Rhun ap Iorwerth, leader of Plaid Cymru, has expressed his hope to become the Welsh first minister as early as Tuesday following his party's historic victory in the Senedd elections. Plaid Cymru fell short of securing a majority but decisively defeated Labour and held off Reform UK.
Ap Iorwerth's Plans for Government
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, ap Iorwerth stated, 'We're ready to go as quickly as we can. We hope for it to be Tuesday. If there's a delay it won't be much. We want to get going.' He emphasised that Plaid Cymru has presented a clear programme for government which he hopes will receive backing from across the Senedd. 'We want actively to get support of people in other parties. I will be explicitly cooperative,' he added.
Cooperation and Criticism of Labour
The Plaid leader confirmed he had spoken to representatives from all parties except Welsh Reform leader Dan Thomas. Labour was left with only nine seats in the Senedd, ending a century of dominance in Wales. Ap Iorwerth warned UK Labour not to punish Wales over the election result, suggesting that such a move would hinder Labour's recovery in the region. He also expressed doubt about Keir Starmer's longevity as Prime Minister, stating, 'I will guide the next UK prime minister, whoever that might be, to start looking at Wales in a different way.'
Potential Cooperation with Other Nationalist Parties
Ap Iorwerth indicated a willingness to cooperate with nationalist parties in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Speaking on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he said, 'There are a number of different ways that we can work together. There are ways of looking at policies that we have in common, the way that we use the natural resources off our coasts, for example. But there's a deeper sense than that, too, of being able to make a stand together to call for less inequality within these islands.'
Welsh Labour's Response
Ken Skates, interim leader of Welsh Labour following the resignation of former first minister Eluned Morgan, stated that Labour members would meet on Monday to discuss their approach to the vote on the next first minister. He described the idea of Labour teaming up with Reform to block ap Iorwerth as 'deeply unpleasant' and affirmed that Labour's relationship with Plaid would be 'mature' but focused on serving the people of Wales.
