Image source, Getty Images

Although voter turnout has historically been low at Welsh Parliament or Senedd elections - most people in Wales probably have a view on Welsh devolution.

Some people think it should go further and Wales should have more powers, like former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Former Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford wants Wales to have its own justice system, a bit like Scotland does.

Welsh independence marches across the country in recent years show that some in Wales want devolution to go further and powers in Wales be totally controlled by ministers in Cardiff, with no input from the UK government in Westminster.

But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak believes no more powers should be devolved to Wales, while some think Wales shouldn't have its own parliament at all.

BBC Radio Cymru

One political analyst describes voting turnout is "worrying" and "a blow to the credibility of devolution".

Although he feels support for devolution is high, Prof Richard Wyn Jones admits the number of voters hasn’t increased much over the years.

"In 2021 the results of the number who voted were a disappointment because the profile of the parliament was so high due to Covid," he told Radio Cymru.

"The last election was still held in the shadow of Covid, this had a big impact on the campaign and I think it had an impact on people turning out to vote too."

Reducing the voting age to 16 didn't help, Prof Jones says, because young people are "very unwilling to turn out to vote".

BBC Radio Wales

Image source, Getty Images

Turnout in elections for the assembly - as it was then called - or the Senedd has never been above 50%, and former First Minister Mark Drakeford says voting should be compulsory.

Asked about low turnout, Drakeford said: “Of course I wish more people would vote in elections.

"I happen personally to belong to that group of people who think that voting is a civic duty and that people ought to be obliged to cast a vote – not for any particular party and sometimes to turn up and write ‘none of the above’."

Drakeford, who stood down from the top job in March, told BBC Radio Wales that many countries have mandatory voting.

“I believe that casting your vote is something that makes certain you make your contribution to the future of the place you live in," he added.

Gareth Lewis
Political editor, BBC Wales

Image source, Getty Images

Voter turnout at Senedd elections is a big worry for senior Welsh politicians and some would argue a worry for democracy.

Fewer than 50% of voters have cast their ballot in each of the assembly or Senedd elections so far, with the next poll due in 2026.

Turnout in Welsh elections was highest at the last one in 2021, external - but that was 47%. The second highest was the first election in 1999 and that was 46%, and described at the time as a “huge deficit”.

By contrast, voter turnout in the 2019 UK General Election in Wales was 67%.

For my full story on this, please click here.

Steve Duffy
BBC Wales

There’s been a growing proportion of the Welsh government’s budget spent on health and social services.

Back in 1999-2000, it accounted for just over a third. Now it’s well over half of a budget, which now totals more than £20 billion, with more than £11.2bn being spent on health.

Analysis by the Wales Audit Office a few years ago suggested spending per head had been relatively low given Wales’ level of need.

But spending rose again after a period of austerity from 2010.

Around 80% of the Welsh government’s spending power comes from funding from Westminster, external while part is from money raised from devolved taxes. The Welsh Government can also access limited amounts of borrowing.

The commitment this year has been to protect health and councils as much as possible.

Image source, Getty Images

An attempt to stimulate the economy - and Wales' reach around the world - is attracting top-class sports events.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Tiger Woods are two of sport's global superstars to have graced the green, green grass of Wales thanks to the backing of the devolved Welsh administration.

Some of sport's biggest events have been staged in Wales since devolution in 1999, most notably football's 2017 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Juventus in Cardiff and golf's 2010 Ryder Cup in Newport.

Attracting major sporting events - like the first event of the London 2012 Olympic Games event, cricket's England v Australia Ashes series and various Rugby World Cups - is part of a Welsh Government plan to market Wales to the world.

The Welsh government estimated hosting the Champions League final between two footballing giants at the Principality Stadium would be worth £50m to Wales in "advertising equivalent" - and one economic assessment estimated hosting it brought an extra £45m to Wales.

"This exposure is difficult to buy unless you are a super power, it is hugely valuable," said the then Economy Secretary Ken Skates in 2017.

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Duffy
BBC Wales

Staying with the Welsh economy for a moment, this chart shows the levels of economic inactivity in Wales – which has been consistently above the UK average.

These are people of working age who choose not to work, are discouraged from working, have taken early retirement, are caring for a family member or long term sick. It excludes students.

Steve Duffy
BBC Wales

One measure of how strong the Welsh economy is, is a measure called gross value added (GVA).

This looks at how much money is generated through goods produced and services delivered.

So the payment a pie-maker gets after deducting for costs of ingredients and running the bakery is their GVA. This can be worked out for each person in Wales.

This was £23,804 per head for Wales in 2022, up 8% on the year before the Covid pandemic.

GVA per head in Wales has always been below the UK average and is currently the second lowest of any UK nation or region, after north east England. Within Wales, the Gwent valleys has the lowest GVA per head.

Total GVA in Wales for 2022 was £74.5 billion – up 9.5% on the year before, the largest increase since records began.

BBC Radio Wales

Looking across the pond for inspiration could do the Senedd some good, Lord Dafydd Wigley thinks.

Plaid Cymru's first leader in the Senedd member tells BBC Radio Wales there is one "basic aspect" the Assembly of the past and the Senedd now “hasn't succeeded in grasping".

"That is the economic challenge," he says. “That is the beginning of the end."

“It was President Clinton in America, when asked what the issue in the election, said 'the economy, stupid'. And that is true in Wales as it is in any other country.

“And that is particularly true in old industrial valleys of South Wales."

Lord Wigley says politicians have to “get to grips with that".

"Not only for the good of those areas but for the good of Wales,” he adds.

Lowri Lewis
BBC News

For many years England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were run by the UK government, based in Westminster in London.

But in a process called devolution, some powers were passed from Westminster to elected bodies in Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh.

The UK government remains responsible for policy for England and overall policy in a number of areas, like defence and national security, foreign policy, immigration, citizenship and tax - though Scotland has its own powers to raise and lower income tax.

In Wales, the Senedd's responsibilities include:

• Agriculture, forestry and fishing
• Education
• Environment
• Health and social care
• Housing
• Local government
• Highways and transport
• Some control over income tax, stamp duty and landfill tax
• Welsh language

Scotland already had its own legal and education system. After devolution, it has become responsible for many areas, including:

• Agriculture, forestry and fishing
• Education
• Environment
• Health
• Housing
• Justice, policing and courts
• Local government
• Some transport
• Taxes including income tax, stamp duty and air passenger duty
• Some welfare powers

In Northern Ireland, devolution is different to Scotland and Wales, with government powers divided into three - powers controlled by the Northern Ireland Assembly, powers that remain in Westminster but could be moved to Stormont or powers that cannot be moved. Stormont's main powers include:

• Agriculture
• Education
• Environment and planning
• Health and social services
• Local government
• Justice, policing and prisons
• Control over air passenger duty
• Transport
• Culture, language and sport

For more, check out this more detailed explainer.

BBC Radio Wales

Tuning into Radio Wales Breakfast this morning, we caught former First Minister Mark Drakeford giving his views on devolution.

As part of the referendum campaign, it's not surprising he is proud of what's been achieved so far.

But he admits it's not been an easy road.

“The single biggest change is that an institution which began so uncertainly and with such anxieties about whether or not it would survive, is now just so firmly planted in the democratic landscape of Wales," he says.

“You have to be in your 40s now before you voted in an election when there wasn't devolved government here in Wales.

“Over a 25-year period to have gone from that very halting, very uncertain beginning to what we have today - I think that is the biggest story of all over the last quarter of a century.”

BBC Radio Cymru

For those of you whose Welsh is a little rusty, here's what our former first minister Carwyn Jones has been telling Radio Cymru's Dros Frecwast.

“Devolution has given Wales a voice, Wales didn’t have a voice before 1999," he says.

Giving Welsh people a vote every five years means they get "the last word", says Mr Jones.

He says bus passes and free prescriptions for all have been welcome decisions, while saying opt-out organ donation means "many people are still alive today".

It's "a little thing that’s made a huge difference to people’s lives," he adds.

But he says how Wales gets its funding - known as the Barnett Formula - hasn't worked "as successfully as we would like".

BBC Radio Wales

We've been taking a look back this morning at the highs and lows of Welsh devolution.

But does anyone except the politicians really know what goes on in the Senedd?

One of its own members, Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds, says probably not.

“I'm not convinced that people actually know people that health, education, the climate and other things are actually part of the Senedd's decision making," she tells Radio Wales Breakfast.

Ms Dodds, Senedd member for Mid and West Wales, says its up to people like her to tackle the Welsh public's apathy towards politics.

“I don't think it's a fault," she says. "I think it's about raising awareness and us as politicians making sure that people do know that.

“We knock on doors and we hear that people are so fed up with politics, that don't want to even vote - and we've got to change that.”

BBC Radio Wales

The Welsh NHS can't rely on the Senedd alone to sort out its problems, a health boss says.

The Welsh NHS Confederation represents Wales' health boards.

Speaking on Radio Wales Breakfast just now, its director Darren Hughes, says: "It's definitely not something the Senedd can do alone.

"UK government has a big impact on the economy, the economy has a big impact on people's health.

"The amount of money that comes from UK government down to Cardiff to spend on health also has a big impact."

He adds that healthcare issues over the border also affect what's happening in Wales.

"No man is an island and no parliament is an island.

"We're very much impacted by what's happening across the UK."

BBC Radio Wales

We've been hearing how an eight-year-old boy listening to his parents debate Welsh devolution in the car ultimately led to a career in politics.

Tom Giffard, Conservative Senedd Member for South Wales West and the party's culture spokesman, tells Radio Wales Breakfast about his memory of the referendum.

"It's my first political memory - sitting in the back of the car hearing my parents talk about that referendum back in 1997 - one was in favour one was against," he says.

"What has worked is that sense of nationhood, I think there is clearly a stronger sense of Welsh identity than it was 25 years ago."

But he adds it was a "missed opportunity".

"People think the result here is a forgone conclusion, we've never had, regrettably, that election where over 50% of people have voted.

"A big part of that is because people don't think there are any stakes."

Lowri Lewis
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

The story of self-rule in Wales goes back as far as the early 15th Century when Owain Glyndwr is said to have held a parliament at Machynlleth during his rebellion against the rule of Henry IV.

The people of Wales said no to devolution in 1979 but said yes in '97 - and some powers were officially handed over in final year of the 20th Century. Here's a brief timeline:

• 1 May 1997: Tony Blair's Labour government sweeps to power in a landslide general election victory with a manifesto promise to devolve power to Wales and Scotland subject to public approval in referendums
• 18 September 1997: People in Wales narrowly vote yes for an assembly in a referendum
• 6 May 1999: The first assembly election, to choose 40 constituency assembly members and 20 regional list members, is held. The winners are announced the following day
• 26 May 1999: The Queen and the Prince of Wales officially open the new assembly
• 3 March 2011: The Welsh Assembly gets more authority as gets direct law-making powers in areas like health and education after winning a referendum
• 31 January 2017: Tax-raising powers including a slice of your income tax and extra powers over transport, energy and electoral arrangements receives Royal Assent in The Wales Bill

For a more detailed chronology, check this link out.

Gareth Lewis
Political Editor, BBC Wales

Image source, Getty Images

We've touched on what happened 25 years ago this week, let's go through some of Wales' most headline-grabbing policies since 1999.

Let's start with the latest - and probably the one that has captured people's attention the most - and that's lowering the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph on residential roads.

Such was - or is - the controversy, the government under new First Minister Vaughan Gething has now promised changes because of the backlash.

And remember there was no masking the controversy around some of Wales' Covid regulations during the pandemic as, on the whole, they tended to be stricter than those in neighbouring England.

The Senedd will, however, argue that over the past 25 years it helped deliver some pioneering, agenda-setting legislation for such a young legislative body.

For example, it was the first UK nation to:

• Introduce a minimum 5p charge on single-use carrier bags
• Force food outlets to prominently display food hygiene inspection ratings
• Introduce presumed consent on organ donations
• Introduce free prescriptions for all
• Introduce free parking at hospitals
• Bring in universal free school meals for all primary age children.

But the Welsh government's plans to restrict what is sold in meal deals has not gone down well - probably highlighting why politicians usually avoid getting their teeth into voters' diets.

Ministers want meal deals with a high fat, sugar or salt content to be restricted under plans to tackle obesity and diabetes.

For more on the times Welsh policies have hit the headlines, read my piece here.

We'd love to hear your views on devolution - what has it done for you?

Has it helped? Has it not helped? Is the Welsh Parliament doing what you want it to? Or should Wales have more powers?

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James Williams
Presenter, BBC Radio Wales Breakfast

Bore da, good morning from the Senedd - where you find me sat in the Oriel - on the upper floor of this glass-walled building.

On my left, I've got a view down to the chamber where the politicians will be debating later today - and to my right, beyond the Senedd's front entrance, I've got the beautiful Cardiff Bay waterfront, glistening in the early morning sunshine.

Twenty-five years ago to the day, and it was a very different scene - the mudflats exposed by the ebb and flow of the tide seen no more after the completion of the barrage at the end of 1999.

It was very controversial at the time and transformed the landscape.

And this place, the Senedd, has changed the political landscape in Wales and itself changed beyond recognition.

It is now, of course, a Welsh Parliament - or Senedd Cymru - housed in a building that officially opened seven years after the start of Welsh devolution.

Unlike in the early days, this place can now pass laws - it has control of some of your taxes and many more powers.

Listen to Radio Wales Breakfast live from the Senedd on BBC Sounds

Spoiler alert. Labour won the most seats at the first Welsh Assembly election back in 1999.

And you probably know Labour have had the most assembly or Senedd seats in all five Welsh elections since devolution.

In fact, now the Welsh Labour government is the longest standing administration in the UK.

But back in '99, especially just two years after Tony Blair's New Labour landslide general election triumph, Labour were expected to do much better and gain overall assembly control.

They, however, got a bloody nose from Plaid Cymru who shocked political commentators by winning seats in Labour strongholds like Islwyn, Rhondda and Llanelli.

It all started going wrong for Labour with the Ron Davies scandal and the man who was going to be Wales' first first minister - or secretary as it was back then - quitting after a "moment of madness" on Clapham Common.

Image source, PA Media

Many felt Blair then imposed Alun Michael to lead Welsh Labour when the grassroots wanted Rhodri Morgan, who later did become leader.

"You cannot spend over a year wrangling inside the party fighting a bitter leadership and expect to just sail in," Peter, now Lord, Hain said at the time. "There are serious lessons for Labour here."

Plaid capitalised and mobilised their vote, crashing Labour's 1999 party - and Labour have usually had to rely on votes of members from other parties to govern ever since 1999 - with the exception of a short period in the early 2000s.