‘Ready to govern’: Plaid leader moves to form next Welsh Government
Mark Mansfield
Rhun ap Iorwerth has said Plaid Cymru is ‘ready’ to form the next Welsh Government after his party emerged as the largest in the Senedd following a dramatic election victory.
Speaking after all votes were counted, the Plaid Cymru leader said he would move quickly to open talks with other parties in a bid to secure support to become First Minister.
“Based on that vote, and a clear outcome, Plaid Cymru now stands ready to take the necessary steps to form the next Government of Wales,” he said.
Plaid won 43 seats in the 96-member chamber, ahead of Reform UK on 34, while Labour slumped to nine seats in one of the most significant shifts in Welsh political history.
The Welsh Conservatives secured seven seats, with the Greens on two and the Liberal Democrats one.
Although falling short of an overall majority, ap Iorwerth said he would “reach out to others with urgency” to find common ground and build a working administration.
“Our nation deserves a government that will work with determination to deliver on the things that matter most,” he said.
He described the result as “a moment one hundred years in the making” and said voters had chosen “hope over division” and “new leadership” for the first time in Wales’s devolved history.
The result brings an end to decades of Labour dominance in Cardiff Bay and leaves the party facing a period of reflection after a heavy defeat.
‘Change course’
Former First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat and later warned that the UK Government needed to “change course” in response to the result, citing public frustration over the cost of living.
Ap Iorwerth said Plaid would now focus on forming a government capable of delivering on key priorities, including cutting NHS waiting lists, improving schools and tackling poverty.
He added that the party would seek to govern “for all the people of Wales”, regardless of how they voted.
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Llongyfarchiadau Rhun ap Iorwerth a Phlaid Cymru. Balch ohonoch chi! 👏 🏴
The polls said it would be much closer, again understating the Plaid vote and overstating reform UK
I wouldn’t be too sanguine about this result if I were you; of course it is great that Plaid are the biggest party in the Senedd, but they are going to have to depend on Labour, the Greens and the Lib Dems to win any votes. This will seriously limit their choices. Reform, as the opposition, are exactly where they want to be; heckling from the sidelines without having to actually prove they could do better. They will therefore entrench their position among those too stupid and gullible to see how corrupt and incompetent they are. What shocks me is… Read more »
Congratulations are due to Plaid Cymru: many congrats. Will PC have to ‘group up’ with Labour to get a majority – or go it alone hoping to attract votes from other parties to get legislation passed?
Well – congratulations to Plaid Cymru on the election results. I’m also heartened to know that, for the first time ever, a socialist Welsh government will be held to account by a sizeable, critical and vocal opposition: this can only be a force for good. I’m also glad to find that actions can finally have consequences, and that the disaster that is Welsh Labour has been reduced to a few stragglers.
For a change, I’m optimistic for the future.
The purpose of an opposition is not only to criticise, but to provide alternative solutions which will actually work. Reform will certainly be critical and vocal, but any alternatives they put forward will be of the culture-war, anti-immigration, anti-net zero and climate denial trend; in short, absolute negativity. They will also be keen to keep us in the failing UK. Reform supporters will not see through their incompetence, because the message will be “if only we were in control, we could make things better, but as it is, Plaid and their coalition partners are stopping us”, thus maintaining the usual… Read more »
They will also be keen to keep us in the failing UK. No different than the rest of the Unionist bloc. Of course the Opposition will be critical as that is predominantly their purpose. After all they were opponents at election time with a much different take on how the country could be made to work a bit smarter for the benefit of working people. No party has the monopoly on providing alternative solutions which will actually work. So far no one seems to have been able to succeed on that task. We are in for a tough 4 years and… Read more »
I can’t quite catch the mood this morning, and now you warn of chaos on the roads…!
This array of new faces in the Big Shed could deliver “misery” without using road transport. Ms Jewell quick to talk “muscular” last night then softening her tone when she realised the meaning of “cooperation” and “collaboration”. After 27 years of mostly polarised posturing Y Senedd’s new generation of occupants need to get acquainted with those modes of behaviours.
That last sentence ‘nice place you got here, shame if something happened to it…’ a tough Llywydd needed…
Beware the Drivers of Misery! Cymru’s answer to the Horses of the Apocalypse?
It just shows how far to the right your mindset is that you think Plaid are a socialist political party. They are center left at best. Reform is filled with failed ex tories top to bottom. Like rats deserting the sinkkng ship that was the Conservative Party. I’m sure once Reform show how useless they are at running more local councils in England. They’ll desert to become independents. And again you still haven’t answered the question about your dear leader and his dodgy donations Ady Wady. Although I expect no less from someone who supports a man who celebrates his… Read more »
Well done!
I hope they get Governing right.
A thoroughly well deserved victory for Plaid Cymru. Wales needed change and not the R-shaped one.
We can look on the ‘bright side’ from now on…
The 2 party election is over Tory and Liebour have never done anything for Wales they are both English parties We have a new dawn for Wales with Plaid the Union is broken which is great it will come to an end in a near future not before time 3 Nationalist Parties in charge in Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland its never been a Union of equals infact Wales does not have the same devolved powers as Scotland or Northern Ireland at 76 i would love to see Wales free as an independent country before i meet my maker
They have done stuff, just people want to ignore it. They also didn’t fix a lot of things, which is remembered.
Plaid are on the stage now, same issues remain, lets see how they do.
A truly historic day for our country. Labour, especially in the valleys had to go, their tired old fashioned corrupt ways are hopefully at an end. They and not Keir Starmer are to blame for their own demise. Labour’s colonial approach to Wales has helped Plaid rally against Labour’s Westminster based superiority stance, whilst simultaneously helping Reform gain votes amongst the ‘British Welsh’. The ‘British Welsh’ who Labour have actively cultivated via their promotion of British history being taught in our schools are archetypal Reform UK voters. The chickens have finally come home to roost! Good riddance to Labour, you’ve… Read more »
My thoughts exactly, Hanes Cymru from now on…disgusting really, what they have done to the country…
Plaid Cymru have a difficult job on their hands when the media will try their best to disparage and belittle anything they try to do and who will highlight anything Reform will care to utter. One area that is apparently totally ignored is just making the public realm nicer, tidier and more pleasant. Everything from cleaning road signs, repainting eroded white lines, footpaths clear of vegetation/rubbish (especially in dense urban areas with homes in multiple occupation). Public toilets reopen do not charge. Such changes do change peoples mood and are obvious signs of a change taking place. It is one… Read more »
Funny you should say that, I swept about 20 yards of high street curb side today.
Fags are back in style, how did that happen?