Wales election 2026: Plaid Cymru leader backed by Greens to be first minister

Summary

Rhun ap Iorwerth urges the public to hold Plaid Cymru to account on his party's '100 days' plan
Ken Skates, the newly appointed Welsh Labour interim leader, says his party needs to be "forensic" in analysing the election defeat after First Minister Eluned Morgan was among those who lost her seat, prompting her to step down as Welsh Labour leader
Plaid Cymru is now the largest party in Wales, gaining 43 of the 96 seats, Reform came second with 34 seats, Labour have nine, the Conservatives won seven, the Greens picked up their first two and the Liberal Democrats have one
A vote is likely to take place on Tuesday to install party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth as first minister
Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter pledges his party's two votes to support ap Iorwerth, calling it a "no brainer"
Jane Dodds - the sole Liberal Democrat in the Senedd - will abstain on this vote, saying: "We don't support independence and Plaid don't have a majority"

Edited by Carys Betteley and Ben Frampton

Who is Rhun ap Iorwerth?published at 08:31 BST 10 May

Image source, Getty Images
Let's start with the name. Rhun ap Iorwerth literally means Rhun, son of Iorwerth - Iorwerth being a Welsh form of Edward.
He was born in Tonteg, near Pontypridd, in south-east Wales, but grew up in the north-west of the country.
He spent his earliest years in Meirionnydd before moving to the island of Anglesey at the age of five.
After studying in Cardiff, he spent two decades as a reporter and presenter with BBC Wales until 2013 when he left and won the Ynys Môn seat in the Senedd after a by-election.
He became the leader of Plaid after Adam Price resigned in May 2023, with supporters pointing to his "strong communication skills" as being central to his appeal.
Plaid will negotiate 'in a very different way'published at 08:26 BST 10 May

Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth tells Vaughan Roderick on BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement that his party will take negotiation to the UK government "in a very different way" to the previous Welsh governments.
He said he will "guide" the UK prime minister to start looking at Wales in a different way.
Reflecting on Labour's losses in the recent elections, he said the party could punish Wales for turning its back on Labour - or it can reflect.