Something has stirred in the soul of Wales
After a century of unbroken Labour rule, Wales has turned a historic page: Rhun ap Iorwerth of Plaid Cymru was sworn in as first minister on Tuesday, becoming the first person outside Labour to hold the office since the Welsh parliament's creation. The moment arrived after Plaid's decisive election victory — winning 43 of 96 Senedd seats while Labour collapsed to nine — and it places Wales alongside Scotland and Northern Ireland in being governed by a party that questions the permanence of the union. History, as ap Iorwerth himself noted, had been patient enough to wait a few more hours.
- A century of Labour dominance in Wales ended in a single election night, with the party reduced from 29 seats to just nine — a collapse that reshaped the entire political landscape of Cardiff Bay.
- Reform surged to 34 seats and immediately positioned itself as a combative opposition, promising to represent communities it says have been left behind and to block Plaid's ambitions on Welsh independence.
- The new first minister inherits a government facing urgent, unglamorous crises: NHS waiting lists, underperforming schools, and a stagnant economy that will test Plaid's promises before the honeymoon has ended.
- A first-day dispute over the presiding officer role — Labour's Huw Irranca-Davies taking the post despite his party's crushing defeat — exposed raw tensions in a chamber where the old order has collapsed but the new one is still finding its footing.
- Pro-union parties holding a combined Senedd majority have already signalled they will unite to block any public spending on an independence commission, drawing the deepest battle line of the new parliament.
Rhun ap Iorwerth stood outside the Welsh government building in Cardiff on Tuesday and described the moment as the greatest privilege of his life. He had just been sworn in as first minister of Wales — the first person outside the Labour Party to hold the office in a hundred years. There had been a delay of several hours while the Senedd awaited a royal warrant from King Charles III, but ap Iorwerth was unhurried. After a century of his party working toward this, he said, a few more hours hardly mattered.
Plaid Cymru's election victory had been decisive. The party won 43 of the 96 seats in an expanded Welsh parliament, while Labour — which had governed Wales since the Senedd's creation — collapsed to just nine seats, down from 29. Reform came second with 34 seats and moved quickly into opposition. The scale of the shift was unmistakable.
In his first speech as first minister, ap Iorwerth spoke of a new confidence stirring in Wales and promised to govern for everyone — urban and rural, Welsh-speaking and English-speaking alike. Asked about Wales now joining Scotland and Northern Ireland in having a pro-independence government, he said his loyalty was to the people of Wales, and that he would work with Westminster to secure the best deal for the country.
The practical work begins Wednesday with the announcement of his cabinet. The expanded Senedd allows for 17 ministerial posts, and Plaid has pledged to create a dedicated public health minister focused on prevention. The challenge is considerable: the new government inherits an NHS under severe strain, an education system in need of reform, and a stagnant economy. Conservative leader Darren Millar offered congratulations but warned that cold reality would arrive quickly.
The first day also brought friction. Labour's Huw Irranca-Davies was elected presiding officer, prompting sharp objections from Millar, who said the role should not serve as a consolation prize for a party voters had just rejected. Irranca-Davies said he would earn respect through his actions. Meanwhile, Reform's Dan Thomas signalled that the pro-union parties — together holding a Senedd majority — would work to block any spending on an independence commission. The battle lines are drawn. Ap Iorwerth has the votes to govern; what he does with them will define the next chapter of Welsh politics.
Rhun ap Iorwerth stood on the steps of the Welsh government building in Cardiff on Tuesday afternoon and called it the greatest privilege of his life. He had just been sworn in as first minister of Wales—the first person outside the Labour Party to hold the office in a century. The moment came after a delay of several hours while the Senedd waited for a royal warrant from King Charles III, but ap Iorwerth seemed unbothered by the wait. After a hundred years of his party working toward this, he said, a few more hours hardly mattered.
Plaid Cymru's victory in last week's election had been decisive. The party won 43 of the 96 seats in an expanded Welsh parliament, making it the largest group in Cardiff Bay. Labour, which had governed Wales since the Senedd's creation, collapsed to just nine seats—down from 29 before the election. Reform, a newer political force, came second with 34 seats and immediately positioned itself as a robust opposition. The scale of the shift was unmistakable: Wales had chosen a different direction.
In his first speech to the Senedd as first minister, ap Iorwerth spoke of something stirring in the soul of Wales—a new confidence, a new hope. He promised a government that would serve everyone, in every community, urban and rural, Welsh-speaking and English-speaking alike. He acknowledged the historic nature of the moment while carefully framing his approach as constructive. When asked about the fact that Wales now joined Scotland and Northern Ireland in having pro-independence governments, he said his loyalty would be to the people of Wales, and that he would work with Westminster to secure the best deal for the country. He spoke of finding common ground where it existed and turning kindness and tolerance into support for those who needed it most.
The practical work begins Wednesday, when ap Iorwerth will announce his cabinet. The expanded Senedd means 17 ministerial posts are now available—five more than before. Plaid has pledged to create a public health minister focused on prevention. The question of who gets which job matters enormously: the party must balance experience with representation, and there is only one member of the 44-strong Plaid group with prior ministerial experience—Elin Jones, the former presiding officer. The new government inherits an NHS with crushing waiting lists, an education system that needs improvement, and an economy that has stagnated. The Conservative leader Darren Millar, congratulating Plaid on a formidable result, warned that the honeymoon period would be short and the cold reality was waiting in the morning.
The first day also brought controversy. Labour's Huw Irranca-Davies was elected presiding officer—a largely ceremonial role that carries real symbolic weight. Conservative leader Millar objected sharply, saying the position should not be treated as a consolation prize for a party that had just been decisively rejected by voters. He said the arrangement stunk. Irranca-Davies responded that he would earn respect through his actions in the role. The dispute underscored the raw feelings in a chamber where the old order had been upended and the new one was still taking shape.
Reform's leader Dan Thomas congratulated ap Iorwerth and promised his party would hold the new government to account, representing what he called left-behind communities across Wales. He also signaled that the pro-union parties—Reform, Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats, which together held a majority of seats—would work to block any spending on an independence commission, a Plaid priority. The battle lines were drawn not just between government and opposition, but between those who saw Wales's future within the United Kingdom and those, like Plaid and the Greens, who wanted Wales to leave it. For now, though, ap Iorwerth has the votes to govern. What he does with them will define the next chapter of Welsh politics.
Citações Notáveis
After waiting 100 years for his party to lead government, a few more hours waiting for the royal warrant should not be too much of a problem— Rhun ap Iorwerth
The honeymoon period for you and your party is going to be short. The cold reality is waiting for you in the morning— Darren Millar, Welsh Conservative leader
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
What does it actually mean that Labour lost power after a hundred years? Is this a permanent shift or could they come back?
It means the entire political infrastructure of Wales has been reorganized in a single election. Labour built the Welsh state itself—they were there at the beginning. But voters decided they'd had enough. Whether it's permanent depends on whether Plaid can deliver on the things people care about: the NHS, jobs, education. If they fail, Labour could return. But they'd have to rebuild from nine seats, which is a very different position than the one they held.
Why did Reform do so well? They're a relatively new party in Wales.
Reform tapped into frustration with the established order. They positioned themselves as outsiders, as a voice for communities that felt left behind by 27 years of what they call managed decline. They won 34 seats, which is remarkable for a party that didn't exist in its current form a few years ago. They're now the largest opposition group, which gives them real leverage.
The presiding officer controversy—why does that matter so much?
Because it's about whether the old rules still apply. Labour lost the election badly, but they still got a ceremonial position that comes with status and a salary. Conservatives saw it as the political establishment protecting itself, as a cozy consensus that voters had just rejected. It's a symbol of whether anything has actually changed or whether the same people are just rearranging themselves.
What's the real pressure on ap Iorwerth right now?
The NHS waiting lists are catastrophic. The economy isn't growing. Schools need improvement. He has to show results quickly, because the opposition is watching and voters are skeptical. He also has to manage the fact that his party wants independence while he's saying he'll work constructively with Westminster. That's a tension that won't go away.
Does he have the experience to do this job?
He's a seasoned politician, but he's never run a government before. Neither have most of his cabinet members. That's both a strength—they're not tainted by the old system—and a risk. They'll make mistakes. The question is whether they can learn fast enough.