Lynne Neagle, who served as Wales' education minister until recently, is now a backbencher in a significantly reduced Labour group, marking one of the most dramatic turns in fortune for any Senedd member. She is the joint most-experienced politician in the chamber, having been elected to every Senedd since 1999, including four terms alongside her husband, Huw Lewis.
"The whole thing has been an adjustment, and obviously I was prepared that we weren't going to be in government sort of psychologically," she says. "We just roll with it."
Adjusting to opposition
Walking through the corridors of Ty Hywel, where nameplates for Labour MSs have been replaced by those of Reform UK politicians, Neagle acknowledges the visual marker of the political shake-up. "I didn't find it difficult coming back in the building, obviously I have been coming here for years. It is a privilege to represent people in whatever capacity you are doing it, so I am always mindful of that," she says.
Reflecting on the reduced group size, she says, "It is a big difference, obviously, going from the group size that we had to the group that we have got. I think it is important not to....what has happened has happened. It is about how we go forward now, and even though it is a much smaller group, it is a really nice group. We are all getting along really well, we are working together as a team, and I think we have stepped up to the challenges of being in opposition, which isn't an easy thing to do. I mean, you just crack on, don't you?"
She praises the new group's cohesion, referencing Ken's talk of fellowship. "I am not a big Lord of the Rings fan, but I completely get where he is coming from, and it does feel like a really nice team who are working together."
Election aftermath and mixed feelings
Having been involved in numerous elections, Neagle concedes this campaign "felt different." She describes the day of the result as "nerve-wracking," particularly due to losing long-standing colleagues and the anxiety of staff awaiting results. "In Torfaen, our number two candidate, Anthony Hunt, was a brilliant candidate who had worked really closely and I really wanted him to get elected here, and that is something that I am very sad about. I think everybody has lost out on somebody who would have been a great representative."
She notes the unforgiving nature of politics, where there was barely time to absorb the result before needing to appoint a new leader. "You have just got to crack on with it really."
ALN funding row
Labour's main attack line in opposition has been about funding for additional learning needs (ALN) provision. The row centres on money from the UK Government, which Labour argues should have gone directly to ALN, where costs are skyrocketing. An April 2026 Audit Wales report, led by Auditor General Adrian Crompton, said costs are approaching £1 billion a year.
Plaid Cymru initially resisted rushing money into ALN, but later agreed to £120m of specific ALN funding, £40m for each of the next three years. Labour, however, refused to back it, arguing it was just 12% of the consequential received from the English announcement.
In a Senedd debate, Neagle told the chamber, "It's not just Welsh Labour who don't think £40 million is enough," listing councils, the National Education Union, the National Association of Head Teachers, and the Association of School and College Leaders as also calling for more money. She accused the finance minister of an "act of supreme spite" for not spending money on ALN even if the budget didn't pass.
Plaid's Elin Jones, the other survivor of the Class of 1999, responded that she was "flabbergasted by Labour."
Fighting for £100m
Neagle remains steadfast in her position, saying she feels "really, really strongly about ALN funding because of what I saw when I was a minister the level of need, the level of complexity, the way schools were struggling to meet those needs." She argues that without change, "the system is going to fall over basically."
She reveals that she asked for £100 million for ALN, a figure her officials discussed as what could be spent. "We didn't want to vote that budget down. The letter that went to Plaid Cymru asked them to withdraw the budget so that we could have further discussions."
Rejecting Plaid's attack that Labour voted with Reform, she says, "We didn't vote with Reform. We made our own decision on the budget as every party was entitled to do." She points out that Labour has voted with Plaid on other issues, such as a joint motion on the Nation of Sanctuary, and that Plaid voted with Reform on a motion on badger culling.
Looking ahead to next May's council elections, Neagle warns of the risks of a Reform-led council. "We have got to get out there and we have got to make the case, haven't we, really? And we need to communicate with electors about what a Reform-led council could mean for them." She says Torfaen is an "effective, well-run council" and that people will have a choice.
Despite the challenges, Neagle remains passionate about her work. "It is an honour to represent people, it really is, and I have always believed that." She is determined to continue influencing education and children's wellbeing from the backbenches. "The work is not done."
