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What's the difference between a constituency and a regional Assembly Member?

There are 60 AMs in the Assembly and we all have five representing us – one constituency AM and four region AMs.

Constituency AMs
There are 40 constituency AMs in the Assembly – they are voted in by a local constituency to represent that constituency via a voting system called ‘First Past the Post’. It’s a very simple voting system – whoever gets the most votes in a constituency wins that constituency seat.

Regional AMs
There are 20 regional AMs. These are voted in on a regional basis – they therefore represent a much wider geographical spread then a constituency AM. Who wins a regional seat is determined via a ‘proportional representation’ system of voting – it helps make sure that the number of seats a party gets in the Assembly more closely matches the percent of votes they received across Wales.

Constituency and regional AMs have the same voting rights in the Assembly and both types of AM can play a full role in the Assembly’s committees, meetings, practices and responsibilities. Both types of AM can be promoted to being a member of the Government – the Welsh Assembly Government.

If you want to campaign on an issue, you can contact your constituency AM or any of your regional AMs.

Links and contact details
Links and contact details

Name: BBC – Politics News
Web: news.bbc.co.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: BBC – Politics News

Name: BBC Wales – Politics News
Web: news.bbc.co.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: BBC – Politics News

Name: National Assembly for Wales – list of Assembly Members (AMs)
Web: www.assemblywales.org
Email:
Tel:
Info: National Assembly for Wales – list of all Assembly Members (AMs) and their contact details. We all have five local AMs – one is out local constituency AMs and four are ‘regional’ AMs – covering a wider part of Wales. You can contact any or all of them.

Name: Westminster Parliament – list of Members of Parliament (MPs)
Web: www.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/index.cfm
Email:
Tel:
Info: Government website listing all MPs by name and by constituency

Name: DirectGov – contact details for all Welsh councils
Web: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils/DG_065241
Email:
Tel:
Info: DirectGov – contact details for all Welsh councils and their websites. Your local council can provide details of all of your local councillors.

Name: European Parliament UK Office website – list of all UK MEPs
Web: www.europarl.org.uk/section/your-meps/your-meps
Email:
Tel:
Info: European Parliament UK Office website – list of all UK MEPs with contact details.

Name: National Assembly for Wales
Web: www.assemblywales.org
Email:
Tel: 0845 010 5500
Textphone: 0845 010 5678
Info: The National Assembly for Wales is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales and holds the Welsh government to account.

Name: Welsh Assembly Government
Web: www.wales.gov.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: The Welsh Assembly Government is responsible for most of the issues of day-to-day concern to the people of Wales, including the economy, health, education, and local government.

Name: Westminster Parliament
Web: www.parliament.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: The official website for the UK House of Parliament.

Name: The Prime Minister’s office (UK)
Web: www.number10.gov.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: The official website for the Prime Minister’s office.

Name: European Parliament UK Office website
Web: www.europarl.org.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info:

Name: Europa – the European Union’s portal web site
Web: europa.eu
Email:
Tel:
Info: EUROPA is the European Union’s portal web site. It provides all the information made available on the Internet by the institutions and bodies of the European UnioEUROPA is administered by the European Commission in partnership with the other European institutions.

Name: The Labour Party
Web: www.labour.org.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info:

Name: Plaid Cymru
Web: www.plaidcymru.org
Email:
Tel:
Info:

Name: The Conservative Party
Web: www.conservatives.com
Email:
Tel:
Info:

Name: The Liberal Democrats
Web: www.libdems.org.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info:

Name: The Green Party
Web: www.greenparty.org.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info:

Name: UK Independence Party
Web: www.ukip.org
Email:
Tel:
Info:

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