath since 2016.
Rebecca Mary Evans is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office since 2024. She has served as the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Gower since 2016, and a Member for Mid and West Wales from 2011 to 2016.
The 2021 Senedd election took place on Thursday 6 May 2021 to elect 60 members to the Senedd. It was the sixth devolved general election since the Senedd was established in 1999. The election was held alongside the Scottish Parliament election, English local elections, London Assembly and mayoral election and the Hartlepool by-election.
Heledd Fychan is a Welsh politician and a former director of policy and political education for Plaid Cymru. She was elected to the Senedd for the South Wales Central region in May 2021.
Federalism in the United Kingdom aims at constitutional reform to achieve a federal UK or a British federation, where there is a division of legislative powers between two or more levels of government, so that sovereignty is decentralised between a federal government and autonomous governments in a federal system.
Welsh devolution is the transfer of legislative power for self-governance to Wales by the Government of the United Kingdom.
The justice system in Wales is currently part of the England and Wales justice system. There have been proposals for a Wales-only justice system under the control of the Senedd to deal with Welsh issues.
There have been calls for further Welsh devolution, increasing the autonomy for Wales, since the Welsh legislature of the Senedd was founded following the 1997 Welsh devolution referendum.
In December 2021, the Welsh Labour government and Plaid Cymru signed a three-year co-operation agreement, where the two parties agreed to work together in 46 policy areas. The agreement is not a coalition or confidence and supply agreement; Plaid Cymru remain in opposition but can appoint advisers to offices of the Welsh Government.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs is a member of the cabinet in the Welsh Government. The current officeholder is Huw Irranca-Davies since March 2024.
The Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice is a member of the Cabinet in the Welsh Government. The current officeholder is Leslie Griffiths since March 2024.
The Minister for Social Care is a minister of the Welsh Government, accountable to the cabinet cabinet secretary for health and social care. The current officeholder is Dawn Bowden since March 2024.
