Rhun ap Iorwerth Seeks First Minister Role Following Senedd Victory
Rhun ap Iorwerth has expressed his hope to become Plaid Cymru's first ever first minister on Tuesday, following the party's success in the Senedd election.
Leading the largest group in Cardiff Bay with 43 seats, ap Iorwerth must secure a vote of approval from Senedd members to be appointed. Labour's interim Welsh leader, Ken Skates, has suggested that Labour is unlikely to oppose his nomination.
Ap Iorwerth told BBC Wales,
"Certainly Tuesday is what we would prefer"but added that any delay
"won't be much"and emphasized that Plaid Cymru was eager to
"hit the ground running".
Skates described the prospect of collaborating with Reform members to block ap Iorwerth as
"deeply unpleasant"for Labour Senedd members, but noted that a
"final decision"would be made on Monday.
Senedd Composition and Leadership Changes
The Welsh Parliament has expanded to 96 members, with Plaid Cymru holding 43 seats, Reform 34, Labour 9, Conservatives 7, the Green Party 2, and one Liberal Democrat.
Outgoing Labour First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat in the election and has announced her resignation as Welsh Labour leader.
Ap Iorwerth's Vision for Governance and Cross-Party Relations
Ap Iorwerth aims for Plaid Cymru to govern independently, without forming a coalition with other parties.
He expressed a desire for cross-party cooperation and support across the Senedd, stating that he had engaged with all other party leaders except Reform's Dan Thomas, who
"didn't feel like he wanted to speak with me as leader of Plaid Cymru".
The Reform party immediately denied this claim.
A Reform spokesperson said,
"We provided a number for the purpose of Rhun contacting Dan. We made a clear communication channel if they wanted to reach him, he hasn't. Rhun said Dan didn't want to speak to him. That's not true."
Labour's Reaction and Upcoming Vote
Skates characterized Labour's electoral defeat as
"a catastrophic defeat, no doubt about it", praising Morgan as a
"phenomenal leader"during
"difficult times".
He revealed that Labour Senedd members would convene on Monday to decide how to vote on ap Iorwerth's nomination for first minister.
Skates stated,
"We're going to meet tomorrow to make a final decision on this, but the idea of teaming up with Reform is deeply unpleasant for all of the members of my group."
The Labour group is expected to abstain from the vote.
Additional reporting by David Deans.
