Increasing the number of Senedd members is a “full stop” that will future proof Welsh devolution for the next 100 years, according to its presiding officer.
Members of the Senedd (MSs) voted last week to increase their numbers from 60 to 96 from the next Welsh election, in 2026.
Elin Jones said the reforms which were backed by a cross-party majority of MSs but opposed by the Conservatives, made the Senedd a “fit for purpose” parliament, even if Wales were to become independent.
Speaking to the BBC Walescast podcast, Ms Jones said the vote, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the first elections to Cardiff Bay, was “hugely significant - and a long time in coming”.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Increasing the number of Senedd members is a “full stop” that will future proof Welsh devolution for the next 100 years, according to its presiding officer.Members of the Senedd (MSs) voted last week to increase their numbers from 60 to 96 from the next Welsh election, in 2026.Elin Jones said the reforms which were backed by a cross-party majority of MSs but opposed by the Conservatives, made the Senedd a “fit for purpose” parliament, even if Wales were to become independent.Speaking to the BBC Walescast podcast, Ms Jones said the vote, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the first elections to Cardiff Bay, was “hugely significant - and a long time in coming”.
"We should have had a higher number of members then so we’ve had to wait and develop the argument and rectify that wrong.
"She added: "I don’t think that there will need to be a significant change to the numbers of people elected to this parliament.
Speaking ahead of the expected return of a Senedd politician suspended after complaints about his behaviour, Ms Jones said the case had prompted reflection on whether the system was working properly or needed to be changed.Rhys ab Owen was banned from the Senedd for six weeks in March after an investigation found he inappropriately touched and swore at two women while drunk on a night out in June 2021.In a statement at the time, Mr ab Owen said his behaviour was “not up to the standard the public expects of a member of the Senedd, and for that I apologise unreservedly”.The case led former Plaid Cymru MS Nerys Evans - who in 2023 led a review which found a “culture of harassment, bullying and misogyny” within Plaid which eventually led to the resignation of leader Adam Price - to claim that victims did not feel confident raising issues through the Senedd’s complaints system.
In response, Ms Jones told Walescast the complaint against Mr ab Owen had been taken seriously but that it was “a proper question to ask” whether the system could be improved.
“Whether it dealt with it as quickly, as appropriately as it should have, is something now that our standards committee has to reflect on,” she said.
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