The era of Welsh Labour dominance is officially over. Today, May 12, 2026, the Senedd chamber felt different. It wasn't just the new faces or the expanded 96-member seating plan. It was the shift in gravity. For the first time since 1999, someone who doesn't carry a Labour card is leading the nation. Rhun ap Iorwerth, the former BBC journalist turned Plaid Cymru leader, has been elected as the First Minister of Wales.
He didn't need a coalition to do it. He didn't even need a majority. Instead, he outmaneuvered a fractured opposition through a mix of tactical abstentions and a "breakthrough" deal with the Greens. While Reform UK’s Dan Thomas and the Tories’ Darren Millar put their names forward in symbolic bids, the arithmetic was always on Rhun’s side. With 44 votes in his favor—backed by his own 43 MSs and two Greens—he secured the top job while Labour’s nine remaining members sat on their hands.
The end of the one party state
You can’t overstate how big this is. For 27 years, the Welsh Government and the Labour Party were basically synonymous. That’s a generation of civil servants, lobbyists, and voters who have never known anything else. But last week’s election results were a demolition job. Baroness Eluned Morgan didn't just lose her grip on the government; she lost her seat entirely.
Rhun ap Iorwerth is stepping into a vacuum left by a party that simply ran out of road. He inherits a country with the longest NHS waiting lists in the UK and a public that is clearly exhausted by the status quo. His first speech as First Minister wasn't about the "Plaid project"—it was about service. He promised a government for everyone, whether you speak Welsh or not, whether you live in a tiny village on Anglesey or a terrace in Newport.
How the numbers stacked up
The vote itself was a masterclass in political reality. Here is how the chamber broke down during the nomination process
- Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru): 44 votes (Plaid + 2 Greens)
- Dan Thomas (Reform UK): 34 votes
- Darren Millar (Welsh Conservatives): 7 votes
- Abstentions: 10 (9 Labour + 1 Liberal Democrat)
Labour's decision to abstain under interim leader Ken Skates is telling. It’s a strategic retreat. They know they can’t win, so they’re letting Rhun take the steering wheel of a minority government, likely hoping he’ll struggle to pass a budget. But for today, that didn't matter. The sight of a Plaid Cymru leader walking out of the Senedd as First Minister is the kind of image people will talk about for decades.
A minority government with a major mandate
Don't expect a quiet start. Rhun has already ruled out a referendum on Welsh independence in this first term. That’s a smart, pragmatic move. He knows that to keep his 43 MSs effective, he has to fix the "bread and butter" issues first. He’s promising a "One Welsh Public Service" and a new Cabinet Office to streamline how Cardiff Bay actually functions.
The most interesting development today wasn't just Rhun’s election, but the appointment of Labour’s Huw Irranca-Davies as the new Llywydd (Presiding Officer). The Tories are already screaming about a "backroom deal," suggesting that Plaid and Labour have swapped the Speaker’s chair for the First Minister’s office. Whether that's true or just sour grapes, it shows that Rhun knows he has to play the game to get anything done in a minority setup.
What happens tomorrow
The honeymoon won't last long. By the end of the week, the new First Minister has to appoint a cabinet and start tackling the backlog in the Welsh NHS. He’s also pledged to reset the relationship with Westminster, demanding a new funding formula to replace the Barnett system.
If you’re waiting for the "usual" politics, you’re going to be disappointed. We are in uncharted waters. A minority government led by a party dedicated to independence, but focusing on public service reform, is a wild experiment. Rhun ap Iorwerth has the charm and the communication skills to sell it, but the Senedd floor is a brutal place. He’s the First Minister now. The excuses about "25 years of Labour" are gone. Now, it’s all on him.
Keep a close eye on the first "First Minister’s Questions" next week. That’s when the real battle begins. If you want to see how this new government plans to actually fund its promises, watch for the draft budget statement expected within the next month.
