Wales has entered a new political era after Rhun ap Iorwerth was formally elected as the country’s new First Minister following a vote in the Senedd this afternoon.
The Plaid Cymru leader secured 44 votes during a roll call of Members of the Senedd, ahead of Reform UK’s Dan Thomas on 34 votes, while Conservative leader Darren Millar received seven votes. There were also nine abstentions.
The result marks a historic moment for Welsh politics, with Rhun ap Iorwerth becoming the first non-Labour politician to hold the role of First Minister since devolution began in 1999.
The nomination process saw Zaynub Akbar nominate Rhun ap Iorwerth on behalf of Plaid Cymru, while Llyr Powellnominated Reform UK’s Dan Thomas. Conservative politician Andrew RT Davies nominated Darren Millar.
Following the vote, Rhun ap Iorwerth is expected to travel to Welsh Government headquarters in Cardiff to be formally sworn in by a High Court judge, a legal requirement before officially becoming the political head of the Welsh Government.
Attention will now quickly turn to the formation of his government, with ministerial appointments expected to be announced tomorrow during his first full day in office.
The appointment follows a seismic Senedd election which saw Plaid Cymru emerge as the largest party under Wales’ new proportional voting system, ending decades of Labour dominance in Welsh politics.
Earlier in the day, Plaid Cymru’s Kerry Ferguson was elected unopposed as the Senedd’s new Deputy Presiding Officer.
The former Aberystwyth mayor was nominated by fellow Plaid politicians Matthew Jones and Anthony Slaughter of the Greens. With no other nominations submitted and no objections raised in the chamber, she was confirmed in the role without a vote.
The developments continue what has already been described as one of the most significant political shifts in modern Welsh history, with the Senedd now entering a new chapter under Plaid Cymru leadership.
