How are elected members of the National Assembly of Wales referred to?

Okay, let's break down why elected members of the National Assembly for Wales are called AMs. To understand this, you need to know a bit about the UK's devolved governments. The UK isn't just governed from London; Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own devolved powers, meaning they can make laws on certain issues within their regions. In Wales, the body responsible for this is the National Assembly for Wales, now known as the Welsh Parliament or Senedd. The people elected to represent their constituencies in this assembly are therefore called Assembly Members, which is conveniently shortened to AMs. It's a straightforward abbreviation. Now, you might be tempted by MPs, MEPs, or MLAs, but these refer to different legislative bodies. MPs are Members of Parliament, who sit in the UK Parliament in Westminster. MEPs *were* Members of the European Parliament, but the UK is no longer part of the EU. MLAs are Members of the Legislative Assembly, specifically in Northern Ireland. So, AMs are unique to Wales and directly reflect their role in the Welsh Assembly.