Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth Ready to Lead Welsh Minority Government

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has announced his readiness to lead the Welsh government, following an electoral outcome that positioned his party as the largest bloc in the Senedd. Speaking in Cardiff Bay, ap Iorwerth confirmed he is seeking to run a minority government, indicating Plaid Cymru will attempt to govern without a formal coalition. He acknowledged discussions with other party leaders but did not disclose their identities.

Plaid Cymru's Election Triumph Reshapes Welsh Politics

Thursday's Senedd vote saw Plaid Cymru secure 43 seats, with Reform UK in second place with 34, pushing Labour into an unprecedented third with just nine seats in the new 96-member Senedd. This outcome concludes a century of Labour electoral success in Wales and 27 years of continuous governance in Cardiff Bay.

Addressing supporters, ap Iorwerth stated, "Throughout our nation people have put their faith in Plaid Cymru in numbers never seen before." He pledged his party would "do everything we can to repay the faith that people have put in us because we have a clear determination to make a difference on the things that matter to people's lives." Ap Iorwerth extended an invitation to "everyone to join us in an alliance, to pursue this mission on behalf of Wales." He emphasised that a determined national voice would ensure "no UK government, now or in the future, can cast Wales aside or turn a blind eye to our needs and our aspirations as a nation."

Labour Leadership Changes After Electoral Defeat

Meanwhile, Ken Skates has been appointed interim Welsh Labour leader, succeeding Eluned Morgan who resigned after losing her seat. Morgan attributed the result to "deep frustration with the Labour Party" across the UK and urged the UK Labour government to "change course." Some within Labour have pointed fingers at the UK government, with former minister Mick Antoniw calling for Sir Keir Starmer's resignation, while others suggest the long tenure of the Welsh government itself contributed to the shift.

Plaid Cymru, while pro-independence, campaigned on a promise not to pursue a referendum in the first term, instead proposing a commission to build a case for an independent Wales. With 43 seats, Plaid Cymru requires cross-party support for legislation. Labour is understood to be likely to abstain from the Senedd vote to confirm the First Minister, potentially easing ap Iorwerth's path to power. Reform UK, which secured 34 seats, has been explicitly ruled out as a partner by Plaid Cymru, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Greens.