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Mace removed as Senedd expands for more politicians

Cemlyn Davies
BBC Wales political correspondent
BBC The Senedd's gold mace sits in its bracket in the debating chamber. The Senedd's logo is engraved at one end. BBC

As the refurbishment of the Welsh Parliament's debating chamber continues, the Senedd's ceremonial mace has been removed.

Work has begun on expanding the chamber ahead of an increase in the number of Members of the Senedd (MS) after the next election.

An extra 36 MSs will be elected in May 2026, bringing the total to 96.

The mace will be transferred to the old debating chamber in an adjoining building, where MSs will sit whilst the changes are made.

PA Media King Charles III is standing up giving a speech in the Senedd chamber to mark the 25th anniversary of devolution in July 2024. Queen Camilla and the Presiding Officer Elin Jones sit either side of him. He is wearing a navy suit and red and blue tie. The Senedd mace is prominent in front of him with bouquets of flowers placed above it.PA Media
The mace is always at the centre of ceremonial events in the Senedd

The mace sits in front of the Llywydd - the Presiding Officer - who is the Senedd's equivalent of the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Made from gold, silver and brass, it was presented to the Senedd by the Parliament of New South Wales in Australia to mark the opening of the Senedd building in 2006.

Following an election the mace is placed in its holder in the debating chamber to signify the official opening of the Senedd.

Why is it being moved?

The mace is being moved because MSs are having to vacate the debating chamber due to building work.

The chamber needs to be extended to make room for the additional 36 politicians that will be elected next May as the number of politicians in Cardiff Bay increases from 60 to 96.

A Senedd spokesman said £2.8m had been allocated to pay for the changes to the chamber.

For the next year or so, MSs will sit in the old debating chamber in the Tŷ Hywel office building behind the Senedd which is where the mace will be repositioned.

That's where Assembly Members - as they were then called - sat between 1999 and 2006.

Only six serving MSs were in Cardiff Bay for all or part of that period: the Llywydd Elin Jones from Plaid Cymru, Labour's Jane Hutt, Lynne Neagle and John Griffiths and Conservative MSs Mark Isherwood and Laura Anne Jones.

A member of the Senedd's staff places the mace in a box with bubble wrap. He is wearing white gloves.
The mace will be moved to the old debating chamber in Tŷ Hywel

What other changes are happening?

As well as an increase in the number of MSs, the way politicians are elected to Cardiff Bay is also changing.

Wales is being split up into 16 constituencies and each one will be represented by six MSs, elected via proportional representation.

The changes are happening as a result of a deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru.

Supporters of the reforms say more MSs are needed to reflect the extra responsibilities the Senedd now has compared to when devolution began in 1999.

However, opponents - including the Conservatives - say the changes are a waste of taxpayers' money.