Rhun ap Iorwerth, leader of Plaid Cymru, has expressed hope that he will be appointed as the first minister of Wales as early as Tuesday, following his party's historic victory in the Senedd elections. Plaid Cymru secured a decisive win over Labour and held off the challenge from Reform UK, although it fell short of an outright majority in the Welsh parliament.
Cooperation Across the Senedd
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, ap Iorwerth stated that his party is prepared to assume power swiftly. “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 said. He emphasized that Plaid Cymru has presented a clear programme for government and is seeking support from other parties. “We want actively to get support of people in other parties. I will be explicitly cooperative,” he added.
Ap Iorwerth revealed that he has spoken with all party leaders except Nigel Farage, who declined to engage. The Plaid leader also addressed the future of UK Labour, noting that the party now holds only nine seats in the Senedd, ending a century of dominance in Wales. He warned that UK Labour could either punish Wales for its electoral rejection or recognize the need for change. “They can decide to punish Wales because Wales turned its back on Labour and say: ‘Right you’re getting nothing now.’ In which case it’s difficult to see Labour planning any way back. Or they reflect and recognise the indifference shown by UK Labour leadership to Wales has to come to an end,” ap Iorwerth said.
Criticism of Keir Starmer
Ap Iorwerth suggested that Prime Minister Keir Starmer may not remain in office for long, stating, “I will guide the next UK prime minister, whoever that might be, to start looking at Wales in a different way.” When asked whether a leader like Andy Burnham might treat Wales differently, ap Iorwerth agreed, saying, “I think you might be right. It is clear to me Keir Starmer has been getting it very very wrong in the indifference shown towards Wales. Keir Starmer can change his ways or Labour can choose someone else to do things in a different way.”
Cooperation with Other Nationalist Parties
The Plaid Cymru leader also expressed interest in collaborating 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, confirmed that Labour members will meet on Monday to discuss their approach to the vote on the next first minister. He dismissed the idea of Labour teaming up with Reform UK to block ap Iorwerth as “deeply unpleasant.” Skates described the party’s relationship with Plaid Cymru as “mature,” but stressed that Labour’s primary duty is to serve the people of Wales, not ap Iorwerth’s party.
