Welsh Government to unveil major Senedd reforms today including increasing number of members
The Welsh Government will publish a landmark series of reforms for the Senedd today, developed in collaboration with Plaid Cymru.
These transformational changes, outlined in the Co-operation Agreement, aim to usher in a new era of political representation in Wales.
The Senedd Reform Bill will be formally presented, starting its journey to become law.
At the heart of the Bill is the proposal to increase the number of Senedd Members from 60 to 96.
The 32 new UK Parliament constituencies will be paired, creating 16 Senedd constituencies for the 2026 Senedd election.
Each constituency will elect six Members.
🏴 Today, we are moving towards a fairer and stronger democracy for Wales.
This is our journey – everyone in Wales.
A fairer and stronger Senedd, that represents everyone. pic.twitter.com/yubmnZUS5T
— Plaid Cymru (@Plaid_Cymru) September 18, 2023
The number of Welsh Ministers will rise to 17, up from the current 12.
This number could further increase to 18 or 19 with the endorsement of the Senedd.
Reports suggest the estimated cost of electing 36 additional politicians to the Senedd could exceed £12m annually.
A separate Bill will introduce gender quotas for Senedd election candidates, aiming to boost the institution’s efficiency and representation.
The Welsh Government will release full details at 11am today, Monday 18th September.
