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AMs back Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament for new assembly name | AMs back Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament for new assembly name |
(32 minutes later) | |
AMs have backed renaming the assembly, calling it both Senedd Cymru and Welsh Parliament, in a vote on Wednesday. | |
A majority of AMs rejected the Welsh-only name Senedd and backed former first-minister Carwyn Jones' proposals for a bilingual name. | |
But proposals to call AMs Members of Senedd Cymru or Member of Welsh Parliament were both rejected - the former by a knife edge. | |
A total of 43 AMs backed Mr Jones' plan, versus 13 against. | A total of 43 AMs backed Mr Jones' plan, versus 13 against. |
Members of the assembly rejected a vote calling for the name to be purely Senedd, backed by Plaid Cymru and some Labour members, 16 for, 38 against, and one abstention. | Members of the assembly rejected a vote calling for the name to be purely Senedd, backed by Plaid Cymru and some Labour members, 16 for, 38 against, and one abstention. |
The assembly is debating the Senedd and Elections bill, which also makes changes to how the assembly is elected and who can stand for it. | |
The votes are not the final stage in the matter, but are a major part of the process to decide what the final name will be. | |
Former first minister Carwyn Jones's proposal for a bilingual name had sparked debate - supporters of the name Senedd have included BBC News presenter Huw Edwards. | |
The debate opened on Wednesday with Rhun ap Iorwerth of Plaid Cymru, who was backed by Labour's Hefin David and Mike Hedges in wanting to call the assembly simply Senedd. | |
The name is already used for the building in Cardiff Bay that houses the assembly chamber. | |
Mr ap Iorwerth said Senedd is a "word that is of Wales, a word rooted in the Welsh language, a word that is bilingual in its application". | |
He said it "belongs to us all". | |
Mr Jones, Labour AM for Bridgend, had been supported by the Welsh Government. | |
He said he himself would use the term Senedd, but his amendments made it clear in law that Senedd Cymru is Welsh Parliament. | |
Mr Jones argued that it is important that before the use of Senedd became common, that people understand the institution is the Welsh Parliament. | |
He said it was "true to say Senedd is becoming more apparent among the public". But it was not the case yet that "everyone understands that Senedd means parliament". | |
'Magnificent world' | |
The original bill stated that Senedd would be the name but that it could also be known as Welsh Parliament - ministers had been worried that this would be confusing. | |
The former first minister was backed by David Melding, Conservative AM for South Wales Central. | |
He said a bilingual name would celebrate "the magnificent world we live in, in the English speaking world and Welsh speaking world - that combination makes Wales an exceptional place". | |
Sian Gwenllian of Plaid Cymru, highlighting Welsh words already used widely in Welsh English, said: "Let's cwtch up today, let's not be twp, let's say together there's a parliament for Wales to be known as Senedd." | |
Labour's Mike Hedges voted against the bi-lingual name preferring the institution to be called the Senedd. He told BBC Wales: "I'm disappointed that the name Senedd-only was rejected but I expect Senedd to be widely used in public discussion and by the media". | |
Mr Jones had proposed that members be called Members of Senedd Cymru, while Blaenau Gwent Labour AM Alun Davies had backed Members of Welsh Parliament. | |
Both were rejected. Mr Jones' amendment for the new title failed to pass 25 votes for, 26 against, with four abstentions. | |
It means that, as things stand, AMs will be renamed Member of the Senedd as per the bill's original proposal. | |
The Brexit Party made a failed bid to have the term Senedd removed from the English version of the bill, leaving simply Welsh Parliament. | |
David Rowlands, the party's AM for South Wales Central, said: "It is essential that the name we use can be understood not only here in Wales but throughout the rest of the world." | |
AMs are continuing to vote on the bill, and are due to debate whether to stop councillors from standing for the assembly, and disqualify sex offenders from joining the institution. | |
The Brexit Party's Caroline Jones's bid to have the bill's provisions for votes at 16 taken out was rejected by a clear majority of AMs - 11 for, 45 against. |