Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Stays at Premier Inn After Forgetting Keys

Rhun ap Iorwerth, fresh from leading Plaid Cymru to a historic Senedd election victory, found himself without access to his Cardiff flat last Friday. Having travelled from an election count in North Wales, he realised his keys remained at his primary residence in Anglesey.

Following a declaration of a "new dawn" for Wales, ap Iorwerth checked into a budget hotel for the night. The following morning, his father, Edward Morus Jones, brought the keys to Cardiff, leading to a joint celebration outside the Senedd with supporters.

Mr Jones expressed profound pride on Tuesday as his son was formally elected to lead the Welsh government, describing the period since Friday as a "sort of cloud" of elation.

The election on Thursday saw Plaid Cymru secure 43 seats, with Reform UK unexpectedly taking 34, relegating Labour to nine seats in the expanded 96-member Senedd. This outcome concludes a century of Labour dominance in Welsh electoral politics.

Unlike the UK Prime Minister's Downing Street residence or the Scottish First Minister's Bute House, there is no official residence for the First Minister of Wales, necessitating ap Iorwerth's private arrangements for accommodation in Cardiff.