Labour has suffered its worst result in over a century in Wales, losing control of the Senedd for the first time in a humiliating defeat. The first minister also lost her seat in the Welsh parliament. Labour retained only nine seats, while Plaid Cymru surged to 43 seats, with Reform UK in second place with 34 seats. The Welsh Conservatives hold seven seats, the Greens two, and the Liberal Democrats one.
No party achieved the 49 seats required to form a majority government, meaning Plaid Cymru must form an alliance. Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth stated, "We stand ready to take the necessary steps to form the next Government of Wales."
In her concession speech, Baroness Morgan expressed pride in being the first woman to hold the role of Welsh first minister, acknowledging the enormous pressures on public services and the need for faster change.
This election was the first to use the closed proportional list system, designed to better align seat counts with vote shares.
Nationally, Sir Keir Starmer admitted being "hurt" by Labour's losses in English local elections but vowed to continue. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage hailed the results as a "truly historic shift in British politics."
