On the shoulders of giants: Wales is done with ‘Business as Usual’

Stephen Price

Like many people who voted for Plaid Cymru in last week’s historic election, I did so with conditions.

From Labour’s parachuted candidates, to Gething’s disastrous tenure and Eluned Morgan’s Starmer-tied hands, the writing was on the wall, and with it opportunity for change, for better.

Until now, a great majority of us across Wales voted unconditionally.

Red rosettes and yellow and red placards from Môn to Mynwy entrusting Labour to do right by us as they always had.

As the polls predicted, swathes of Labour’s most convicted supporters had no choice but to abandon the sinking ship this time around, however and Wales’ new voting system allowed us, perhaps for the first time ever, to vote with conviction and not tactics.

Unlike in previous elections, the Senedd election of all elections gave voters from all generations in all parts of Wales the chance to wave goodbye to blind allegiance. An allegiance that has, for too long now, only condoned spiralling decay.

The Wales of the chapel and party faithful was put to bed on 7 May 2026.

Now, we have demands.

Croen gŵydd

My skin prickled as I watched Rhun ap Iorwerth speak on the Senedd’s steps on Saturday 9 May, much as it did hours before, listening to the emotional words of Elfyn Llwyd speaking on S4C on the night of the election result.

His deep joy at Plaid’s surge across the whole of Wales, and his gratitude for the ‘giants that came before us’ – D J Gwynfor, J E Jones and more was palpable.

“Ten years ago, I did not think we would see this happening. It is wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful.”

Their words echoed the relief and satisfaction of others across Wales – long term and new Plaid supporters – all united in hope, and in expectation of change.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by S4C (@s4c)

Until now, my 20 plus years of voting saw me lose faith in the entire system. The lesser of two evils my only hope, or a ‘wasted vote’ for a party I’m more aligned with (give or take).

Politics for many of my generation and below felt like something for other people. Ineffectual, dry and boring. Plaid’s social media in particular, however, has blown this idea out of the water.

Fun, inclusive, joyful politics led by positivity and relevancy.

For the first time ever in a national election, I felt power in my hands. Palpable change was in the air – and fear with it – instead of another rearranging of blue and red deckchairs marked ‘duopoly’.

Plaid’s win feels like, at last, Welsh citizens can finally have hope that they will be listened to – that our concerns and opinions mirror those of our representatives.

Starmer says ‘no’

To think, finally, that we won’t have to repeatedly ask for the basics and keep accepting ‘no’ until we simply grow tired.

From the Crown Estate to fairer council tax – simple parity with Scotland – until now we’ve more often than not been wasting our breath.

Take the example of the petition calling for the name of Wales to be restored to Cymru – the name we gave ourselves, not had bestowed on us – and that simply falling by the wayside, along with so many more.

Exercises in how Labour have engineered from on high, not listened, for far too long.

Perhaps now we can dare to dream bigger, better and bolder – and not simply rest at parity, but a complete root and branch re-writing of the UK as it currently stands. We have a home grown, home-concerned party on our side at long last, after all.

Plaid has been given our trust to do things differently, and to do things radically – be it with the NHS, education, and the crippling cost of living, or language, culture, the arts and community.

The status quo is simply not fit for purpose any more.

Wales has demanded change. Plaid can be completely unafraid of offering it.