# Llywydd of the Senedd

The Llywydd (Welsh:), or Presiding Officer in English, is the speaker of the Senedd in Wales, elected by members of the Senedd to chair their meetings (plenary sessions); to maintain order; and to protect the rights of Members.
The Llywydd also heads the Corporate Body (known as the Senedd Commission) and as such is viewed as a figurehead for the entire organisation. One Deputy Presiding Officer (Welsh: Dirprwy Lywydd) is also elected to help fulfil the role. The office of the Llywydd is based in Tŷ Hywel and is also responsible for the Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay. In their roles, neither the Llywydd nor the Deputy Presiding Officer (Dirprwy Lywydd) are allowed to participate in Senedd votes, except where legislation requires those votes to be passed by two-thirds of Members.

## Role of the Llywydd

The main function is to chair plenary sessions of the Senedd, to maintain order and to protect the rights of Members. They are responsible for ensuring that business is handled on the basis of equality and impartiality.
The Llywydd is also responsible for Standing Orders and is the final authority on their interpretation. The Llywydd also acts as Chair of the Senedd Commission, and has special responsibility for promoting democratic engagement, leadership, developing the Senedd's future legislative powers and external relations
Along with the Deputy Presiding Officer (Dirprwy Lywydd), they are politically responsible for all aspects of the Presiding Office to which the Standing Orders relate.
The Llywydd chairs meetings of the Panel of Subject Committee Chairs, where committee procedures and matters affecting Committee business are discussed. In addition to this, the Llywydd acts as the ambassador for the Senedd, attending speakers' conferences and other events in order to publicise and raise the profile of the Senedd.

## Llywydd's Committee

The role of the Llywydd's committee is to scrutinise the financial estimates of the Electoral Commission, as relates to devolved elections and referendums. It is typically chaired by the Dirprwy Lywydd, currently David Rees.

## List of Llywyddion and Deputy Presiding Officers
### Current Llywydd and Deputy Presiding Officer

| Position | Current holder | Current holder | 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 |

### List of Llywyddion (Presiding Officers)

| Name | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Notes |
| Dafydd Elis Thomas, Lord Elis-Thomas AM | 12 May 1999 | 11 May 2011 | Plaid Cymru | Elected unopposed 1999, re-elected unopposed 2003 and 2007 |
| Dame Rosemary Butler AM | 11 May 2011 | 11 May 2016 | Labour | Elected unopposed 2011. |
| Elin Jones MS | 11 May 2016 | Incumbent | Plaid Cymru | Elected 2016, re-elected 2021. Beat Dafydd Elis-Thomas 34 votes to 25 with 1 abstention on 11 May 2016 Beat Russell George 35 votes to 25 for re-election on 12 May 2021. |

### List of Deputy Presiding Officers (Dirprwy Lywyddion)

| Name | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Notes |
| Jane Davidson AM | 12 May 1999 | 17 October 2000 | Labour | First Assembly. Elected unopposed. Resigned from post when she became a Government Minister. |
| John Marek AM | 19 October 2000 | 7 May 2003 | Labour | Remainder of the first Assembly Beat Rosemary Butler 28 votes to 27 |
| John Marek AM | 7 May 2003 | 9 May 2007 | Forward Wales | Second Assembly. Beat Peter Law 30 votes to 29 |
| Rosemary Butler AM | 9 May 2007 | 11 May 2011 | Labour | Third Assembly Elected unopposed |
| David Melding AM | 11 May 2011 | 11 May 2016 | Conservative | Fourth Assembly Beat William Graham 46 votes to 12 |
| Ann Jones MS | 11 May 2016 | 12 May 2021 | Labour | Fifth Assembly Beat John Griffiths 30 votes to 29 |
| David Rees MS | 12 May 2021 | Incumbent | Labour | Sixth Senedd Beat Hefin David 35 votes to 24. |