Number of AMs 'must be increased'

The inaugural Assembly Election was held on May 6, 1999, and celebrations will be held in the Senedd today to mark the landmark.

And, as part of the commemorations, Ms Jones, one of only eight AMs elected in 1999 to still be serving in the Assembly, has said increasing the size of the Assembly is the only way for the people of Wales to achieve “fair and proportionate representation in their national Parliament.”

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“Piece by piece, the construction of a Parliament, of building a nation, has gone on and by today we stand on the solid foundations of the early architects of devolution,” she said. “But let's not rest on our laurels. There is so much to do.

“And one fact that remains unchanged, despite the change in our responsibilities. On day one, we were 60 Assembly Members and today, 7,301 days later, we are still only 60 members.

“If we are to realise any ambition to increase the powers of this Parliament, or to inject more creativity and originality into the use of the powers that we already have, we need to increase our capacity.

“There are no more hours in the day, you can't be in two places, or in two committees, at the same time - and so to represent the people of Wales at our best, then we need more members.”

A report released in 2017 recommended the number of AMs should be increased from 60 to as many as 90, but this is yet to be taken forward in legislation.

Ms Jones and first minister Mark Drakeford will both make a special address in the Assembly this afternoon, followed by a reception presented by radio and TV presenter Huw Stephens.

This is part of a series of celebrations to be held throughout the summer, including the convening of a Citizens’ Assembly and a democracy festival in September.

There are nine AMs first elected in 1999 still serving in the Assembly, including Newport East’s John Griffiths, Torfaen’s Lynne Neagle, former first minister Carwyn Jones and the presiding officer.

Deputy presiding officer Ann Jones, education minister Kirsty Williams, deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Vale of Glamorgan’s Jane Hutt and South Wales Central AM David Melding have also sat in the Assembly for its entire 20-year period.

Helen Mary Jones was first elected as AM for Llanelli in 1999 and today represents Mid and West Wales, but was not an AM between 2011 and August 2018, and Dai Lloyd was AM for South Wales West from 1999 to 2011, and again from 2016.