Elin Jones to stand down as Llywydd at the next election
The Senedd’s presiding officer Elin Jones has announced she is to stand down at the next election.
Jones, who has been Llywydd since 2016, told BBC Politics Wales she hopes to return as a Senedd member, but said she “won’t be putting her name forward to be Llywydd in May of next year.”
The news comes as the number of MSs is set to increase at the next election from 60 to 96 after members voted to back plans in 2024.
She told the BBC Wales politics programme: “I will, by this time next year, have served as Llywydd for 10 years.
“I think that is more than enough, and it is time for a new pair of eyes watching what the people do in this chamber.
“It will be for one of the other 96. I hope to be one of the 96 in here, but it won’t be me putting my name forward for Llywydd.”
The next Senedd election will take place on 7 May 2026.
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Better to stand down while people still respect you in the role which you’ve taken on – and in the case of Elin Jones I think that they rightly do – because for sure the time might well come when instead they might say ‘why is she still hanging on?’!