Rhun ap Iorwerth has been confirmed as the first minister of Wales following a plenary vote in the Senedd, marking the end of 100 years of Labour dominance. The Plaid Cymru leader secured the support of his 43 Senedd members and the two Green Party members, while Welsh Labour and the sole Liberal Democrat abstained.
The 53-year-old former BBC journalist received a standing ovation as the result was announced. He described the appointment as “the greatest privilege of my life” and said that “something has stirred in the soul of Wales – a new confidence, a new hope, a new broader horizon.” Ap Iorwerth paid tribute to his predecessor, Labour’s Eluned Morgan, who lost her seat in last week’s elections.
Plaid Cymru won the most seats in the newly expanded 96-seat parliament, with Reform UK taking 34 seats and Labour falling to third with just nine. The Conservatives returned seven seats, the Liberal Democrats one, and the Greens gained two for the first time. Reform’s Dan Thomas, the new leader of the opposition, warned that his party would be a “robust opposition” and that the Senedd has a “pro-union majority.”
Under Wales’s new electoral system, at least 49 seats are needed for a majority, and Plaid Cymru is expected to form a minority government. Ap Iorwerth has ruled out an independence referendum in the next term but said his administration would press the UK government for extra powers over policing and justice.
Ap Iorwerth will be sworn in by a high court judge on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to begin appointing cabinet secretaries on Wednesday. The Senedd earlier voted for Labour’s Huw Irranca-Davies as the new llywydd (speaker), a role that must be held by an opposition member.
