Labour has suffered a historic defeat in the 2026 Welsh Senedd election, losing control of the devolved parliament for the first time. The party retained only nine seats, while Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party with 43 seats, followed by Reform UK with 34 seats. The Welsh Conservatives secured seven seats, the Greens two, and the Liberal Democrats one.
No Majority Government
No party achieved the 49 seats required for a majority, meaning Plaid Cymru must form a coalition or alliance to govern. Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth declared his party "stands ready to take the necessary steps to form the next Government of Wales." Reform UK's leader in Wales pledged to "put Wales first" after winning a seat.
Labour's Humiliation
First Minister Baroness Morgan lost her own seat in the Senedd. In her concession speech, she expressed pride in being the first woman to hold the role but acknowledged the party's failures: "The pressures on public services are enormous. Change is not coming fast enough." This marks Labour's worst result in Wales in over a century.
New Voting System
The election was the first under Wales' closed proportional list system, designed to align seat counts more closely with vote shares. The system contributed to the dramatic shift in representation.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, reflecting on parallel losses in English local elections, said he is "hurt" but "not going to walk away." Nigel Farage called the results "a truly historic shift in British politics."
