Cardiff - Government

Government

Main article: Politics in Cardiff See also: Cardiff Council and National Assembly for Wales

Since local government reorganisation in 1996, Cardiff has been governed by The City and County Council of Cardiff, which is based at County Hall in Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff Bay. Voters elect 75 councillors every four years.

Between the 2004 and 2012 local elections, no individual political party held a majority on Cardiff County Council. The Liberal Democrats held the largest number of seats and Cllr Rodney Berman was Leader of the Council. The Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru formed a partnership administration. In the 2012 elections the Labour Party achieved an outright majority, after gaining an additional 33 seats across the city.

The National Assembly for Wales has been based in Cardiff Bay since its formation in 1999. The building, known as the Senedd (which translates into English as Legislature, Parliament or Senate) was opened on 1 March 2006, by The Queen. The Assembly Members (AMs), the Assembly Commission and Ministerial support staff are based in Cardiff Bay. Cardiff elects four constituency Assembly Members (AMs) to the Assembly, with the individual constituencies for the Assembly being the same as for the UK Parliament. All of the city's residents have an extra vote for the South Wales Central region which increases proportionality to the Assembly. The most recent Welsh Assembly general election were held on 5 May 2011.

In the Assembly Cardiff is represented by Jenny Rathbone (Labour) in Cardiff Central, Julie Morgan (Labour) in Cardiff North, Vaughan Gething (Labour) in Cardiff South and Penarth and Mark Drakeford (Labour) in Cardiff West.

In Westminster, Cardiff is represented by Jenny Willott (Liberal Democrat) in Cardiff Central, Jonathan Evans (Conservative) in Cardiff North, Alun Michael (Labour) in Cardiff South and Penarth and Kevin Brennan (Labour) in Cardiff West.

The Welsh Government has its headquarters in Cardiff's Cathays Park where most of its civil servants are based, with smaller numbers in other locations in the city centre, Coryton, Llanishen, Tremorfa and Morganstown. There are other Welsh Government offices in other parts of Wales such as Llandudno and Aberystwyth and international offices throughout the world.

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