National Politics

This section of the website aims to explain the difference between the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government which is an essential starting point for anyone wishing to engage with Welsh politics. It also covers how the two institutions work and ways in which groups can get involved and have their voices heard by them both.

The National Assembly for Wales (NAfW) is the legislative body for Wales. Its role is to scrutinise and monitor the work of the Welsh Government.

The Welsh Government (WG) is the executive body for Wales. It is made up of the First Minister, other Welsh Ministers, Deputy Ministers and the Counsel General.

The distinction between the 2 bodies is the same as the distinction between the UK Parliament and the UK Government. Being clear about the difference between the two can be very beneficial for third sector organisations in order to ensure that you are talking to the right people about the right things and using all available opportunities to influence decision makers and have your say.

Many important decisions affecting Wales are still taken at UK and European levels so this section also provides information on how UK and European Politics work.

The landscape of Welsh politics has changed dramatically since devolution began in 1999 and the National Assembly for Wales was established. Since that time we have had further phases of devolution in the form of the Government of Wales Act 2006 and a "yes" vote in the March 2011 referendum. Whilst devolution has presented the third sector in Wales with many opportunities it has also created a complicated and sometimes confusing political context in which we need to operate in order to have our voices heard. Further information about the history of devolution, the Government of Wales Act and the powers that we have in Wales can be found in our "What’s devolved and how does it all work" section.