Llywydd of the Senedd facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Llywydd of the Senedd
Incumbent Elin Jones since 11 May 2016
Senedd
Style	Llywydd (within Parliament) The Right Honourable (formal)
Appointer	Senedd (elected by)
Term length	No limits imposed
Inaugural holder	Dafydd Elis-Thomas 12 May 1999
Formation	1999
Website	https://senedd.wales/senedd-business/llywydd/

The Llywydd (say "thluh-with"), or Presiding Officer in English, is like the speaker of the Senedd in Wales. The Senedd is the Welsh Parliament, where laws are made for Wales.

The Llywydd is chosen by the members of the Senedd (MSs). Their job is to lead meetings, keep things in order, and make sure all members can speak fairly.

The Llywydd also leads the team that helps run the Senedd every day. This team is called the Senedd Commission. Because of this, the Llywydd is seen as the main person in charge of the whole Senedd organisation.

There is also a Deputy Presiding Officer (Welsh: Dirprwy Lywydd) who helps the Llywydd. The Llywydd's office is in a building called Tŷ Hywel. They are also in charge of the Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay.

When they are doing their job, neither the Llywydd nor the Deputy Presiding Officer can vote in Senedd meetings. The only time they can vote is if a special law needs two-thirds of members to agree.

What Does the Llywydd Do?

The main job of the Llywydd is to lead the Senedd's main meetings. These are called plenary sessions. They make sure everyone follows the rules and that all members have a chance to share their ideas. They must be fair and unbiased to everyone.

The Llywydd is also in charge of the Senedd's rulebook, called the Standing Orders. They are the final person to decide what these rules mean. The Llywydd also leads the Senedd Commission, which manages the Senedd's daily work.

They have special duties like encouraging people to get involved in democracy. They also help the Senedd grow its law-making powers and build relationships with other parliaments around the world.

The Llywydd and the Deputy Presiding Officer are responsible for everything related to their roles, as set out in the Senedd's rules.

The Llywydd also leads meetings with the chairs of different Senedd committees. In these meetings, they talk about how committees work and any issues they might have. The Llywydd also acts as an ambassador for the Senedd. They go to conferences and events to tell people about the Senedd and its work.

The Llywydd's Special Committee

There is a special committee called the Llywydd's Committee. Its job is to check how the Electoral Commission spends its money. This is specifically for elections and votes that happen only in Wales.

The Deputy Presiding Officer usually leads this committee. Right now, that is David Rees.

Who Has Been Llywydd?

Current Llywydd and Deputy

Here are the people who currently hold these important roles in the Senedd:

Position	Current holder			Term started	Political party	Constituency
Llywydd (Presiding Officer)		Elin Jones MS		11 May 2016	Plaid Cymru	Ceredigion
Deputy Presiding Officer (Dirprwy Lywydd)		David Rees MS		12 May 2021	Labour	Aberavon

Past Llywyddion (Presiding Officers)

Here is a list of everyone who has been the Llywydd of the Senedd since it started:

Name		Picture	Entered office	Left office	Political party	Notes
	The Rt Hon The Lord Elis-Thomas PC AM		12 May 1999	11 May 2011	Plaid Cymru	He was chosen without anyone else running in 1999, 2003, and 2007.
	Dame Rosemary Butler DBE AM		11 May 2011	11 May 2016	Labour	She was chosen without anyone else running in 2011.
	Elin Jones MS		11 May 2016	Incumbent	Plaid Cymru	She was chosen in 2016 and again in 2021. She beat Dafydd Elis-Thomas with 34 votes to 25 in 2016. She beat Russell George with 35 votes to 25 in 2021.

Past Deputy Presiding Officers (Dirprwy Lywyddion)

Here is a list of everyone who has been the Deputy Presiding Officer:

Name		Picture	Entered office	Left office	Political party	Notes
	Jane Davidson AM		12 May 1999	17 October 2000	Labour	She was chosen without anyone else running. She left the job to become a Government Minister.
	John Marek AM		19 October 2000	7 May 2003	Labour	He beat Rosemary Butler with 28 votes to 27.
			7 May 2003	9 May 2007	Forward Wales	He beat Peter Law with 30 votes to 29.
	Rosemary Butler AM		9 May 2007	11 May 2011	Labour	She was chosen without anyone else running.
	David Melding AM		11 May 2011	11 May 2016	Conservative	He beat William Graham with 46 votes to 12.
	Ann Jones MS		11 May 2016	12 May 2021	Labour	She beat John Griffiths with 30 votes to 29.
	David Rees MS		12 May 2021	Incumbent	Labour	He beat Hefin David with 35 votes to 24.