An Island of Unequals: Does the First Minister need an official residence?

Stephen Price

Rhun ap Iorwerth hit headlines following Plaid’s historic Senedd election result when it emerged that he’d been forced to book himself into a Premier Inn after forgetting the keys to his Cardiff flat.

Wales’ First Minister was on his way from an election count in north Wales to Cardiff when he realised he’d left the keys 200 miles away from the Welsh capital at his main residence on Ynys Môn

As the representative for Bangor Conwy Môn, ap Iorwerth lives on Ynys Môn with his family, but also has a property in Cardiff – an essential thing for him and many other Members of the Senedd.

As the news went viral, with many seeing the humorous side and the touching element of Rhun’s father, Welsh language campaigner Edward Morus Jones, reuniting his son with the keys – it led many online to question why the Welsh First Minister doesn’t have an official residence – in keeping with the UK Prime Minister of Rhun’s counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

As the BBC’s Dan Hale pointed out: “While the UK prime minister has Downing Street, and the first minister of Scotland has Bute House in Edinburgh, there is no official residence for the first minister of Wales.

“A lack of an official residence for Welsh first ministers was questioned following protests outside former Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford’s Cardiff home.”

Typical of Reform’s intent on headline-grabbing as they slowly learn how to mimic the role of a politician, Welsh Leader, Dan Thomas was quick to jump on Hale’s article, writing on X: “The media is beginning to push for the First Minister to have an official residence.

“If we’re about to spend taxpayers’ money on housing, we should fill it with homeless Welsh veterans, not well-off politicians.”

The media is beginning to push for the First Minister to have an official residence.

If we’re about to spend taxpayers’ money on housing, we should fill it with homeless Welsh veterans, not well-off politicians. https://t.co/Jo4CCWgFi0

— Dan Thomas MS (@DanWalesReform) May 16, 2026

Reflecting the mood of the Welsh public and decades-long conversations (i.e. not beginning to push), ITV’s Rob Osborne asked: “Should the new First Minister get an official residence?

“Back when he was FM – I asked Mark Drakeford.

“He said the time would come when the leader came from North Wales. It’s happened.”

Should the new First Minister get an official residence?

Back when he was FM – I asked Mark Drekeford.

He said the time would come when the leader came from North Wales. It’s happened. pic.twitter.com/Xn8pYGggW8

— Rob Osborne (@mrrobosborne) May 15, 2026

So no, not some new ‘Welsh separatist’ agenda, but an acknowledgment of disparity and Wales’ long-seated acceptance of the shortest straw, and the (albeit-ornately carved) wooden spoon that has been a problem-in-waiting for a First Minister who isn’t a Cardiff resident.

Former Welsh Secretary Ron Davies, told the BBC that Welsh Labour at the time wanted to avoid the pomp and ceremony of Westminster and was against the idea of an official residence for the First Minister.

Davies told the BBC: “My own instinctive view was that we didn’t want that.”

His aim was for a more informal assembly that would “do away with all the pomp and circumstance which is associated in parliament”.

“My watchword, after the tightness of the result, was that we had to be very careful what we were doing, and we should be concerned as far as possible to build up a consensus – doing things which weren’t going to be inflammatory, which weren’t going to upset people, and which by and large kept with the mood of the times.”
There was an eye on the cost to the taxpayer, too.

“I think the thrust of those of us on the Yes side was that it was going to be a very carefully run assembly, being conscious of public money, doing things properly and moving away from all the sort of pomp and ceremony which is associated with royalty and [the Westminster] parliament and all of those sorts of things.”

Much has changed since then, however – from Assembly to Senedd, and with it more powers, more status for Wales.

“Won’t you think of the Welsh veterans?”

It’s very early days, but from signs above hand dryers to essential kit to get the job done (again, like all other ministers in the UK and no doubt the developed world), Reform have started as they mean to go on – by making it up by the day and making petty complaints on social media instead of constructively working for the people of Wales.

I wonder if Dan Thomas would be so keen to travel five hours a day to work? Or would he even – as I would suggest – contemplate more equitable pan-Wales representation for Senedd business itself? Why shouldn’t our leaders all have to trek ‘up north’ or ‘out west’ once in a while?

Perhaps if they did so regularly, they might actually feel the same rage and disbelief we do when it comes to the offensive offering for north-south travel, the cost and inconvenience of public transport, and the state of our roads that are a little more out of sight, out of mind than those in Cardiff – although recent visits suggest Cardiff’s not quite as shiny as it was in the early days of devolution.

Should Reform care to check, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are home to plenty of homeless folk, and many who happen to be veterans. That there is a residence for their leaders makes no difference at all. If only it was that bloody easy!

Their leaders, much like every other world leader – from Putin to Trump and everyone in between, having a residence nearby, allow democracy to better-happen – and for safety measures to be implemented more efficiently, with no impact to nearby communities.

Do we really want our first minister commuting five hours or so in rush hour when his time can be better spent working for Wales?

And I wonder which party, Reform or Plaid, would create a better Wales for ‘homeless Welsh veterans’ in the long run. Or do I?

In our fractured Island of Unequals, parity is the least of Wales’ asks with our counterparts, and we must all be cautious of anyone who seeks to represent us, but fights to give us less.

There are many of them in the Senedd right now – in turquoise, blue, red and orange – and they’re not even trying to hide it.