#seneddelection2026 — Public Fediverse posts

SENEDD: Local Reform members split in childcare row — and Plaid’s flagship policy ‘could cost £710m’

Plaid Cymru’s flagship childcare policy is at the centre of the new Senedd’s first major row — one that has split Reform UK‘s local members down the middle and set the chamber’s two largest opposition parties at each other’s throats.

The universal offer — 20 hours of funded childcare a week, 48 weeks a year, for all children aged nine months to four — was the centrepiece of Plaid’s election campaign, and is billed by the Welsh Government as the most generous in the UK.

It was Reform’s own debate on the policy on Wednesday that lit the fuse — and the party’s Swansea Bay and Carmarthenshire members ended up on opposite sides.

Steven Rodaway, Reform Member for Gŵyr Abertawe, voted for the final, amended motion — while his party colleague in the same constituency, Francesca O’Brien, voted against.

The split was repeated in Sir Gaerfyrddin, where Carmelo Colasanto backed the amended motion while fellow Reform Members Gareth Beer and Sarah Edwards opposed it — and David Mills and Iain McIntosh, Reform Members for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, which takes in Pontardawe and the Swansea Valley, also voted in favour.

In all, 11 of Reform’s 34 Members backed the final motion, 21 voted against and one abstained.

The sequence matters. Reform’s original motion — demanding the Welsh Government publish full costings and an implementation timetable for the policy — was defeated by 39 votes to 52, with only the Welsh Conservatives in support.

An amendment from Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan then deleted Reform’s wording and replaced it — inserting a line noting that “Reform UK had no commitments on childcare in its Welsh manifesto”. It passed by 50 votes to 41 with Conservative support, and every Reform Member present, including the 11, voted against it.

It was the final vote — on the motion as amended, which by then also recognised the Welsh Government’s commitment to provide an update on the policy’s initial costings and phasing — that split the Reform group, passing by 61 votes to 29.

The Welsh Conservatives pounced. Sam Rowlands, the party’s shadow minister for education and families, said better childcare had been a key part of his party’s manifesto and that it would “vote with any party seeking to increase childcare provision”.

“What surprised everyone was that 11 Reform MSs voted with us and Plaid to attack their own party,” he said. “Either Reform MSs have no idea what they were doing or one third have decided to attack their own party. Either way it does not suggest that they are a party ready for Government.”

Reform hit back within hours — in a letter to Conservative leader Darren Millar from Llŷr Powell, the party’s Member for Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni, accusing the Conservatives of voting with Plaid Cymru to “delete” Reform’s motion demanding the costings.

Mr Powell turned Mr Rowlands’ own debate words back on him — “If a policy is genuinely affordable, then publishing those full costings should strengthen confidence in it, not weaken it” — and asked whether it was “now Welsh Conservative policy to give the Plaid Government a blank cheque on the implementation of all of their policies”.

The letter opened with a barb about Mr Millar’s absence — “I hope you’re well, given your absence from the Chamber yesterday” — and the voting record shows the Conservative leader did not vote in any of the four divisions.

Reform also escalated the costs argument — publishing a costing paper, produced under the party’s Reform Wales branding and described by its shadow finance minister Cai Parry-Jones as independent, claiming the childcare offer would cost between £388m and £710m a year at full rollout, with a central estimate of £587m and a cost across this Senedd term of nearly £1.4bn.

That is far above the figure of around £400m a year cited in the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ post-election briefing — a figure Reform’s paper claims does not appear in Plaid’s manifesto and “appears to have been supplied” to the IFS by the party. The IFS itself warned last month that finding £400m a year “would likely require cutbacks to other services or increases in taxation”.

The debate itself saw criticism of the government’s timetable from across the chamber — Welsh Labour’s Lynne Neagle said the Senedd had heard “warm words and vague timelines”, while Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds said it was “very perplexing” that Reform had brought the motion despite having made no childcare commitment in its own manifesto.

Plaid’s Sarah Rees went on the attack over Reform’s record on the issue, describing a claim made by one of the party’s candidates during the election campaign — that abuse in nurseries would rise under expanded childcare — as “misogyny and fearmongering, plain and simple”.

The minister delivering the policy is also a local voice — Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams, Plaid Member for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, representing the same constituency as two of the 11 Reform Members who backed the amended motion.

The day before the debate, she unveiled an Expert Steering Group to drive the rollout, with 12.5 hours of funded childcare for all two-year-olds delivered first — saying the offer would “help families with the cost of living” and “give all children the best start in life”.

Swansea Bay News asked Mr Rodaway and Mr Colasanto why they voted for the amended motion having opposed the amendment itself, and asked the Reform UK Senedd group whether the vote had been a free vote. No responses had been received by our deadline; any received will be added to this article.

Childcare was a prominent theme across nearly every party’s manifesto at May’s election — and with Plaid governing as a minority in a 96-seat chamber, Wednesday’s debate is unlikely to be the last time the arithmetic produces a result nobody quite intended.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SENEDD ELECTION 2026: The new political map of Wales
How May’s election transformed the region’s representation.

SIR GAERFYRDDIN: Reform UK and Plaid Cymru take three seats each as Welsh Labour wiped out
The election-night result that reshaped Carmarthenshire’s representation.

GŴYR ABERTAWE: What can Swansea expect from new Plaid Cymru MS Gwyn Williams?
Our profile of one of the constituency’s new Members.

AMMANFORD: County’s only nursery school to close — taking Carmarthenshire’s last full-time nursery places with it
The childcare provision story on the ground as the policy row plays out in Cardiff Bay.

SWANSEA: Everything you need to know as Morriston and Mumbles head to the polls next Thursday

Voters in two parts of Swansea go to the polls next Thursday, with council by-elections being held in both Morriston and Mumbles on the same day.

The two vacancies have very different causes — one following the death of a long-serving councillor, the other triggered by the Senedd election — and they are the city’s second and third by-elections in a matter of weeks, after the Liberal Democrats took Fairwood from the Conservatives last month in a contest that followed the death of former Lord Mayor Paxton Hood-Williams.

The Morriston by-election follows the death of long-serving councillor Robert Francis-Davies, who passed away in May after 43 years of service.

Known across the city as RFD, he was the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration, tourism and events at the time of his death — and over more than four decades was a prominent voice for Swansea’s sporting and cultural landmarks, credited with helping deliver the Swansea.com Stadium and the National Waterfront Museum.

Tributes following his death described him as a “true Swansea legend” — and this week a giant graffiti tribute bearing his initials appeared on the front wall of St Helen’s stadium, alongside the words “The Legacy Remains in Place”.

Among the six candidates hoping to succeed him is his daughter — Rebecca Francis-Davies, standing for Welsh Labour, the party her father represented throughout his time on the council — meaning Morriston voters will decide whether the seat stays in the family.

The full list of candidates, in ballot paper order:

• Graham Ashby — Reform UK
• Rebecca Elizabeth Francis-Davies — Welsh Labour
• Idin Ghotbi — Welsh Conservatives
• Hayden Lewis — Welsh Liberal Democrats
• Gareth Paul Schofield — Wales Green Party
• Ioan Marc Warlow — Plaid Cymru

The Mumbles by-election was triggered by the departure of Francesca O’Brien, who was elected to the Senedd for Gŵyr Abertawe at May’s election.

Ms O’Brien was first elected to the council as a Conservative before joining Reform UK in August last year — meaning Reform is defending a seat it has never won at a council ballot box.

Seven candidates are standing in Mumbles. In ballot paper order, they are:

• Emilie Cox — Reform UK
• Dorian Davies — Independent
• Jim Hehir — Welsh Liberal Democrats
• David William Lewis — Welsh Labour
• Tricia Sanderson — Plaid Cymru
• Hannah Williams — Welsh Conservatives
• Rich Williams — Wales Green Party

The statement of persons nominated records that Mr Davies, standing as an Independent, declared membership of Reform UK between May 2025 and May this year — meaning a former Reform member is on the ballot alongside the party’s official candidate.

The notice also records that Ms Sanderson, standing for Plaid Cymru, declared membership of Mebyon Kernow — the Cornish nationalist party — over the same period.

The Fairwood result showed how unpredictable these contests can be — and Thursday’s two polls are the latest test of where Swansea politics stands since the Senedd election saw Reform UK make an historic breakthrough across Wales, and since the campaign saw a public row erupt between the council’s Labour leader and Ms O’Brien.

Polling stations in both wards will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 18 June, with one councillor to be elected in each ward. Postal votes have already been issued.

Anyone wanting to check their polling station can do so via Swansea Council’s website.

Swansea Bay News will bring you the results from both counts.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

FAIRWOOD: Lib Dems take Swansea seat from Conservatives in by-election following death of former Lord Mayor
The surprise result in the city’s first by-election of the post-Senedd era.

SWANSEA: Cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies dies — tributes paid to ‘true Swansea legend’ after 43 years of service
The tributes that followed the Morriston councillor’s death in May.

ST HELEN’S: ‘The legacy remains in place’ — giant graffiti tribute to Swansea legend RFD appears on stadium wall
Our exclusive interview with the artist behind the tribute.

SENEDD ELECTION 2026: The new political map of Wales
How May’s election transformed the region’s representation.

HOW WALES VOTES: Swansea MS Mike Hedges says new Senedd election system “does not work” — and “any system is better than the one we used”

Mike Hedges, the Labour MS for Gŵyr Abertawe — the constituency covering Swansea and Gower — has called for an open public discussion on the way Wales elects its Senedd Members, saying the new voting system “does not work.”

The May 2026 election was the first held under Wales’s reformed electoral system, which expanded the Senedd from 60 to 96 Members and introduced a fully proportional model based on 16 constituencies, each electing six Members from closed party lists.

Hedges, who was re-elected in Gŵyr Abertawe, says the system failed on its own terms.

“The new system does not work — it was meant to be proportional but it was not,” he said. “The electorate generally did not understand it.”

His central concern is tactical voting. Hedges argues the election effectively became a two-party contest between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, and that this squeezed the vote going to everyone else.

“We did not have tactical voting — we had voters choosing between two parties, which depressed the votes of the other parties,” he said. “Those who thought they were voting tactically were actually not voting tactically. It did not work in five of the sixteen seats.”

He believes the effect was decisive in his own constituency, where he says fewer than 2,000 votes determined the final seat.

“Take 2,000 off one party and add it to another,” he said, expressing confidence in the figure. He argued that if Reform votes in the constituency had instead gone to the Conservatives, it would have produced a Conservative seat.

The criticism is notable coming from a Member elected under the very system he is attacking. Hedges took one of the six Gŵyr Abertawe seats, while Plaid Cymru took three and Reform UK two, as Labour‘s vote share across Wales fell to third behind both parties.

On the solution, Hedges is clear that change is needed — but stops short of backing the alternative favoured by the new Plaid Cymru government.

Asked whether he would support a move to the Single Transferable Vote — which Plaid committed in its 2026 manifesto to pursuing cross-party support for — he said he was open to reform but not to that particular model.

“We need an open discussion on the size of the Senedd and voting system,” he said. “I do not like STV, but any system is better than the one we used in the last election.”

It places him in unusual agreement with the Plaid government on the principle that the system should be reviewed, even as he rejects their preferred fix.

As a more immediate practical step, Hedges argues that better information would help voters navigate the system as it stands. “The most important thing next time is constituency polls,” he said — suggesting that seat-by-seat polling would give voters a clearer picture of the real contest in their area, rather than relying on national trends.

The new system was introduced through the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024, passed by the previous Labour Welsh Government. Supporters argued the closed-list proportional model would produce a chamber that more accurately reflected how people voted, and that the larger Senedd would improve scrutiny of Welsh laws.

Critics — now apparently including some within Labour’s own ranks — have questioned the closed-list element, which means voters choose a party rather than ranking individual candidates, and whether the public was given enough information to understand how it worked.

Whether Hedges’s call for a review gains traction may rest with the Plaid Cymru government, which has its own manifesto commitment to explore electoral reform — albeit by a different route to the one the Swansea MS would choose.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Mike Hedges warns Wales could face another election as Labour counts the cost of historic defeat
The Swansea MS reflects on Labour’s worst-ever Senedd result in the immediate aftermath of the May election.

Plaid Cymru largest party, Reform UK historic breakthrough, Welsh Labour reduced to nine seats: the new political map of Wales
How the first election under the new voting system reshaped the Senedd.

Plaid Cymru top the poll in Gŵyr Abertawe as Reform UK and Labour also take seats
The full Gŵyr Abertawe result, where Mike Hedges held on for Welsh Labour.

SENEDD: South-west Wales politicians take key roles as Rhun ap Iorwerth names his first Plaid Cymru Cabinet

Rhun ap Iorwerth has wasted no time in putting his stamp on the Welsh Government, naming a full Cabinet within hours of being confirmed as First Minister — and going with experience, with politicians from south-west Wales given some of its most significant roles.

The most senior appointment from the region is Sioned Williams, one of the six Members of the Senedd elected for the Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd constituency, who has been named Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Social Justice and Equality. Williams, who served as a Plaid Cymru MS in the sixth Senedd, becomes the second most powerful figure in the Welsh Government — a remarkable rise that places a familiar face from the region at the very top of Welsh politics.

Speaking after her appointment, she said she was “humbled” to have been named Deputy First Minister. “This Government for all is committed to turning promise into immediate action for the people of Wales,” she said, pledging to focus immediately on the childcare offer and tackling child poverty.

Adam Price, who was elected in Sir Gaerfyrddin after returning to the Senedd from third on Plaid’s list, has been handed the brief for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy. The former Plaid Cymru leader, who previously served as MP and then MS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr before stepping down as leader in 2023, returns to the frontline of Welsh politics with one of the most economically significant briefs in the Cabinet.

Cefin Campbell, who topped the poll in Sir Gaerfyrddin as Plaid’s lead candidate in Carmarthenshire, has been appointed Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education. A former MS who served in the sixth Senedd, Campbell is a well-known figure across the county — his brother Darrel, a teacher at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, was among those caught up in the knife attack at the school in April 2024, an incident that shocked communities across the region.

The three appointments reflect ap Iorwerth’s clear decision to go with experience for his first Cabinet. Williams, Price and Campbell all served in the previous Senedd, giving the new administration a significant bedrock of knowledge and political credibility from day one in government.

The full Cabinet also includes Elin Jones as Cabinet Minister for Finance — a significant appointment given the questions already raised about Welsh Government funding commitments under the new administration, including the 75% funding pledge for the new Ysgol Heol Goffa in Llanelli.

Heledd Fychan has been appointed Trefnydd — the Welsh Government’s equivalent of Leader of the House, responsible for managing the government’s legislative programme and business in the Senedd — alongside her role as Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport.

Other Cabinet appointments include Mabon ap Gwynfor for Health and Care, Anna Brychan for Education and the Welsh Language, and Siân Gwenllian for Local Government, Housing and Planning.

Ap Iorwerth said the Cabinet would have a “relentless focus on doing what’s best for Wales.” He added: “United and filled with talent and experience ready to serve, my government will believe in the art of the possible, working as one team every day to improve the lives of the people of Wales.”

Welsh Labour said it would play an active role in holding the new government to account. A spokesperson said: “We look forward to being an effective opposition, scrutinising and holding the new Welsh Government to account. We’re living in a world with much uncertainty and all governments face challenges. No one knows better than our party that it is a privilege to govern and that immense responsibility now rests on different shoulders.”

Dan Thomas MS, Leader of Reform Wales, offered a cautious welcome while stressing his party’s intention to scrutinise the government. “The people of Wales need this Cabinet to deliver,” he said. “Our NHS, our schools and our economy need urgent change, and while I may disagree with Plaid, we all need them to succeed.”

He added: “We will scrutinise their actions and work to ensure that their attention is on our public services and not Welsh independence.”

With Cabinet now in place, Wales’ first Plaid Cymru government is formally up and running — just 24 hours after ap Iorwerth was confirmed as First Minister in the Senedd on Tuesday, ending 27 years of Labour leadership of the Welsh Government.

More on the new Welsh Government

Rhun ap Iorwerth confirmed as First Minister as Plaid Cymru makes history
How Wales’s first Plaid Cymru First Minister was confirmed in the Senedd.

Sir Gaerfyrddin: Reform and Plaid take three seats each as Labour wiped out
The Carmarthenshire result that returned Adam Price and Cefin Campbell to Cardiff Bay.

Mike Hedges warns Wales could face another election next year
The challenges facing the new minority government from day one.

Plaid Cymru largest party, Reform UK historic breakthrough — the new political map of Wales
The full story of the election that changed Welsh politics forever.

SENEDD: Rhun ap Iorwerth confirmed as First Minister as Plaid Cymru makes history after 27 years of Labour rule

Rhun ap Iorwerth has been confirmed as First Minister of Wales, ending 27 years of Labour leadership of the Welsh Government and making history as the first Plaid Cymru politician to hold the office.

The confirmation came following a vote in the first plenary session of the seventh Senedd, days after Plaid Cymru’s historic election victory last week saw the party win 43 of the 96 seats in the Senedd.

Forty-four Members of the Senedd voted to nominate ap Iorwerth as First Minister — 43 Plaid members plus the support of Wales’ two newly-elected Green MSs, who announced on Sunday they would back the Plaid leader. Reform UK’s Dan Thomas received 34 votes and Conservative leader Darren Millar seven.

Labour’s nine MSs abstained from the vote, as did the sole Liberal Democrat MS Jane Dodds — a decision that effectively settled the arithmetic in the chamber. With no other candidate able to attract more votes than all other candidates combined, ap Iorwerth’s path to the top job was secure.

In his first speech as First Minister, ap Iorwerth told the Senedd: “It is the greatest privilege of my life to be elected first minister in a nation that means so much to me. I’m eager to repay the trust that the people in Wales have placed in us and to achieve the change that people have stated so clearly they wish to see.”

He will lead a minority government, having confirmed last week that he would seek to govern without a formal coalition. With 43 seats, Plaid falls short of the 49 needed for a majority in the 96-seat chamber, meaning ap Iorwerth will need to build support from other parties on a vote-by-vote basis.

The session also confirmed Labour’s Huw Irranca-Davies as the new Presiding Officer — known in Welsh as the Llywydd — with Plaid’s Kerry Ferguson elected as his deputy. The Llywydd chairs Senedd proceedings and is required to remain politically impartial. The previous holder of the role, Plaid Cymru’s Elin Jones, stepped down at this election.

The political landscape ap Iorwerth inherits is dramatically different to any previous Welsh Government. Reform UK came second in the election with 34 seats, Labour were reduced to just nine, the Conservatives won seven, the Greens picked up their first ever two Senedd seats and the Liberal Democrats hold one.

Born in south Wales, ap Iorwerth, 53, grew up on Anglesey and was educated at Ysgol David Hughes before studying politics and Welsh at Cardiff University. A former BBC journalist and married father of three, he entered politics in 2013 when he won a by-election in Ynys Môn.

He took over the leadership of Plaid Cymru in 2023 during a difficult period for the party, after his predecessor Adam Price resigned in the wake of a report finding there was a culture of sexual harassment, bullying and misogyny within the organisation.

Since taking over, he has steadily rebuilt the party’s fortunes — culminating in last week’s historic result. The scale of the victory exceeded most expectations, with Plaid emerging as comfortably the largest party in the Senedd for the first time.

Ap Iorwerth is a supporter of Welsh independence, and has previously said his party would use time in government to make the case for an independent Wales. However he has ruled out holding a referendum during this first term in office.

Welsh Labour’s Mike Hedges has already warned that the new Plaid minority government could face a fresh election as early as next year if it fails to pass its first budget — a significant test for the new administration in its earliest months.

Ken Skates was appointed as interim Welsh Labour leader following the resignation of Eluned Morgan, who lost her seat in the election. Labour now faces a lengthy period of reflection and rebuilding as the official opposition — with just nine seats in a 96-member chamber.

For Wales, the significance of the moment extends beyond party politics. This is the first time since the creation of the Senedd in 1999 that the Welsh Government has not been led by Labour — a shift that marks a fundamental change in the political landscape of the nation.

SENEDD: Paul Davies bids to become next Llywydd – as Welsh Conservatives reflect on Sam Kurtz losing his seat

Veteran Welsh Conservative MS Paul Davies has formally launched a bid to become the next Llywydd of the Senedd – putting himself forward to chair the seventh Welsh Parliament after one of the most dramatic election results in devolved history.

Davies, who was re-elected for Ceredigion Penfro last week, confirmed his intention to run in a statement issued on Sunday – saying he had been urged to stand by colleagues and believed he had the experience to take on one of the most senior roles in Welsh politics.

The Llywydd – the Welsh equivalent of the Speaker – chairs debates in the Senedd chamber, maintains order during proceedings and ensures parliamentary rules are followed. The role is elected by Members of the Senedd in a secret ballot at the start of each new term.

It is one of the very first decisions the new 96-seat Senedd will make when it sits for the first time in the coming weeks.

“There has been much speculation since the election about who will take on the role of the next Llywydd in the Senedd,” Davies said. “I want to make it clear that, after consultation with colleagues and having been urged to do so by others, I will be putting my name forward to be the next Presiding Officer.”

The former Welsh Conservative leader said he believed his record in the Senedd qualified him for the role.

“I have the experience to champion the Welsh Parliament and have a clear understanding of its Standing Orders and procedures,” he said. “As the Temporary Presiding Officer in the previous Senedd, and as a former Committee Chair and Business Manager in the Welsh Parliament, I have the necessary skills to take on this important role.”

Davies has been a Member of the Senedd since 2007. He served as leader of the Welsh Conservatives from 2018 to 2021 – briefly succeeding Andrew RT Davies in the role before stepping down following an issue over compliance with Covid-19 regulations. Andrew RT Davies later returned as leader.

Paul Davies was elected in Ceredigion Penfro last week as the Welsh Conservatives’ lead candidate in the constituency – one of seven Welsh Tory MSs returned to the new Senedd.

His bid comes alongside reported interest in the Llywydd role from Welsh Labour’s Huw Irranca-Davies, the Deputy First Minister, who was re-elected for Afan Ogwr Rhondda.

A vote on the new Llywydd is expected to take place before the Senedd can move to elect a new First Minister – a process that will see Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth widely expected to be installed in the role at the head of a minority government.

Davies’ announcement comes against the backdrop of disappointment in west Wales Conservative circles after his colleague Sam Kurtz was not returned to the Senedd.

Kurtz – the former Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MS – had been placed second on the Welsh Conservative list in Ceredigion Penfro behind Davies. That ranking ultimately cost Kurtz his seat, with the Conservatives taking only one of the six available in the constituency.

The decision to place Kurtz second was reportedly controversial within the local party, with supporters in Pembrokeshire arguing he had built a stronger personal following in the county and had been one of the Welsh Conservatives’ most visible campaigners in west Wales.

The situation echoes that of Welsh Labour’s Rob Stewart in neighbouring Gwyr Abertawe. The Swansea Council leader was placed second on the Welsh Labour list behind veteran MS Mike Hedges – and similarly missed out on a Senedd seat as Welsh Labour’s vote collapsed in the city.

The new D’Hondt voting system used for the first time at last week’s election means second-placed candidates are heavily reliant on their party’s overall vote share – and have struggled to be elected where that vote share has dropped sharply.

Calls have been made within Welsh Labour for Hedges to resign mid-term to allow Stewart to take his seat – a suggestion publicly rejected by Stewart himself, who said the democratic vote must be respected and has given Hedges his “full support.”

There is no indication that any similar suggestion has been made regarding Paul Davies and Sam Kurtz in Ceredigion Penfro.

Davies said he was saddened that Kurtz had not been returned to the Senedd, describing him as a hard-working colleague who had given strong service to Pembrokeshire and west Wales.

According to reporting in The Pembrokeshire Herald, Kurtz was tight-lipped about his political future when asked at the count declaration, even suggesting he might return to journalism, his pre-political career.

His loss is being viewed as one of the most significant individual Conservative casualties of the new electoral system – particularly given his profile on rural affairs, farming and tourism.

The Welsh Conservatives ended the 2026 Senedd election with seven seats – significantly down on the 16 they held in the previous Senedd. The party’s leader Darren Millar was re-elected in Clwyd, current leader Andrew RT Davies held his seat in Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg, and Paul Davies returned via Ceredigion Penfro.

Other Welsh Tory MSs returned included Janet Finch-Saunders in Bangor Conwy Mon, Peter Fox in Sir Fynwy Torfaen, Natasha Asghar in Casnewydd Islwyn and Sam Rowlands in Fflint Wrecsam.

Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party in the new Senedd with 43 seats, six short of the 49 needed for an overall majority. Reform UK secured a historic 34 seats, Welsh Labour was reduced to nine, the Wales Green Party took two and the Welsh Liberal Democrats secured a single seat – that of leader Jane Dodds in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd.

The new Senedd is expected to sit for the first time in the coming weeks, with the election of a new Llywydd among the first orders of business.

Our Senedd Election 2026 coverage

Mike Hedges should quit Senedd seat for Rob Stewart, senior Welsh Labour figure says
The anonymous intervention that branded Welsh Labour ‘functionally broken’ and called for two MSs to make way for new talent.

‘Respect the democratic vote’: Rob Stewart backs Mike Hedges
Swansea Council leader’s public statement of support after he was named as the potential beneficiary of any mid-term resignation.

Rhun ap Iorwerth to lead Plaid minority government
What happens next as Plaid prepares to take power.

First Minister Eluned Morgan loses seat and resigns as Welsh Labour leader
The historic moment Wales’ First Minister became the first leader of any UK government to lose her seat while in office.

Plaid Cymru largest party, Reform UK historic breakthrough — the new political map of Wales
Full results and analysis from the night that changed Welsh politics.

‘Respect the democratic vote’: Rob Stewart backs Mike Hedges after anonymous Welsh Labour call for him to quit Senedd seat

Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart has publicly thrown his weight behind Mike Hedges – declaring his “full support” for the city’s only Welsh Labour MS and insisting voters’ democratic verdict at the ballot box must be respected.

The intervention comes less than 24 hours after Swansea Bay News reported that a senior Welsh Labour figure had urged Hedges to resign mid-term to make way for Stewart – meaning the Council leader could enter the Senedd without facing the electorate again.

Stewart – who was Welsh Labour’s second-placed candidate on the Gwyr Abertawe list and was not elected last week – publicly rejected that route in a statement posted to his Facebook account on Sunday afternoon.

“Let me be clear,” Stewart said. “As a democratic nation we should all respect the democratic vote and decision of the public.”

The Council leader said Hedges had been rightly elected at the top of the Welsh Labour list and had his backing.

“Each party ranks its candidates in the new list system and Mike was top of our list and was rightly elected,” Stewart said. “He has my full support.”

Stewart also pointedly underlined how the new D’Hondt voting system works – and the fact that any seat replacement would happen without a public vote.

“Under the new system any candidate stepping down is replaced by someone from the same party – the next on their list,” he said. “There are no by-elections in this system.”

The Council leader explained the reasoning behind that mechanic, saying voters had been asked to back a party rather than an individual.

“This is because it’s a PR system,” he said. “And in that system the voters are asked to vote for a party – not a person.”

The statement marks the most significant public intervention so far from any Welsh Labour figure in Swansea on the question of mid-term resignations – and effectively shuts down the suggestion that Stewart would accept a back-door route into the Senedd.

It comes after Swansea Bay News reported on Saturday that a senior Welsh Labour figure – speaking anonymously to Welsh political journalist Will Hayward – had urged Hedges and fellow long-serving Welsh Labour MS Lynne Neagle to resign mid-term to allow second-placed candidates on Welsh Labour’s lists to take their seats.

The same source had branded Welsh Labour “functionally broken” and called for a total overhaul of the party – accusing it of a decade-long failure to confront its own decline.

Stewart’s statement neither names the anonymous source nor responds directly to the wider criticisms levelled at the party – instead focusing on the specific question of Hedges’ position and the legitimacy of the democratic process.

The Council leader’s full backing of Hedges is significant. As the second-placed candidate on the Welsh Labour list, Stewart would be the direct beneficiary of any Hedges resignation – and his public rejection of that route effectively rules out one of the scenarios floated by the anonymous Welsh Labour source.

Hedges himself has not commented publicly on the anonymous call for him to step down.

The Welsh Labour party has not formally responded to either intervention.

Welsh Labour was reduced to just nine seats at last week’s Senedd election, down from 30 in the previous Senedd, with the party wiped out entirely in six constituencies. Mike Hedges is the only Welsh Labour Member of the Senedd for Swansea.

Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party with 43 seats, with Reform UK securing a historic 34 seats. Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth is expected to lead a minority government as Wales’ next First Minister.

Stewart – who has been Council leader since 2017 – will remain in his role at Swansea Council, where Welsh Labour holds an overall majority and is expected to face the city’s voters at the council elections next year.

Our Senedd Election 2026 coverage

Mike Hedges should quit Senedd seat for Rob Stewart, senior Welsh Labour figure says
The anonymous intervention that branded Welsh Labour ‘functionally broken’ and called for two MSs to make way for new talent.

Mike Hedges warns Wales could face another election next year
The newly re-elected Swansea Labour MS on the prospect of an early Senedd election if Plaid’s first budget falls.

Gwyr Abertawe: Plaid top the poll as Reform UK and Labour also take seats
How Swansea voted – and how Mike Hedges held on as the city’s only Welsh Labour MS.

Rhun ap Iorwerth to lead Plaid minority government
What happens next as Plaid prepares to take power.

Ken Skates appointed interim Welsh Labour leader
Welsh Labour picks up the pieces after being reduced to nine seats.

SWANSEA: Mike Hedges should quit Senedd seat for Rob Stewart, senior Welsh Labour figure says in scathing attack on ‘functionally broken’ party

Newly re-elected Swansea Member of the Senedd Mike Hedges should resign mid-term to make way for new talent – and his replacement could be Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart, walking into the Senedd without facing voters again.

That is the explosive demand from a senior Welsh Labour figure who has launched a scathing attack on the party’s record – declaring Welsh Labour “functionally broken” and accusing it of a decade-long failure to confront its own decline.

The intervention – first reported by Welsh political journalist Will Hayward – comes less than 48 hours after Hedges held on as the only Welsh Labour MS for Swansea following the party’s catastrophic election defeat.

The senior Welsh Labour source, who is not named, said it was “perhaps too much to hope” that Hedges and fellow long-serving Welsh Labour MS Lynne Neagle would realise they should resign mid-term to let “talented, second-place candidates” take their seats.

That second-place candidate in Swansea is Rob Stewart – meaning the leader of Swansea Council could enter Wales’ parliament without facing the electorate again, if Hedges were to step aside.

Under the new D’Hondt voting system used at this week’s election, when a sitting MS resigns mid-term their seat passes to the next eligible candidate on their party’s list – rather than triggering a by-election.

Stewart was not elected at this week’s election. Plaid Cymru topped the poll in Gwyr Abertawe with three seats, Reform UK took two, and Hedges held on as Welsh Labour’s number one candidate. Stewart, sitting in second place on the list, missed out as Welsh Labour’s vote collapsed across the city.

The senior figure’s broader assessment of the party was devastating.

Welsh Labour, the source said, “requires a total overhaul; it is functionally broken and will not be fixed overnight.”

The defeat had been “a decade in the making” – they argued – claiming Welsh Labour had repeatedly avoided an honest reckoning with its record in government and instead chosen “to paper over the cracks.”

The source took aim at Welsh Labour’s recent campaign messaging, dismissing slogans such as “partnership in power” and “two governments working together” as vapid – and arguing the party had abandoned its mantle as the party that would stand up for Wales.

Blame for the result, they said, lay across the party – with MSs who failed to step up in the Senedd, with MPs who spent years chasing Reform UK voters and with party factions and unions who had “treated leadership contests as personality contests” or “extensions of Westminster paranoia.”

The source argued that rushing into a permanent leadership contest would be a mistake – calling instead for potential candidates to be required to listen to voters first and present a concrete plan for the future.

The intervention also called for Welsh Labour to scrap the deputy leader role entirely, or fundamentally redefine it.

And in a striking line, the source warned others not to scapegoat party staff for the defeat. “Watch out for those who pin defeat mostly on the staff,” they said – “and then ask what their voter contact rate was.”

The intervention is the latest sign of significant internal turmoil within Welsh Labour following the historic election result, in which the party was reduced from 30 seats in the previous Senedd to just nine.

It comes only hours after Welsh Labour’s new interim leader Ken Skates – elected unanimously by the new Welsh Labour group on Saturday morning – acknowledged the scale of the defeat and admitted the party “got it wrong.”

Welsh Labour has not formally responded to the comments. Mike Hedges has not commented publicly on the suggestion that he should resign mid-term, and Rob Stewart has not commented on whether he would take a Senedd seat through such a route.

The new 96-seat Senedd will sit for the first time in the coming weeks, with Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth set to lead a minority government following his party’s election as the largest in the chamber with 43 seats.

Reform UK secured a historic 34 seats and Welsh Labour just nine, with the Welsh Conservatives on seven, the Wales Green Party on two and the Welsh Liberal Democrats on one.

Swansea Bay News will continue to cover developments as the new Welsh Labour leadership contest takes shape and the new Welsh Government is formed.

Our Senedd Election 2026 coverage

Mike Hedges warns Wales could face another election next year
The newly re-elected Swansea Labour MS on the prospect of an early Senedd election if Plaid’s first budget falls.

Gwyr Abertawe: Plaid top the poll as Reform UK and Labour also take seats
How Swansea voted – and how Mike Hedges held on as the city’s only Welsh Labour MS.

Rhun ap Iorwerth to lead Plaid minority government after historic victory ends 27 years of Labour rule
What happens next as Plaid prepares to take power.

Ken Skates appointed interim Welsh Labour leader after historic Senedd defeat
Welsh Labour picks up the pieces after being reduced to nine seats.

First Minister Eluned Morgan loses seat and resigns as Welsh Labour leader
The historic moment Wales’ First Minister became the first leader of any UK government to lose her seat while in office.

SENEDD ELECTION: Mike Hedges warns Wales could face another election next year as Labour count the cost of historic defeat

Mike Hedges has warned that Wales could face another Senedd election within a year, as Labour Members of the Senedd began to count the cost of their historic defeat.

The veteran MS, who held on in the new Gwyr Abertawe constituency, said that if Plaid Cymru formed a minority government and their budget fell, an election could follow — just as Labour’s budgets had faced repeated challenges from Plaid in the outgoing Senedd.

“Let’s assume that Plaid form a government — when they bring their budget forward, well, the other parties will have the same chance to do to Plaid what Plaid have done to Labour consistently over the budget,” he told reporter Will Hayward at the count. “So if the budget falls, we might have an election.”

Rhun ap Iorwerth confirmed on Saturday that he will lead a Plaid minority government, working with other parties on a case-by-case basis rather than seeking a formal coalition. Plaid won 43 seats — six short of the 49 needed for a majority — with Labour reduced to just nine seats after a catastrophic night for the party.

Speaking with what he described as “disappointment,” Hedges said the scale of the Labour collapse had shocked him, revealing that one box he had expected to win over half the votes in had seen his party come third.

He said he had been canvassing on the doorstep until the day before the election and had been told by one voter — who he said had backed him for 30 years — that the man had not voted for him this time. “He apologised for it, but I can’t count apologies in the votes,” Hedges said.

Hedges was critical of the new large constituency system introduced for the expanded Senedd, saying that if he had been running Labour’s campaign he would “not have had this system” as a starting point.

He also called for legislation — originally championed by former Plaid leader Adam Price — to prevent politicians lying at election time, suggesting it would have changed the nature of the campaign. “If we’d got that through, we’d have had a different dialogue,” he said.

First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat and resigned as Welsh Labour leader on election night, with Ken Skates confirmed as interim leader on Saturday afternoon as the party began to assess its position. The defeat brought 27 years of Labour rule in Wales to an end.

On the prospect of working with the other parties in the new Senedd, Hedges was blunt, saying he had “great difficulty” working with either Plaid Cymru or Reform UK. He said Plaid’s independence agenda would cost Wales between £12 billion and £16 billion a year — roughly equivalent to the health budget — while Reform “want to turn us into West England.”

“But we’re going to all have to work together for the benefit of the people of Wales,” he added.

Senedd Election 2026 — our coverage

Rhun ap Iorwerth to lead Plaid minority government after historic victory ends 27 years of Labour rule
What happens next as Plaid prepares to take power.

Plaid Cymru largest party, Reform UK make historic breakthrough — the new political map of Wales
Full results and analysis from the night that changed Welsh politics.

Ken Skates appointed interim Welsh Labour leader after historic Senedd defeat
Labour picks up the pieces after being reduced to nine seats.

First Minister Eluned Morgan loses seat and resigns as Welsh Labour leader
A dramatic end to Labour’s era in government.

Gwyr Abertawe: Plaid top the poll as Reform UK and Labour also take seats
How Swansea voted — and how Mike Hedges held on.

SENEDD ELECTION: Rhun ap Iorwerth to lead Plaid minority government after historic victory ends 27 years of Labour rule

Rhun ap Iorwerth will lead a minority Plaid Cymru government after the party’s historic victory in the Senedd election brought 27 years of Labour rule to an end.

Plaid won 43 seats in the expanded Senedd — six short of the 49 needed for a majority — with Labour reduced to just nine seats after a catastrophic night for the party.

Speaking outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay, ap Iorwerth confirmed he would not seek a formal coalition, instead working with other parties on a case-by-case basis to pass legislation and budgets, saying he had spoken with other party leaders and would focus on building stability.

He told reporters he had always believed cooperation would be necessary to “make a reliable difference to the people of Wales,” adding that Plaid would seek what was right for Wales and act with “determination, ambition, and humility.”

“Plaid Cymru is ready to form the next government of Wales,” he told jubilant supporters gathered on the Senedd steps. “We are here as representatives of all of Wales — every community from Môn to Monmouth, from Flint to Tenby, from rural Powys to our bustling cities.”

While a minority government is a first for Plaid, it is not without precedent in Cardiff Bay — Labour itself never won more than half the seats at any Senedd election during its 27 years in power, and regularly governed without a majority.

The party hopes to hold a vote to formally install ap Iorwerth as First Minister on Tuesday, though the process is not entirely straightforward. Before that vote can take place, the Senedd must hold a secret ballot to elect a new presiding officer to replace Elin Jones, who held the post for the outgoing Labour administration.

No formal list of candidates for presiding officer has been confirmed, though Labour’s Huw Irranca-Davies and the Conservatives’ Paul Davies have been among those discussed.

Ken Skates, Member of the Senedd for Fflint Wrecsam, was confirmed on Saturday afternoon as interim leader of Welsh Labour as the party begins to assess its position following its dramatic collapse at the polls. First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat and resigned as Welsh Labour leader on election night.

Ap Iorwerth described the election result as “a momentous piece of Welsh history,” telling the gathered crowd it had been built on a century of belief in Wales’s future. “Throughout our nation people have put their faith in Plaid Cymru in numbers never seen before,” he said.

He said the scale of the victory would change Wales’s relationship with Westminster, adding that no UK Prime Minister would now be able to ignore Wales’s needs. “No UK government, no UK minister, now or in the future, can cast Wales aside or turn a blind eye to our needs and our aspirations as a nation,” he said.

Jubilant scenes greeted ap Iorwerth and the new Plaid Senedd members as they arrived on the Senedd steps to cheers and whistles from hundreds of supporters waving red dragon and Owain Glyndŵr flags — scenes one reporter described as more reminiscent of a returning sports team than a political party.

Among those to greet him was former Plaid leader Leanne Wood, whom he stopped to embrace before addressing the crowd.

He ended his speech by inviting all parties to join Plaid in “an alliance” to pursue the mission on behalf of Wales, pledging the new government would bring “the competence that is needed, the compassion that is needed, the hope that is needed.”

“We will do everything we can to repay the faith that people have put in us,” he said. “We will build this nation every single day.”

Senedd Election 2026 — our coverage

Plaid Cymru largest party, Reform UK make historic breakthrough — the new political map of Wales
Full results and analysis from the night that changed Welsh politics.

Ken Skates appointed interim Welsh Labour leader after historic Senedd defeat
Labour picks up the pieces after being reduced to nine seats.

First Minister Eluned Morgan loses seat and resigns as Welsh Labour leader
A dramatic end to Labour’s era in government.

Gŵyr/Abertawe: Plaid top the poll as Reform UK and Labour also take seats
How Swansea voted in the Senedd election.

Brycheiniog, Tawe a Nedd: Reform UK tops the poll as Lib Dems hold and Labour wiped out
Results from the constituency covering the Swansea valleys.

Sir Gaerfyrddin: Reform UK and Plaid take three seats each as Adam Price returns
Labour wiped out in Carmarthenshire as Plaid and Reform dominate.

SENEDD ELECTION 2026: Plaid Cymru largest party, Reform UK historic breakthrough, Welsh Labour reduced to nine seats — the new political map of Wales

Wales has woken up to a new political landscape this evening – one in which Plaid Cymru has emerged as the largest party in the Senedd, Reform UK has secured a historic breakthrough, and Welsh Labour has been reduced to nine seats after more than a quarter of a century in power.

The Senedd Election 2026 – the first to be held under the new D’Hondt voting system and with an expanded 96-seat parliament – has reshaped Welsh politics in ways that almost nobody predicted even a year ago.

The final picture, with all 16 constituencies declared, sees Plaid Cymru take 43 seats, Reform UK 34, Welsh Labour 9, the Welsh Conservatives 7, the Greens 2 and the Welsh Liberal Democrats 1.

The most striking individual story of the day was the defeat of First Minister Eluned Morgan in her Ceredigion Penfro constituency – a result that immediately triggered her resignation as Welsh Labour leader.

Morgan became the first ever serving Welsh First Minister to lose her seat at an election, and the first leader of any government in the United Kingdom to lose her seat while in office.

“I take responsibility for the Labour result in Wales,” she told the count from the stage at Ceredigion Penfro. “The age of two-party dominance is dead.”

Wales now faces an immediate Welsh Labour leadership contest and the prospect of a new First Minister – with Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, who held his Bangor Conwy Mon seat with ease, the most likely candidate to lead the next Welsh Government.

“It has become clear that Wales has demanded that change of leadership,” ap Iorwerth said after his re-election. “Plaid Cymru is ready to serve.”

The election produced a record turnout for a Senedd election – 51.65% across Wales, the first time the 50% benchmark has ever been broken at a Welsh parliamentary election.

That turnout had been forecast as a positive indicator for Reform UK, which had focused much of its campaign on mobilising voters who had not traditionally turned out at Welsh elections.

The forecast proved correct. Reform UK topped the poll in four constituencies – Casnewydd Islwyn, Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, Sir Fynwy Torfaen and Clwyd – and won three seats in three more.

Welsh leader Dan Thomas, who became an MS himself after winning a seat in Casnewydd Islwyn, called Reform “the people’s army” of Welsh politics.

“In just five years, Reform has gone from winning 1% of the vote in the Senedd elections to being the main contender for government, smashing Labour in the process,” Thomas said.

For Plaid Cymru, the election represents a remarkable consolidation of support. The party topped the poll in 11 of the 16 constituencies and took three seats in nine of them – including a clean sweep of four seats in Gwynedd Maldwyn.

Among those returning to the Senedd for Plaid is former leader Adam Price, who was elected in Sir Gaerfyrddin from third place on his party’s list – itself a sign of how strongly Plaid performed in the constituency.

The constituency-by-constituency breakdown shows just how starkly the political map of Wales has been redrawn.

For Welsh Labour, the result is bleak. The party has been wiped out entirely in six constituencies – Sir Gaerfyrddin, Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni, Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, Ceredigion Penfro, Clwyd and Gwynedd Maldwyn – and reduced to a single seat in most others.

Welsh Labour’s nine surviving Members of the Senedd are dominated by senior figures. Cabinet members Huw Irranca-Davies (Deputy First Minister), Sarah Murphy (Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing), Lynne Neagle and Ken Skates (Transport) all held their seats. Mike Hedges was returned in Gwyr Abertawe and Jayne Bryant in Casnewydd Islwyn.

The defeat of First Minister Eluned Morgan, however, is the headline loss – and brings to an end a century-long run of Welsh Labour electoral dominance dating back to 1922.

Welsh Labour’s collapse was particularly stark across south-west Wales. The party was wiped out entirely in Sir Gaerfyrddin and Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, reduced to one seat in Gwyr Abertawe and Afan Ogwr Rhondda, and lost its First Minister in neighbouring Ceredigion Penfro.

Speaking after Mike Hedges’ re-election as the only Welsh Labour MS for Swansea, Council leader Rob Stewart – who was Labour’s number two on the Gwyr Abertawe list and was not elected – acknowledged the difficulty of the result.

“Obviously, this is not the result we worked for,” Stewart said. “Nationally, it has been a really difficult night for Welsh Labour and UK Labour.”

Stewart said the threat of Reform UK had loomed over the campaign. “Clearly the threat of Reform has been at the forefront of many voters’ minds, and we heard on the door that when people could not give us their vote this time, they didn’t want to go to Reform and have clearly opted for Plaid Cymru,” he said.

The Welsh Conservatives have ended the day with seven seats – a smaller party than at the last Senedd, but with three of their leaders past and present returned. Andrew RT Davies, the former Welsh Conservative leader, was re-elected in Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg. Current leader Darren Millar held his seat in Clwyd. And former Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Paul Davies returned to the Senedd via Ceredigion Penfro.

Conservative Senedd colleague Samuel Kurtz failed to be re-elected.

The Greens secured two seats in Wales for the first time – both in Cardiff. Anthony Slaughter, the party’s Welsh leader, took his seat in Caerdydd Penarth and called it a “historic breakthrough” for the Greens in Wales.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats secured a single seat – that of leader Jane Dodds, who held on in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd. The party had hoped for a stronger result but its presence in the Senedd is preserved.

What now follows is coalition politics on a scale Wales has not seen since devolution began.

With 49 seats needed for an overall majority, Plaid Cymru is eight short of governing alone. Polling expert Sir John Curtice had projected the party would win between 41 and 46 seats – the final figure of 41 sits at the lower end of that projection.

The arithmetic of the new Senedd makes a Plaid Cymru-led coalition almost certain – but the question is who Plaid will choose to govern with.

A formal coalition with Welsh Labour would deliver a stable majority of 50 seats – though the politics of bringing the heavily defeated party of government into a new coalition would be difficult.

A confidence-and-supply arrangement with the Welsh Lib Dems and Greens would still leave Plaid three seats short of a majority, requiring further support from other parties.

A coalition with Reform UK would command a vast majority of 75 seats – but is politically inconceivable, with Reform’s positions on devolution and Welsh public services fundamentally at odds with Plaid’s.

The most likely outcome, observers suggest, is a Plaid-led minority government supported on a confidence-and-supply basis by smaller parties – or a formal coalition with Welsh Labour rebuilding from the wreckage of today’s result.

Either way, the next First Minister of Wales is very likely to be Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth – a fundamental shift in Welsh political leadership for the first time since devolution began in 1999.

The election also marks Wales’ political landscape becoming significantly more fragmented. The new Senedd has six different parties represented – up from four after the 2021 election – reflecting both the new electoral system and the political reorientation that has taken place.

Welsh political expert Professor Laura McAllister told BBC Wales that Eluned Morgan had been dealt an impossible hand. “The odds were stacked so hard against her, she didn’t get an ounce of help from her UK party, or the Prime Minister,” she said.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to Morgan in a statement issued shortly after her defeat, calling her “a formidable First Minister and tireless champion for Wales” – though earlier in the day senior Welsh Labour figures had called for him to consider his own position over the scale of the party’s Welsh defeat.

The new Senedd will sit for the first time in the coming weeks, when its 96 Members of the Senedd will be sworn in and the process of forming the next Welsh Government will formally begin.

For now, however, the picture is clear. Wales has rejected its long-time governing party, embraced a populist insurgency, and elevated a nationalist alternative to the largest party in its parliament for the first time in history.

The age of two-party dominance, as Eluned Morgan said in her resignation speech, is dead. What replaces it begins now.

Our Senedd Election 2026 coverage

First Minister Eluned Morgan loses seat and resigns as Welsh Labour leader
The historic moment Wales’ First Minister became the first leader of any UK government to lose her seat while in office.

Sir Gaerfyrddin: Reform UK and Plaid Cymru take three seats each as Welsh Labour wiped out
Adam Price returns to the Senedd as Reform UK secures its first ever west Wales breakthrough.

Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd: Reform UK tops the poll as Jane Dodds holds on for the Welsh Lib Dems
Reform UK takes three seats in the upper Swansea Valley, Powys and Neath – with Welsh Labour wiped out entirely.

Gwyr Abertawe: Plaid Cymru top the poll as Mike Hedges holds for Welsh Labour
The Swansea result and Council leader Rob Stewart’s reaction to a difficult day for the city’s Welsh Labour group.

GWYR ABERTAWE: Plaid Cymru top the poll as Reform UK and Labour also take seats — Mike Hedges holds for Welsh Labour

Plaid Cymru has topped the poll in Gwyr Abertawe – taking three of the constituency’s six Senedd seats in a result that confirms the political shift now sweeping across south Wales.

Reform UK took two seats and Welsh Labour took the remaining seat – with veteran Swansea politician Mike Hedges holding on as the city’s only Labour Member of the Senedd.

The result was declared this evening at the Gwyr Abertawe count by Returning Officer Martin Nicholls.

Plaid Cymru topped the poll with 25,076 votes, ahead of Reform UK on 21,641. Welsh Labour received 11,195 votes – a fraction of its previous performance in Swansea.

The Welsh Conservatives received 7,523 votes, the Wales Green Party 6,383 and the Welsh Liberal Democrats 6,262. None won a seat in the constituency.

The six new Members of the Senedd for Gwyr Abertawe are:

• Gwyn Williams (Plaid Cymru)
• Francesca O’Brien (Reform UK)
• Safa Elhassan (Plaid Cymru)
• Mike Hedges (Welsh Labour)
• Steven Rodaway (Reform UK)
• John Davies (Plaid Cymru)

Mike Hedges’ re-election ensures Welsh Labour retains a presence in Swansea – but represents a significant reduction for a party that has long counted the city among its strongholds.

Hedges was Labour’s first-placed candidate in Gwyr Abertawe. Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart, who was Labour’s second-placed candidate, was not elected.

The result also marks the election of Reform UK’s first ever Members of the Senedd for Swansea – with Francesca O’Brien and Steven Rodaway both elected.

O’Brien had earlier today predicted on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that Welsh Labour would collapse, describing the election as a referendum on First Minister Eluned Morgan and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Plaid Cymru’s three new MS – Gwyn Williams, Safa Elhassan and John Davies – represent a significant breakthrough for the party in a constituency where it has not historically been the dominant force.

The constituency recorded a turnout of 50.9% – just below the national average of 51.65%, which itself was a record for a Senedd election.

The Gwyr Abertawe electorate stands at 155,120, with 78,924 ballot papers issued. A total of 187 ballot papers were rejected and not counted.

In response to the result, Council leader Rob Stewart praised Hedges and said he was looking forward to him continuing to work for Swansea at Cardiff Bay.

“I want to thank everyone who voted for our Labour team in Gwyr Abertawe today,” Stewart said. “I am looking forward to Mike Hedges returning to the Senedd and continuing to work extremely hard for Swansea, as he has done since 2011.”

Stewart acknowledged the difficulty of the result. “Obviously, this is not the result we worked for,” he said. “Nationally, it has been a really difficult night for Welsh Labour and UK Labour.”

He paid tribute to Welsh Labour’s record in government. “I’m proud of what the Labour Welsh Governments have delivered for Wales over many years,” he said.

Stewart said the threat of Reform UK had been a major factor on the doorstep. “Clearly the threat of Reform has been at the forefront of many voters’ minds, and we heard on the door that when people could not give us their vote this time, they didn’t want to go to Reform and have clearly opted for Plaid Cymru,” he said.

He added that he had not detected significant enthusiasm for Plaid’s vision. “While I understand the voters’ logic, I haven’t detected any great love for Plaid’s vision for Wales,” Stewart said. “However, they appear to have done well, and we will respect that.”

Stewart said Welsh Labour had to listen carefully to voters. “We must also be prepared to reflect carefully and listen with humility to the people,” he said. “There must be no dodging, no deflection, just determination to put things right and redouble our efforts to deliver at all levels on the things we promised.”

The Council leader said his focus would now be on local delivery. “Here in Swansea, my work continues and will increase in pace,” he said. “The work Swansea Labour has been doing resonated with voters on the door, and clearly we will be standing on our record of delivery at next year’s elections.”

He pointed to investment in the city as the foundation for that record. “We’ll stand on the billion-pound investment in Swansea, the new homes, new schools, better jobs and opportunities, and our drive to keep building a better Swansea together,” he said.

Stewart said he would continue as Council leader. “As Leader of this great city, I will keep doing all I can to improve people’s lives and lead the delivery of that better Swansea,” he said.

He thanked party members and supporters. “My sincere and heartfelt thanks go to the volunteers, activists, members and supporters who gave everything to this campaign,” he said.

And he paid tribute to Eluned Morgan, who lost her own seat in Ceredigion Penfro this afternoon and resigned as Welsh Labour leader. “Special thanks also go to Eluned Morgan, who has led Welsh Labour with distinction, empathy and heart through a genuinely difficult time,” Stewart said.

Stewart also paid tribute to Rebecca Evans and Julie James, who stepped down at this election after long service in the Senedd. “I also want to wish Rebecca Evans and Julie James well in whatever they do next,” he said. “They have stepped down from the Senedd after long and distinguished service to Gower and Swansea West.”

The Gwyr Abertawe result follows a similar pattern to other south Wales constituencies declared earlier today – with Welsh Labour reduced to a single seat or wiped out entirely in the face of a Plaid Cymru and Reform UK surge.

Across Wales, polling expert Sir John Curtice has projected Plaid Cymru will win between 41 and 46 seats – short of the 49 needed for an overall majority – with Reform UK on 32 to 34.

That makes coalition negotiations almost certain to follow once all 16 constituencies have declared.

Two constituencies remain to declare this evening – Gwynedd Maldwyn and Fflint Wrecsam.

Our Senedd Election 2026 coverage

First Minister Eluned Morgan loses seat and resigns as Welsh Labour leader
The historic moment Wales’ First Minister became the first leader of any UK government to lose her seat while in office.

Sir Gaerfyrddin: Reform UK and Plaid Cymru take three seats each as Welsh Labour wiped out
Adam Price returns to the Senedd as Reform UK secures its first ever west Wales breakthrough.

Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd: Reform UK tops the poll as Jane Dodds holds on for the Welsh Lib Dems
Reform UK takes three seats in the upper Swansea Valley, Powys and Neath – with Welsh Labour wiped out entirely.

Welsh Labour bracing for historic loss as counting begins
Our overnight roundup of the political mood as counting got under way across Wales.

What does a Welsh defeat mean for Keir Starmer?
Senior Welsh Labour figures have called for the prime minister to consider his position if the result is as bad as predicted.

BRYCHEINIOG TAWE NEDD: Reform UK tops the poll as Jane Dodds holds on for the Welsh Lib Dems — Welsh Labour wiped out

Reform UK has topped the poll in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd – taking three of the constituency’s six Senedd seats in another major breakthrough result for Nigel Farage’s party.

Plaid Cymru took two seats in the constituency, with Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds holding on to take the sixth and final seat for her party.

Welsh Labour was wiped out entirely – failing to win a single seat in a constituency that covers the upper Swansea Valley, Powys and parts of Neath Port Talbot.

It is the second south-west Wales constituency in which Welsh Labour has been completely shut out today, following a similar wipe-out in Sir Gaerfyrddin earlier this afternoon.

The result is significant on several fronts.

For Reform UK, topping the poll in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd marks the second south Wales constituency in which the party has come first – following its win in Casnewydd Islwyn earlier in the day. The party also won three seats in Sir Gaerfyrddin and three in Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni.

For Plaid Cymru, two seats in a rural constituency where the party has historically performed strongly is a respectable but slightly disappointing return – particularly given how strongly the party has done elsewhere in Wales today.

And for the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds holding on is a significant moment.

Dodds was the only Liberal Democrat MS in the previous Senedd, and her re-election ensures her party retains its presence at Cardiff Bay.

It is also the Welsh Lib Dems’ first confirmed seat of the day – giving the party a foothold in the new 96-seat Senedd that it has secured against difficult conditions for smaller parties under the new D’Hondt voting system.

Dodds had said during the campaign that she hoped her party would return a larger group than the single seat it secured in 2021.

For Welsh Labour, the result adds to a deeply difficult day. The party has now been wiped out entirely in Sir Gaerfyrddin, Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni and Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd – and reduced to a single seat in several other constituencies.

The result comes as Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan has lost her own seat in neighbouring Ceredigion Penfro and resigned as Welsh Labour leader.

Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd is a vast and varied constituency stretching from the upper Swansea Valley up through Powys and across into rural Neath Port Talbot – taking in Ystradgynlais, Pontardawe, Brecon and the surrounding areas.

The constituency recorded a turnout of 52.98% – above the national average of 51.65%, which itself was a record for a Senedd election.

Higher turnout has been described throughout the campaign as a positive indicator for Reform UK, with the party having focused much of its strategy on mobilising voters who had not traditionally turned out at Welsh elections.

The new Members of the Senedd for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd will now take their seats when the seventh Senedd meets for the first time in the coming weeks.

Across Wales as a whole, polling expert Sir John Curtice has projected Plaid Cymru will win between 41 and 46 seats – short of the 49 needed for an overall majority – with Reform UK on 32 to 34.

That makes coalition negotiations almost certain to follow once all 16 constituencies have declared.

Attention now turns to Gwyr Abertawe – the Swansea constituency where the count is still under way, with declarations expected later this evening.

Our Senedd Election 2026 coverage

First Minister Eluned Morgan loses seat and resigns as Welsh Labour leader
The historic moment Wales’ First Minister became the first leader of any UK government to lose her seat while in office.

Sir Gaerfyrddin: Reform UK and Plaid Cymru take three seats each as Welsh Labour wiped out
Adam Price returns to the Senedd as Reform UK secures its first ever west Wales breakthrough.

Welsh Labour bracing for historic loss as counting begins
Our overnight roundup of the political mood as counting got under way across Wales.

What does a Welsh defeat mean for Keir Starmer?
Senior Welsh Labour figures have called for the prime minister to consider his position if the result is as bad as predicted.

SENEDD ELECTION: First Minister Eluned Morgan loses seat and resigns as Welsh Labour leader

First Minister Eluned Morgan has lost her seat at the Senedd election – and resigned as Welsh Labour leader on the spot.

Speaking from the stage at her Ceredigion Penfro count this afternoon, the defeated Labour leader said her party needed to take a hard look at itself.

“I’ve lost my seat here in Ceredigion Penfro and I will be stepping down as Welsh Labour leader,” she told the count. “I take responsibility for the Labour result in Wales.”

Morgan received 6,495 votes in the constituency – just 170 more than the Green Party – finishing well behind Plaid Cymru, who took 31,943 votes.

Reform UK won 23,003 votes in the constituency, with the Conservatives taking 14,789.

Her defeat is historic on multiple fronts. She is the first ever serving Welsh First Minister to lose her seat at an election since the Senedd was established in 1999.

And she is the first leader of any government in the UK to lose her seat while in office.

Morgan, who became Wales’ first female First Minister in 2024, said she was proud of what Welsh Labour had achieved in government but acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing public services.

“I’m very proud of what Welsh Labour has achieved over all the years we have led in the Senedd,” she said. “But today the pressures on public services are enormous and change is not coming fast enough.”

She told the count that voters were demanding answers Welsh Labour could not deliver. “Many expect simple answers to very complex questions but there are no simple answers and the budgets are limited,” she said.

And she signalled that the political landscape had been fundamentally reshaped. “The age of two-party dominance is dead,” she said.

The result triggers an immediate Welsh Labour leadership contest – and means Wales will need a new First Minister.

Welsh Labour now faces the prospect of selecting an interim leader within hours, with the new Senedd due to meet for the first time in the coming weeks.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to Morgan in a statement issued shortly after her defeat.

“Eluned Morgan has been a formidable First Minister and tireless champion for Wales,” he said. “She broke barriers and has never stopped fighting for families in the communities she loves.”

The Prime Minister paid tribute to Morgan’s record in office. “Together, we have worked to lift children out of poverty, cut hospital waiting lists, and create thousands of new jobs,” he said.

“I want to thank Eluned Morgan for the over 30 years of service she has already given to our country and our party. I have no doubt her contribution to Wales will endure.”

The tribute came as senior Welsh Labour figures earlier today called for Sir Keir himself to consider his position over the scale of the party’s defeat in Wales.

Welsh political expert Professor Laura McAllister told BBC Wales that Morgan had been dealt an impossible hand.

“Let’s be fair to the First Minister, I don’t think she could have done much to salvage this election,” she said.

McAllister said Morgan had received no support from her UK party. “The odds were stacked so hard against her, she didn’t get an ounce of help from her UK party, or the Prime Minister,” she said. “The pleas she made were flat turned down.”

She added that Morgan had inherited a difficult legacy. “She inherited a divided party that had lost its energy and soul,” McAllister said.

But she said Welsh Labour had still made errors during the campaign. “Having said all that, they made some fundamental mistakes with the campaign,” she said.

The Ceredigion Penfro result also saw the return of former Welsh Conservative leader Paul Davies, who held his seat. His Senedd colleague Samuel Kurtz failed to be re-elected.

Plaid Cymru took three seats in the constituency, with Reform UK taking two and the Conservatives one.

Morgan’s defeat brings to an end a remarkable political journey. She rose through Welsh Government to become Health Minister and then First Minister last year, taking over from Vaughan Gething following his resignation.

Her tenure as First Minister was always going to be a challenging one – taking over a party in Wales that had been in power for more than a quarter of a century and was facing the most difficult electoral landscape it had ever seen.

This morning, in our overnight coverage, we reported that senior Welsh Labour sources had been describing Morgan’s seat as on a knife edge.

That knife edge has now fallen.

The Senedd vote also ends a century-long run of Labour election successes in Wales – with Welsh Labour having won every major Welsh election since 1922.

The Welsh Labour party will now move quickly to begin the process of selecting a new leader, who will become Wales’ next First Minister at a moment of unprecedented political turbulence.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, who was re-elected in Bangor Conwy Mon earlier this afternoon, signalled his party was ready to step up.

“It has become clear that Wales has demanded that change of leadership,” he said. “I look forward to saying more about this later as the full picture becomes complete. Plaid Cymru is ready to serve.”

Polling expert Sir John Curtice has projected Plaid Cymru will win between 41 and 46 seats – short of the 49 needed for an overall majority – with Reform UK on 32 to 34.

Coalition negotiations look almost certain to follow.

Our Senedd Election 2026 coverage

Sir Gaerfyrddin: Reform UK and Plaid Cymru take three seats each as Welsh Labour wiped out
Adam Price returns to the Senedd as Reform UK secures its first ever west Wales breakthrough.

Welsh Labour bracing for historic loss as counting begins
Our overnight roundup of the political mood as counting got under way across Wales.

What does a Welsh defeat mean for Keir Starmer?
Senior Welsh Labour figures have called for the prime minister to consider his position if the result is as bad as predicted.

Polls have closed – here’s what happens next, and how the new D’Hondt voting system works
Our complete guide to the count, the D’Hondt formula, and when results were due to land.

SIR GAERFYRDDIN: Reform UK and Plaid Cymru take three seats each as Welsh Labour wiped out — Adam Price returns to the Senedd

Reform UK and Plaid Cymru have taken three Sir Gaerfyrddin seats each in a knife-edge result that ends Welsh Labour’s representation in Carmarthenshire entirely.

The result, declared this afternoon at the Carmarthenshire count, marks Reform UK’s first ever Senedd breakthrough in west Wales – and represents an historic collapse for Welsh Labour in a region it has long counted among its strongholds.

Plaid Cymru topped the poll with 36,160 votes, ahead of Reform UK on 27,542. Welsh Labour received 6,458 votes – a fraction of its previous performance in the area.

Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell topped the poll, taking the first seat. Reform UK’s Gareth Beer took the second – becoming the first Reform UK Member of the Senedd ever elected in west Wales.

Plaid’s Nerys Evans took the third seat, with Reform’s Carmelo Colasanto taking the fourth.

The fifth seat went to Adam Price – the former Plaid Cymru leader and former MS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr – marking his return to the Senedd.

The sixth and final seat went to Reform UK’s Sarah Edwards, after going to a recount with the margin understood to be around 140 votes.

Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives and other parties failed to secure a single seat in the constituency.

The six new Sir Gaerfyrddin Members of the Senedd will be:

• Cefin Campbell (Plaid Cymru)
• Gareth Beer (Reform UK)
• Nerys Evans (Plaid Cymru)
• Carmelo Colasanto (Reform UK)
• Adam Price (Plaid Cymru)
• Sarah Edwards (Reform UK)

Adam Price’s return to the Senedd is one of the most significant individual stories of the day. The veteran Plaid politician, who previously served as MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr before becoming MS for the same area, stepped down as Plaid Cymru leader in 2023.

His return – via Plaid’s Sir Gaerfyrddin list – gives Plaid Cymru one of its most experienced political operators back at Cardiff Bay. Price had originally been selected third on Plaid’s list, meaning his election demonstrates just how strongly the party performed in the constituency.

The result is a significant moment for Reform UK in Wales. The party had targeted Sir Gaerfyrddin as a key constituency, with Welsh leader Dan Thomas visiting Llanelli during the campaign to push for what he described as a major breakthrough in west Wales.

That breakthrough has now been delivered.

For Plaid Cymru, the result represents both consolidation and concern – three seats in one of its traditional strongholds is a strong return, but the party will have hoped to push for four against a Labour vote that had collapsed.

The constituency recorded a turnout of 55.97% – significantly higher than the 47.8% recorded in Casnewydd Islwyn and the 47.7% in Blaenau Gwent Caerffilii Rhymni, both of which declared earlier in the day.

Higher turnout has been described throughout the campaign as a positive indicator for Reform UK, with the party having focused much of its strategy on mobilising voters who had not traditionally turned out at Welsh elections.

The pattern in Sir Gaerfyrddin echoes the result earlier this afternoon in Casnewydd Islwyn – where Reform UK and Plaid Cymru also took two seats each, with Labour reduced to a single seat and the Welsh Conservatives picking up the sixth.

It also echoes Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg, where Plaid topped the poll ahead of Reform but the same six-seat split of two Reform, two Plaid, one Labour and one Conservative was returned.

Across the south Wales results so far, Welsh Labour’s collapse from its previous position of dominance is unmistakable.

Sir Gaerfyrddin is the third constituency to declare today, with attention now turning to Gwyr Abertawe – where the count is expected to conclude shortly.

Other constituencies in our area are also expected to declare in the coming hours, including Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, Ceredigion Penfro and Afan Ogwr Rhondda.

Reform UK leader Dan Thomas, who became an MS himself earlier today after winning a seat in Casnewydd Islwyn, said in his victory speech that “the Welsh Valleys have been ignored, let down and forgotten by the old parties of Wales” – a message that now appears to be resonating across rural and post-industrial Wales alike.

The Sir Gaerfyrddin declaration ends an era in Carmarthenshire politics – with the constituency returning no Labour MS to the Senedd for the first time since the institution was established in 1999.

The full picture of how the new 96-seat Senedd will look should become clear over the coming hours, with the latest declaration of the day expected from Fflint Wrecsam at around 5.30pm.

SENEDD ELECTION: What does a Welsh defeat mean for Keir Starmer? — Labour figures call for prime minister to step down if results match predictions

A defeat for Welsh Labour in today’s Senedd election will pile fresh pressure on Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership of the UK Labour Party – with senior figures already calling for him to step aside.

Mick Antoniw, the former Welsh counsel general who did not seek re-election yesterday, has called for the prime minister to make way for a new leader if the results are as bad as predicted.

“If the results are as bad as predicted then there will have to be a change of leadership,” he said. “Not an immediate departure but a planned, orderly and open transition and an open and transparent contest.”

Antoniw described the campaign as the most difficult Welsh Labour had faced in living memory.

He said the election seemed to be “more about Downing Street and immigration than Wales.”

A former Welsh government minister has also said Sir Keir should stand down if the results are as bad as predicted.

The interventions reflect a wider mood within Welsh Labour that the prime minister has become a serious drag on the party’s electoral fortunes – a view reportedly shared by senior Welsh Labour figures throughout the campaign.

Labour sources said throughout the campaign that Sir Keir had come up negatively with voters on doorsteps across Wales.

A “grudging” acknowledgement that he had handled the UK’s response to the Iran war well had been soured, sources said, by the Lord Mandelson saga.

Despite that, several Welsh Labour MPs have indicated they are not expecting a formal challenge to the prime minister – even though one frontbencher has described the mood within the party as “at rock bottom.”

A number of MPs called instead for a bolder set of policies and for lessons to be learned from a difficult electoral picture.

Former Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones offered a more measured assessment in an interview on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

Asked whether he stood by the prime minister, Jones said yes – but added that things needed to change at Westminster.

“I don’t think it’s simply a question of if Keir Starmer goes everything will be fine – it’s not that easy,” he said.

But he said the broader direction of the UK Labour government needed to shift. “Do things need to change at Westminster? Yes,” he said.

“The message has to be more optimistic, we have to be more robust, we have to believe in ourselves a lot more, we have to give a sense of direction.”

He said all those things were missing at the moment. “Those are the most important things, and it’s up to Keir to show that he can provide that,” he said.

A senior Welsh Labour figure has described polling day yesterday as “awful.”

“I’ve never known anything like it,” they said. “We’ve been knocking on the doors of people who’ve consistently voted Labour in the past only to find the vast majority have voted Plaid, Reform, Green or importantly stayed at home.”

The figure said two messages had cut through with voters during the campaign – both of them deeply unhelpful for the UK government.

“The Plaid message ‘we’re the only party to stop Reform’ has really cut through. But Reform have also cashed in big time on disillusionment with Keir Starmer and our Labour government,” they said.

The framing reflects a campaign that has, in many ways, become a referendum on the UK Labour government’s first year in office.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage made that explicit when he kicked off Reform’s Welsh campaign earlier this year, describing the election as “a referendum on Starmer.”

That framing now appears to have landed.

Reform won more than 300 council seats in English local elections that took place yesterday – momentum that will further fuel calls for the prime minister to consider his position.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, lost more than 100 seats in those English elections.

A Welsh Labour defeat today would carry historic significance for the UK Labour Party.

One of the modern Labour party’s founders, Keir Hardie, was MP for Merthyr Tydfil from 1900 to 1915 – and Labour has emerged from every general election as Wales’ largest party since 1922.

The party has won every Welsh election since the Senedd was first established in 1999, and led every Welsh government since then. Health, education, transport, housing and local government in Wales have all been shaped by Labour-led administrations for more than a quarter of a century.

A defeat in Wales today would end that unbroken record – and represent the loss of one of the UK Labour Party’s deepest historical strongholds.

The implications for the prime minister will be felt beyond Wales.

Labour faces a difficult set of local elections in England later this year, plus elections to the Scottish Parliament – both of which will now be watched closely as further tests of Sir Keir’s leadership.

If the defeat in Wales is confirmed today, the party at Westminster faces a period of intense soul-searching about what has gone wrong – and whether a change at the top can reverse the slide before it becomes terminal.

The prime minister, for his part, has so far given no public indication that he intends to step down.

But the calls from senior Welsh Labour figures for him to consider his position will grow louder if the result tonight is as bad as expected.

Welsh first minister Eluned Morgan said consistently during the campaign that Sir Keir was “not on the ballot paper.”

When asked on Wednesday whether he could stay on if Labour lost in Wales, she declined to be drawn into what she called speculation.

Within hours, she may have her answer.

Our Senedd Election 2026 coverage

Welsh Labour bracing for historic loss as counting begins – and Eluned Morgan’s own seat hangs in the balance
Our overnight roundup of the political mood as counting gets underway across Wales.

Polls have closed – here’s what happens next, and how the new D’Hondt voting system works
Our complete guide to the count, the D’Hondt formula, and when results will land.

Your new MS will earn £79,817 – and the First Minister’s salary tops £174,000
What Wales’ new Senedd Members will be paid when they take their seats.

Two-thirds of Welsh voters didn’t understand the new voting system
The polling that revealed mass confusion just days before the vote.

Reform UK announces detention centres plan three days before polls open
The Reform UK announcement that dominated the final days of the campaign.

Reform UK Wales leader visits Llanelli as party targets Sir Gaerfyrddin seats
Reform’s late campaign push in our patch with Dan Thomas in Llanelli.

SENEDD ELECTION: Welsh Labour bracing for historic loss as counting begins — and Eluned Morgan’s own seat hangs in the balance

Welsh Labour is bracing for a historic defeat as counting begins across Wales this morning – with senior party sources reportedly acknowledging for the first time that the party will lose power today.

Counting in the 2026 Senedd election will get underway from 9.30am at Neath Port Talbot Council and 10am in Swansea, with the first declarations expected from 2pm.

If the result matches pre-election polling and overnight expectations, today will mark the end of an unbroken Welsh Labour winning streak that goes back more than 100 years.

The party has been the largest in every major Welsh election – Westminster and Senedd – since 1922. It has been in power in Wales, either alone or in coalition, since the Senedd was first established in 1999.

Senior Labour sources, who had previously refused to accept that pre-election polls were accurate, were last night reportedly acknowledging that the party will lose power in Wales today.

Labour insiders are also said to believe it is on a knife edge as to whether First Minister Eluned Morgan will keep her own seat in Ceredigion Penfro.

If Morgan loses, the party will face an immediate scramble to appoint a new leader of Welsh Labour in the Senedd – even on an interim basis.

That decision could come within hours of the result.

Welsh Labour campaign chair Huw Irranca-Davies issued a statement at the close of polls last night acknowledging the difficulty of the campaign.

“We know this has been a tough election campaign, fought in difficult circumstances,” he said.

“After many years in government in Wales, and with Labour now governing across the UK, there was always going to be a strong mood for change and frustration. The ongoing pressures people face from the cost of living are real and hurt deeply.”

He said the party would reflect on the result with humility. “There were many tough messages heard on the doorstep. And in the days ahead, we will reflect carefully and listen with humility to what voters are telling us. There will be no dodging. No deflection. Just determination to put things right.”

He paid tribute to Eluned Morgan’s leadership during what he described as one of the hardest moments Welsh Labour has faced.

“Throughout this campaign, Eluned Morgan has shown positive, energetic, and determined leadership in very difficult times,” he said. “She took on the challenge during one of the hardest moments Welsh Labour has faced, leading with resilience, warmth, and focus.”

Plaid Cymru – projected by the final YouGov MRP to become the largest party in the new Senedd – struck a more measured tone in its overnight statement.

A spokesperson said the party was looking forward to the results with humility and with hope.

“Throughout this election, we have heard a clear appetite for change,” they said. “People want a government that will stand up for Wales and focus relentlessly on the key issues affecting their lives.”

The spokesperson said voters had been inspired by leader Rhun ap Iorwerth. “People have told us they have been inspired by Rhun ap Iorwerth’s leadership and driven by a desire for a positive alternative to Reform UK’s chaos and division,” they said.

The Plaid statement reflects the central political dynamic of this election – a tight battle between Plaid and Reform UK, both projected by the final pre-election polls to make significant gains at Welsh Labour’s expense.

Reform UK’s momentum was further underlined overnight by results from local elections in England.

Reform won more than 300 council seats across English local authorities in voting that took place yesterday – a strong performance that will boost the party’s confidence going into today’s Senedd count.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, lost more than 100 seats in those English elections – adding to a difficult electoral picture for the official UK opposition.

In Wales, two early constituency turnout figures have been confirmed – both showing turnout in the high 40s.

Casnewydd Islwyn recorded a turnout of 47.8% according to returning officer Beverly Owen, while neighbouring Blaenau Gwent Caerffilii Rhymni recorded 47.7%.

Turnout will be a key figure to watch as the day unfolds. A higher than expected turnout is generally seen as a positive indicator for Reform UK, with the party having focused much of its campaign on mobilising voters who have not traditionally turned out at Welsh elections.

Final turnout figures across all 16 Welsh constituencies will be confirmed as counts get underway throughout the morning.

The Electoral Commission’s chief executive Vijay Rangarajan praised the running of yesterday’s polls.

“Polling station staff dealt with any issues swiftly without disruption to the poll. Millions of people were able to cast their votes, and people had access to clear, reliable information about how to take part,” he said.

He said the Commission had not seen significant deepfakes affecting the elections, but would gather evidence from voters, candidates and others to inform a full assessment to be published in the autumn.

The first Senedd declarations are expected from 2pm, with Casnewydd Islwyn, Gwyr Abertawe and Sir Fynwy Torfaen the earliest in the country.

Sir Gaerfyrddin and Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr are expected to declare around 4pm, with the latest declaration expected from Fflint Wrecsam at 5.30pm.

A complete picture of the new Senedd should therefore be clear by early evening – at which point the focus will turn to coalition negotiations and the make-up of Wales’ next government.

Swansea Bay News will be reporting live from the Sir Gaerfyrddin count throughout the day, with updates from across south-west Wales as results come in.

Our Senedd Election 2026 coverage

Polls have closed – here’s what happens next, and how the new D’Hondt voting system works
Our complete guide to the count, the D’Hondt formula, and when results will land.

Voting today? Everything you need to know about the new system
The polling-day reader service guide that helped voters navigate the new system.

Your new MS will earn £79,817 – and the First Minister’s salary tops £174,000
What Wales’ new Senedd Members will be paid when they take their seats.

Two-thirds of Welsh voters didn’t understand the new voting system
The polling that revealed mass confusion just days before the vote.

Reform UK announces detention centres plan three days before polls open
The Reform UK announcement that dominated the final days of the campaign.

Two Debenhams buildings, two very different outcomes – Senedd candidates question council priorities
The Carmarthen story that became a flashpoint for local Senedd candidates.

Reform UK Wales leader visits Llanelli as party targets Sir Gaerfyrddin seats
Reform’s late campaign push in our patch with Dan Thomas in Llanelli.

SENEDD ELECTION: Polls have closed — here’s what happens next, how the new D’Hondt voting system works, and when results will land

The polls have closed across Wales – and the most consequential Senedd election in Welsh history now moves into its final phase.

Voters across the country headed to polling stations between 7am and 10pm today to elect the 96 Members of the seventh Senedd, in what could prove to be a historic moment for Welsh politics.

But unlike a UK General Election, there is no exit poll for the Senedd vote. The first results will not be known until tomorrow.

Here’s what happens between now and then – and how the new voting system will decide who wins.

What happens overnight?

Ballot boxes from polling stations across each of the 16 new constituencies are being transported to count venues across Wales tonight.

Once they arrive, ballot papers are sorted and verified – but no counting takes place until the formal count begins on Friday morning.

When does counting start?

Counting will begin from 9am on Friday morning across all 16 constituencies.

When will we know the first results?

The first constituency declarations are expected from late morning on Friday. The full picture across all 16 constituencies should be clear by Friday afternoon or evening.

How does the new voting system work?

This is where things get interesting – because for the first time in Welsh history, all Senedd seats will be allocated using a fully proportional system.

There are now 96 Senedd Members instead of 60, elected from 16 enlarged constituencies that each return six MS.

Voters cast a single vote for a political party – or for an independent candidate – rather than for a named individual.

The seats are then allocated using something called the D’Hondt formula.

What is the D’Hondt formula?

The D’Hondt formula was devised in 1878 by Belgian mathematician Victor D’Hondt and is widely used in proportional voting systems across Europe.

It allocates seats in a way designed to closely reflect each party’s share of the vote.

Each party submits a list of up to eight candidates, ranked in order. The candidate at the top of the list is elected first if the party wins one seat. If they win two, the top two are elected, and so on.

Independent candidates stand alone – and are elected if they receive enough votes in their own right.

How are the seats actually allocated?

The six seats in each constituency are allocated one at a time, in rounds.

In the first round, the party with the highest total number of votes wins the first seat.

After that party has won a seat, its vote total is divided by two – and the calculation begins again. The party with the highest figure at that point wins the second seat.

If a party then wins a second seat, its original vote total is divided by three. And so on.

This continues until all six seats in each constituency are filled.

A worked example

To show how the D’Hondt system works in practice, here’s a fictional six-seat constituency where four parties and one independent candidate are competing for the votes.

The starting position – based on the votes cast – looks like this:

Round 1: Party A has the most votes and wins the first seat. The first candidate on their list is elected.

Party A’s vote total is then divided by two (1 + 1 seat already won = 2). That gives them a new total of 150.

Round 2: Party B now has the highest figure (210) and wins a seat. The first candidate on their list is elected.

Party B’s votes are then divided by two – giving them 105.

Round 3: Party A now leads again (150) and wins a second seat. The second candidate on their list is elected.

Party A’s original 300 votes are now divided by three (1 + 2 seats already won) – giving them 100.

This process continues round by round. The full table looks like this:

So in this example, Party A wins three seats, Party B wins two, and Party C wins one.

In percentage terms, Party A took 45% of the vote and won 50% of the seats. Party B took 31% and won 33.3% of the seats. Party C took 18% and won 16.6% of the seats.

That’s how the new system makes sure the number of seats each party wins is much closer to their share of the vote – though as the example shows, smaller parties polling below around 12% are unlikely to win representation.

Will every party get a seat?

No – there is a practical threshold for winning representation under D’Hondt.

Although there is no formal vote threshold, in six-member constituencies a party will typically need around 12% to 13% of the vote to win a seat.

Smaller parties polling below that level are unlikely to gain representation, although strong local campaigns can change the picture.

Which seats matter most locally?

Across south-west Wales, six new constituencies are being closely watched:

• Gŵyr Abertawe – covering Swansea and the surrounding area
• Sir Gaerfyrddin – covering Carmarthenshire and parts of Llanelli
• Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd – covering the upper Swansea Valley, Powys and Neath
• Ceredigion Penfro – covering Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion
• Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg – covering Bridgend
• Afan Ogwr Rhondda – covering Port Talbot and the surrounding valleys

What’s at stake?

The election will determine who forms the next Welsh Government – with 49 seats needed for a majority in the new 96-seat Senedd.

Pre-election polling suggested it is unlikely any single party will reach that threshold, meaning coalition negotiations are likely to follow the count.

What about Welsh Labour?

Welsh Labour has been in power in Wales – either alone or in coalition – since the Senedd was first established in 1999.

Pre-election polling suggested Labour faces its toughest test yet, with the party predicted to drop significantly from the 30 seats it won in 2021.

When will the new Senedd meet?

The seventh Senedd is expected to meet for the first time in the weeks following the election, with the formal swearing-in of new Members and the election of a new Llywydd among the first orders of business.

Coalition negotiations – if needed – will determine when a new First Minister can be elected.

What time does Swansea Bay News begin its results coverage?

We’ll be reporting all the live updates and reaction from across south-west Wales as results come in throughout the day.

Stay tuned.

SWANSEA: #DogsAtPollingStations is trending — but spare a thought for the #DogsNotAtPollingStations who’d love a vote of confidence today

Across Wales today, social media is filling up with #DogsAtPollingStations – the much-loved trend where proud owners share photos of their canine companions accompanying them to vote.

But for every smiling pup pictured outside a polling station today, there’s another dog who isn’t there.

The #DogsNotAtPollingStations are the rescue dogs sitting in animal centres across Wales – many of whom have been waiting weeks, months or longer to find a new owner to one day vote alongside.

At RSPCA Cymru’s Llys Nini Branch in Swansea – based in the Senedd’s new Gŵyr Abertawe constituency – there are 11 dogs currently ready for adoption.

Many more will join them in the coming weeks once court proceedings conclude or rehabilitation programmes are completed.

The RSPCA is urging voters across Wales to consider adopting one of these dogs – so they can become part of next election’s #DogsAtPollingStations trend.

Among them is Bear, a two-year-old Chow Chow looking for what the charity describes as a loving forever home.

Bear is described by staff as a dog with “bags of character” who loves long walks and food.

The RSPCA notes that Chow Chows can have very long coats – something any potential new owner would need to consider.

Across the RSPCA’s other Welsh centres, more dogs are also looking for homes.

At the charity’s Newport centre, Lady – a gentle Patterdale terrier crossbreed – is searching for a calm, understanding home.

The RSPCA describes her as a little shy when meeting new people, but says with patience and kindness her true personality shines through. She would do best as the only pet in the home.

At the Bryn-Y-Maen centre in Upper Colwyn Bay, nine-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier Reggie is also waiting for a new family after his previous owner passed away.

Tan and white Reggie loves to potter about outdoor spaces and is described by staff as full of love, knowing lots of commands and being a big fan of fuss and attention.

Dr Samantha Gaines from the charity’s Companion Animals Department said it was always heartwarming to see voters share photos of their dogs outside polling stations.

“With temperatures warming up, we’d always urge voters to keep their dogs nice and cool – or even consider taking them to vote in the evening depending on how hot it is outside,” she said.

She said many RSPCA centres were full to bursting. “We’d urge anyone looking to add a dog to their family to check out the RSPCA’s Find a Pet website,” she said. “You may find your paw-fect voting companion for next polling day.”

The RSPCA also published its own manifesto ahead of the 2026 Senedd election, and according to the charity’s Animal Kindness Index, Wales has the highest proportion of animal lovers of any UK nation.

Billie-Jade Thomas, Senior Public Affairs Manager at the RSPCA, said voters had welcomed hearing from political parties’ plans for animals. “We look forward to working with Wales’ 96 new Senedd Members to ensure animal welfare is a top priority,” she said.

For anyone in Swansea or across south-west Wales considering rehoming a dog, more information about Bear and the other dogs at Llys Nini is available on the Llys Nini Branch website.

Full details of all the dogs available for adoption across the RSPCA’s Welsh centres can be found on the RSPCA’s Find a Pet tool.

SENEDD ELECTION: Voting today? Here’s everything you need to know about the new system before you head to the polling station

Polls are open across Wales today as voters head out to elect the most important Senedd in Welsh history.

But this election is different to any that has come before – with a brand new voting system that two-thirds of Welsh voters told pollsters they didn’t understand just days ago.

If you’re heading to the polling station today, here’s everything you need to know.

When are polls open?

Polls opened at 7am this morning and will remain open until 10pm tonight. As long as you are inside your polling station – or in the queue – by 10pm, you will be allowed to vote.

Where do I vote?

You can only vote at the polling station listed on your polling card. If you’ve lost your card, don’t worry – you can still vote without it, as long as you can confirm your name and address to the staff.

Do I need photo ID?

No. Photo ID is required for UK General Elections in Wales but is not required for Senedd elections. You can vote without showing ID.

How does the new voting system work?

This is the big one – and it’s where most of the confusion lies.

Wales has moved to a fully proportional system using closed party lists. There are now 96 Senedd Members instead of 60, elected from 16 enlarged constituencies that each return six MS.

Instead of voting for a single named candidate, you will vote for a single political party – or for an individual standing as an independent.

The number of MS each party receives in your constituency depends on the share of the vote they win. A party that wins roughly 50% of the vote in a constituency will get three of the six seats. A party that wins around 17% will get one.

What is a ‘closed list’?

Each party has published an ordered list of candidates for each constituency, with their preferred candidate at the top.

If a party wins one seat, the candidate at the top of their list takes it. If they win two, the top two candidates are elected – and so on.

You cannot pick which individual candidate from a party gets elected. You vote for the party, and the party decides the order.

What does the ballot paper look like?

The ballot paper lists each party with the names of all six candidates underneath, in the order chosen by the party. You place a single cross (X) next to the party of your choice – not next to an individual candidate.

What if I want to vote for an independent?

Independents are listed alongside the parties. You vote for them in the same way – by placing a single cross (X) next to their name.

Can I spoil my ballot deliberately?

You can – though spoiled ballots are recorded and reported separately. Some voters use them as a form of protest.

When will we know the results?

Counting begins at 9am tomorrow morning, with the first results expected by lunchtime. The full picture across all 16 constituencies should be clear by Friday afternoon or evening.

What happens after the results?

The party with the most seats will try to form a government. With 96 seats in the new Senedd, a party needs 49 to command a majority. If no party reaches that, coalition negotiations will begin.

More than two-thirds of Welsh voters didn’t understand the new voting system in the days leading up to today’s election – so if you’re still unsure, polling station staff are available to help.

If you want to find your polling station or check whether you’re registered to vote, full details are available at electoralcommission.org.uk.

PORT TALBOT: Tata Steel sets out demands for next Welsh Government — as thousands of steelworkers live with the consequences of its £1.25bn transformation

Tata Steel has set out what it wants from whoever forms the next Welsh Government – publishing a list of demands on the eve of the Senedd election that could shape the future of one of Wales’s most important industries.

But the backdrop to those demands is stark.

The company’s £1.25 billion transformation of Port Talbot – backed by £500 million from the UK Government – has already led to thousands of job losses to date – a transformation that is still ongoing.

Both of Port Talbot’s blast furnaces were closed as part of the transition, with workers facing significant redundancies and, at one point, the threat of catastrophic Christmas pay cuts as Tata restructured its operations.

Production at both Port Talbot and the Trostre plant in Llanelli was also halted over the Christmas period amid weak demand – a move that added to anxiety among workers and communities already reeling from the scale of the changes.

EU steel tariffs have added further pressure, sparking fears for jobs at both Port Talbot and Llanelli.

The new Electric Arc Furnace at Port Talbot – the centrepiece of Tata’s investment – is due to come online in late 2027.

The company says it will cut the site’s carbon emissions by 90% and secure long-term steelmaking in Wales.

But questions remain about the long-term job picture – with EAF steelmaking requiring significantly fewer workers than the blast furnace operations it replaces.

Of the 10 to 11 million tonnes of scrap steel generated annually in the UK, approximately 80% is currently exported. Tata Steel says redirecting some of that domestic scrap toward the new EAF at Port Talbot will reduce reliance on imported coal and iron ore and strengthen economic resilience.

Against that backdrop, Tata Steel has published a five-point manifesto setting out what it needs from the next Welsh Government to make the transformation a success.

On skills, the company is calling for a full audit of the workforce needs across Wales’s steel and advanced manufacturing supply chain – warning that Wales already faces shortages in engineering roles that will intensify as major decarbonisation projects come online.

On research and innovation, Tata Steel already works with Swansea University, the University of Warwick and the University of Cambridge, and has committed £20 million to two new Centres of Innovation. But it says R&D funding levels in Wales are significantly below those available in comparable countries and is calling for better pilot facilities and less bureaucracy.

On energy costs, Tata Steel argues that high energy prices remain one of the biggest competitive disadvantages facing UK steel manufacturers compared to European rivals, and is calling on the Welsh Government to support a more favourable energy cost environment for energy-intensive industries.

On public procurement, Tata is asking the next Welsh Government to use its buying power to support domestic steel – pointing out that the UK steel sector now supplies only one third of the country’s overall demand.

The company also points to UK Government data estimating that 7.7 million tonnes of steel will be required for major public infrastructure projects over the next decade – an opportunity it says Welsh steel is well placed to serve, if the right conditions are in place.

The UK’s offshore wind pipeline alone could require up to 25 million tonnes of steel by 2050, representing a potential value of £21 billion to the UK steel market over the coming decades.

Rajesh Nair, CEO of Tata Steel UK, said the company was ready to invest if the policy conditions were right. “A stronger Britain depends on a strong British industrial base and Wales can be at the heart of that,” he said.

Tata’s transformation has been politically contentious throughout the Senedd election campaign, with parties divided on whether the UK Government’s £500 million support package was sufficient and what further backing Welsh steel communities deserve.

The company’s full manifesto – Creating a Secure Future for Welsh Steel – is available at tatasteeluk.com.

Polls open across Wales at 7am on Thursday and close at 10pm. The count and results are expected on Friday.

Our Tata Steel coverage

Steel plan sparks cautious hope — but big questions remain for Welsh jobs
Our report on the long-term employment picture as the EAF transition gets underway.

Government vows to ‘do whatever it takes’ — but critics warn over end of traditional steelmaking
The political reaction to the £1.25bn deal and what it means for Port Talbot.

Steelworkers face ‘catastrophic’ Christmas pay cuts as Tata plans extended shutdown
The human cost of the transition for workers and families.

EU’s 50% steel tariffs spark fears for Tata jobs in Port Talbot and Llanelli
How international trade pressures are adding to the pressure on Welsh steel.

Port Talbot steel gets new role in green energy future
Research into wind turbine towers made with local steel — the opportunity ahead.

SENEDD ELECTION: Your new MS will earn £79,817 a year — and the First Minister’s salary tops £174,000

Whoever wins a seat in Thursday’s Senedd election will pick up a salary of £79,817 in their first year – a rise of more than £3,000 on the current rate, and more than £12,000 higher than it was in 2021.

The figure has been confirmed by the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd, which sets pay for Members independently of the Senedd itself.

The 4.5% increase for 2026/27 – worth around £3,400 – is linked to annual changes in average Welsh earnings as published by the Office for National Statistics each November.

It means Senedd Members will earn nearly £80,000 a year from the moment they take their seats after Thursday’s election.

Those who take on additional roles will earn more on top of that base salary.

The biggest earner in the new Senedd will be whoever becomes First Minister.

The First Minister receives an additional salary of £94,783 on top of the base – taking their total pay to £174,600 for the seventh Senedd term.

That’s an increase of more than £25,000 in the First Minister’s total package since 2020/21.

The Llywydd – the Presiding Officer of the Senedd – will receive an additional £51,132 on top of the base salary, bringing their total to £130,949.

Government ministers, deputy ministers, committee chairs, group leaders and others who hold additional roles will also receive top-up salaries reflecting their additional responsibilities.

One rule applies across the board – a Member who holds more than one additional office will only receive one additional salary, and it will be the highest of those roles.

Dr Elizabeth Haywood, chair of the Independent Remuneration Board, said Members played a vital role in Welsh democracy. “We provide staffing and business costs so they are able to do their job in holding the government to account, making Welsh laws, agreeing Welsh taxes and engaging with and representing their constituents,” she said.

She said the board’s decisions sought to maintain accountability and represent value for money. “Set in the context of the wider financial circumstances of Wales,” she added.

The board published its full determination on Members’ pay, staffing and business support for 2026/27 on its website at remunerationboard.wales.

Polls open across Wales at 7am on Thursday and close at 10pm, with the count and results expected on Friday.

Our Senedd election coverage

First Minister set to lose her seat as final poll predicts Labour wipeout across south-west Wales
The final YouGov MRP projection – and what it means for every constituency across south-west Wales.

Labour suffers dramatic collapse in new Wales poll – here’s what it means for your constituency
The More in Common poll that showed Labour at just 16%.

Plaid on course to make history – but here’s who’s set to represent YOU on 7 May
Seat-by-seat projections for every constituency across south-west Wales.

Two-thirds of Welsh voters don’t understand the new voting system
Everything you need to know about how the new closed-list proportional system works.

SENEDD ELECTION: First Minister set to lose her seat as final poll predicts Labour wipeout across south-west Wales

The First Minister of Wales is on course to lose her seat at Thursday’s Senedd election, according to the final major poll of the campaign – capping what would be the worst result in Welsh Labour’s century-long dominance of devolved and Westminster politics in Wales.

The YouGov MRP poll for ITV Wales and Cardiff University, published on Tuesday evening, projects Plaid Cymru taking four of the six seats in Ceredigion Penfro – the new constituency where Eluned Morgan is Labour’s lead candidate. Reform UK take the remaining two. Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens all return zero MSs from Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion under the projection.

Across south-west Wales as a whole, the picture is similarly stark for Welsh Labour. Of the 36 Senedd seats spread across the six new constituencies covering Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Powys, Neath Port Talbot, the Rhondda, Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan, Labour is projected to win just four.

In Gŵyr Abertawe, Plaid Cymru is projected to take three seats, Reform UK two and Labour one. Plaid lead candidates Gwyn Williams, Safa Elhassan and John Davies would be elected, alongside Reform’s Francesca O’Brien and Steven Rodaway. Long-serving Swansea East Senedd Member Mike Hedges, who tops the Labour list, would be returned – but Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart, ranked second, would not, leaving him to continue as council leader.

The picture is bleaker for Labour in Sir Gaerfyrddin. ITV Wales’ constituency analysis projects Plaid Cymru on 42% and Reform UK on 33%, with each party taking three seats. Plaid’s Cefin Campbell, Nerys Evans and former party leader Adam Price would all be elected. Labour’s Calum Higgins, who narrowly held the sixth seat in last month’s MRP, is wiped out – meaning the whole of Carmarthenshire returns no Labour Senedd Member for the first time since devolution.

In Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, covering Neath, Swansea East, the Swansea Valley and south Powys, the seats split four ways: Plaid 2, Reform 2, Labour 1, Liberal Democrat 1. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds holds her seat – the only Lib Dem MS projected anywhere in Wales. Plaid’s Sioned Williams would also return, while Labour’s Dr Mahaboob Basha would take the single Labour seat.

In Afan Ogwr Rhondda, Reform UK is projected to win three seats – its strongest projected performance anywhere in south-west Wales. Plaid take two and Labour one. Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who tops the Labour list, would survive – but sitting Labour MSs Buffy Williams (Rhondda) and David Rees (Aberavon, currently the Senedd’s Deputy Presiding Officer), would both lose their seats.

In Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg, the seats split between Plaid 2, Reform 2, Labour 1 and Conservative 1. Former Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies, who heads his party’s list, would return to the Senedd.

In Ceredigion Penfro, Plaid Cymru’s Elin Jones leads the list and would return to the Senedd alongside three other Plaid candidates. First Minister Eluned Morgan, Labour’s lead candidate in the constituency, is projected to lose her seat.

Nationally, the YouGov MRP puts Plaid Cymru on 33% (up four points from the previous YouGov poll), Reform UK on 29%, Labour on 12%, the Conservatives on 9%, the Greens on 8% and the Liberal Democrats on 6%.

Plaid would be six seats short of the 49 needed for an overall majority in the 96-member Senedd. The arithmetic of forming a government becomes the central question after Thursday. Every viable combination to reach 49 seats requires Labour’s involvement – either in formal coalition or by abstaining on a confidence vote.

Dr Jac Larner of Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre, who carried out the seat modelling, said the broad shape of Thursday’s result was now “fairly clear” but that small swings could still produce significantly different totals. “Plaid Cymru go into election day on 33 percent with Reform on 29,” he said. “Plaid appear to have opened a small gap in the final days but this still remains an incredibly close race.”

The poll also asked respondents what was the single biggest factor influencing their vote. “Stopping Reform” was the top answer at 14%, followed by immigration at 10% – despite immigration being a matter reserved to Westminster rather than devolved to the Senedd. The motivation to stop Reform skewed sharply towards younger voters, with 27% of 16-to-24-year-olds citing it compared to just 6% of those aged 65 and over.

Polls open across Wales at 7am on Thursday and close at 10pm. It is the first Senedd election to be held under the new closed-list proportional representation system, with each of the 16 new constituencies returning six Senedd Members.

PEMBROKESHIRE: Game of Thrones star urges voters to back Plaid or Greens to block DARC radar — as planning application opens for public objections

A Game of Thrones star who lives on the Pembrokeshire coast has urged voters to back Plaid Cymru or the Green Party on Thursday – saying the Senedd election could be the best chance to block a controversial US military radar project from being built on the Pembrokeshire coastline.

Jerome Flynn – best known for his roles in Soldier Soldier, Robson and Jerome and as Bronn in Game of Thrones – posted a video to social media on Tuesday calling the election “probably the most crucial vote we’ve made in 25 years.”

Flynn lives within a few miles of Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire, where the US military’s Deep Space Advanced Radar Concept – known as DARC – has been proposed.

The Ministry of Defence submitted a planning application to Pembrokeshire County Council earlier in April for 27 radar dishes on the site.

The application is currently in its publicity phase and open for public objections until 20 May.

In his video, Flynn described DARC as “the most unspeakably abominable planning application led by the US military, backed by Donald Trump to place 27 radar dishes right on the edge of our beloved coastal national park.”

He said the election was crucial because whoever forms the next Welsh Government will have the power to “call in” the planning application – a mechanism that applies to planning applications of national significance, giving the Welsh Government the power to override Pembrokeshire County Council and take responsibility for the decision itself.

Flynn said only two parties had made firm commitments to oppose DARC. “It’s not a done deal because Plaid Cymru and the Greens have both made party-led decisions to say no to Westminster,” he said. “We’re not having such a thing on our beloved coast.”

First Minister Eluned Morgan earlier called for a pause to the DARC project while Donald Trump remains in the White House, but stopped short of calling for the project to be abandoned entirely.

The PARC Against DARC campaign – which was set up in 2024 to oppose the radar – said it had delivered 22,000 leaflets across Pembrokeshire in recent weeks. Campaigners argue that Morgan’s position does not go far enough, and that only Plaid Cymru and the Greens have made a full party-level commitment to stop the project.

The campaign is also directing residents to submit objections to the planning application before the 20 May deadline, using a one-click tool at parcagainstdarc.com.

The planning application was lodged earlier in April and has already drawn significant public attention, with campaigners arguing the project would make Pembrokeshire a priority military target and give the US military the ability to track space assets from Welsh soil.

Flynn – who is known for speaking out on environmental and ecological issues and has previously backed the campaign to devolve the Crown Estate in Wales – described St Davids as “the spiritual home of Wales” in his video.

He concluded with a direct appeal to voters. “Vote with your heart because we can make a difference here – we could put in a government that cares about our land, our people and our environment,” he said.

The Senedd election takes place on Thursday 7 May. The count and results are expected on Friday 8 May.

Anyone wishing to submit an objection to the DARC planning application can do so at parcagainstdarc.com/planning before 20 May.

Our DARC coverage

Planning application lodged for 27 giant radar dishes at Brawdy
Our report on the MOD submitting a planning application to Pembrokeshire County Council.

Welsh First Minister calls for halt to Pembrokeshire space radar project
Eluned Morgan’s intervention calling for a pause to DARC while Trump leads the US.

PONTYATES: Green Party candidate calls for independent review of Meddygfa’r Sarn closure process — citing missing equality assessment and lack of pre-consultation engagement

A Green Party candidate has called on Hywel Dda University Health Board to pause its decision on the future of Meddygfa’r Sarn in Pontyates – warning that a full Equality Impact Assessment has not yet been completed, and that no community engagement was undertaken before a preferred option was identified.

Michael Willis, Green Party candidate for Carmarthenshire in Thursday’s Senedd election, made the call following the Freedom of Information disclosure obtained by the Save Meddygfa’r Sarn Working Group and reported by Swansea Bay News, which he says raises serious questions about whether every reasonable option has been exhausted before recommending the closure of the surgery.

The FOI disclosure states that no community engagement was undertaken before managed dispersal was identified as the preferred option. It also confirms that an Equality Impact Assessment – intended to examine the impact on older residents, disabled patients, Welsh-speaking patients and those without access to private transport – will not be completed until the 28 May board meeting itself, rather than having informed the recommendation at an earlier stage.

Willis is calling for a full independent review of GP recruitment efforts at the surgery since Hywel Dda took over its management in 2017, alongside publication of all options considered – including incentives, shared roles, training practice status, alternative premises and branch-service models. He is also calling for a capacity assessment of receiving practices before any patient transfer is approved.

“The people of Pontyates deserve more than a closure proposal dressed up as inevitability,” he said. “If the Health Board is relying on recruitment failure as a central reason for dispersing patients, then residents are entitled to see clear evidence of a sustained, targeted and imaginative recruitment effort for this surgery.”

The FOI disclosure revealed that the health board made no targeted attempts to recruit a salaried GP to the practice in nine years – despite citing a lack of recruitment interest as a key reason for recommending closure. The only recruitment activity recorded was a small number of circular letters sent to locums already working across managed practices in Carmarthenshire.

The campaign to save Meddygfa’r Sarn has been running since January, when Hywel Dda first proposed dispersing all 4,300 patients to other surgeries. Campaigners lodged a formal complaint over the consultation process, submitted a 52-page report and sustainability document to the board, and held a human chain around the surgery. Independent candidate and surgery patient Carl Peters-Bond has also called on the board to scrap the closure proposal, describing the board’s recruitment claims as “duplicitous.”

Willis said the issue went beyond a single surgery. “A GP surgery is not simply a building. It is continuity of care, local trust, access for older people, support for families, and a key part of community infrastructure. Once lost, services like this are rarely restored,” he said.

Hywel Dda University Health Board’s position, as set out in its January report, is that the practice is “entirely locum-dependent” and that there has been “little interest in recruitment to salaried roles” – the characterisation that campaigners and candidates dispute.

The health board began an eight-week engagement period on 9 February, running until 6 April, ahead of a board decision expected at Yr Egin in Carmarthen on 28 May. Under the proposal, patients would be transferred to nearby practices including Coalbrook Surgery in Pontyberem, Meddygfa Minafon in Kidwelly, and some practices in Llanelli.

Willis said managed dispersal should be treated as a last resort rather than a default. “Hywel Dda should pause the process, publish the full evidence base, and work with residents on a credible rescue plan before any irreversible decision is taken,” he said.

The final decision on the future of Meddygfa’r Sarn will be made at the Hywel Dda University Health Board meeting on Wednesday 28 May at Yr Egin in Carmarthen.

Our Meddygfa’r Sarn coverage

FOI reveals no specific recruitment attempts for Sarn surgery GP in 9 years
Our original report on the recruitment revelation.

Independent candidate and surgery patient calls on Hywel Dda to scrap closure
Carl Peters-Bond’s reaction to the FOI revelation.

Residents submit 52-page report as confidence in health board process collapses
How the Save Meddygfa’r Sarn Working Group has fought the closure proposal.

RAIL: Campaigners demand funding answers from next Welsh Government — as Labour pledges direct Milford Haven to London train service

Rail campaigners are calling on the next Welsh Government to press Westminster for a fairer funding deal – warning that ambitious plans for a Swansea Bay Metro and other major upgrades risk remaining on paper without a clear financial commitment.

Railfuture Cymru, an independent organisation representing rail users across Wales, has published a manifesto ahead of Thursday’s Senedd election calling for what it describes as a “customer-centred, boringly reliable railway.”

The group’s Wales chair, Richard Wilcock, said Transport for Wales’s long-term strategy raised fundamental questions about money. Referring to TfW’s vision document Today, Tomorrow, Together – which sets out an ambitious £14 billion pipeline of rail improvements – Wilcock said the key question remained unanswered. “The question is, where is the money?” he said.

The concern is a familiar one across south-west Wales. When TfW published Today, Tomorrow, Together in February, it included a Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro among its long-term ambitions – covering metro services between Swansea and Pontarddulais via Neath, a new Cockett station, Swansea Bay area electrification and enhanced services to Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven.

But Carmarthenshire councillors were quick to raise concerns that the vision was too Swansea-centric, with communities further west potentially left behind.

Welsh Labour has sought to address those concerns directly, pledging a direct rail connection between Milford Haven and London as part of its wider transport programme.

The direct service would build on £50 million of investment to upgrade rail services to the town, with work already underway to transform Milford Haven railway station into a modern public transport interchange in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council. The upgrade works would also pave the way for an hourly service and level crossing safety improvements.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said the pledge was about more than infrastructure. “This is about opening Pembrokeshire up – bringing more people to one of the most beautiful parts of Wales, strengthening our tourism sector, and creating new opportunities for local businesses to grow,” she said.

Welsh Labour’s lead candidate for Ceredigion Penfro, Marc Tierney, described the pledge as a potential game-changer for the constituency, calling the combination of investments the kind of infrastructure that communities in west Wales had been waiting for.

Railfuture argues that decades of underinvestment have left the Welsh rail network lagging significantly behind comparable networks in England and Scotland. Its manifesto sets out proposals the group believes could be delivered within the next Senedd term – including more frequent services, improved rolling stock, and better integration between rail and bus networks.

Among the priorities is a minimum service frequency of one train or connecting bus every two hours across the network, alongside action to tackle overcrowding and reliability issues on busy routes. The group also backs further development of metro-style systems in both north and south Wales, including the Swansea Bay area.

A Labour Senedd candidate had already called for a metro link to Ammanford and Llanelli earlier in the campaign, reflecting growing political pressure to extend any metro system beyond Swansea itself. And the future of a potential St Clears station – promised for years but still without a confirmed funding commitment – has also become an election issue.

The funding question is central to all of it. While the UK and Welsh governments jointly endorsed the Today, Tomorrow, Together document in February – with ministers suggesting the pipeline could total up to £14 billion – only £445 million was earmarked from the 2025 Spending Review for Welsh rail enhancements in this spending period.

Critics pointed out that much of the longer-term programme, including the Swansea Bay Metro, remains dependent on future funding decisions that have not yet been made.

Plaid Cymru’s manifesto commits to bringing forward Phase 1 of the Swansea Bay Metro if elected, alongside feasibility studies into reopening the Amman Valley line to passengers. But with no party able to guarantee the full £14 billion pipeline without Westminster funding, Railfuture’s central question remains live whoever wins on Thursday.

Our transport coverage

£14bn metro dream for Swansea — but will West Wales finally get its share?
Our report on the TfW Today, Tomorrow, Together vision and what it means for south-west Wales.

Metro row: Carmarthenshire councillor blasts ‘Swansea-centric’ transport vision
The concerns raised about communities further west being left behind.

Labour candidate backs metro link to Ammanford and Llanelli
The political pressure to extend any metro system beyond Swansea itself.

Candidate demands action on stalled St Clears station after five years of promises
The future of a promised new station that remains unconfirmed.

SENEDD ELECTION: Reform UK announces plan to prioritise Green-held areas for migrant detention centres — three days before polls open

Reform UK has announced it will prioritise areas controlled by the Green Party for new immigration detention centres if it wins power – a move that has been condemned as “abhorrent” by the Greens, and which arrives three days before Thursday’s Senedd election.

The announcement was made by Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, in a social media post by the party’s national account. He said a Reform government would build capacity to detain up to 24,000 people at a time as part of a planned mass deportation programme.

Under the proposal, Reform has pledged that no detention centre would be placed in any constituency with a Reform MP, or in any area where Reform controls a council. Of the remaining areas, the party says it would “prioritise” Green-held constituencies and Green-run councils as preferred locations.

“Given the Green Party advocate for open borders and for an infinite number of undocumented men to come here, we will prioritise Green constituencies and Green controlled councils to locate these detention centres,” Yusuf said.

The announcement is accompanied by a dedicated website – votegreengetillegals.com – which includes a postcode checker allowing users to see whether their area would be “prioritised” to receive a detention centre under the policy. The site uses polling data from the More in Common and JL Partners MRPs to determine projected political control at both Westminster constituency and council level.

The party’s planned Mass Deportation (Detention) Act would give ministers “absolute discretion” over the siting of new detention centres, removing current planning protections and offering no legal right to appeal. The policy forms part of Reform’s wider pledge to deport up to one million foreign nationals over five years.

Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali condemned the announcement. “Reform keep making abhorrent announcements to distract voters from the fact they want to privatise the NHS,” he said. “Greens are focused on building council housing, fixing our public services and bringing down the cost of living.”

The timing of the announcement – three days before polls open in Wales – is significant. The Greens are on course to win seats in the Senedd for the first time in history, with a new More in Common poll published this morning projecting five Green seats across Wales. The party needs five seats to qualify for official group status in the Senedd, unlocking more than £300,000 in additional funding.

The announcement does not relate directly to the Senedd, which has no powers over immigration – a matter reserved to the UK Government in Westminster. However it arrives at a moment when Reform UK is polling at 27% in Wales and is projected to win 34 seats in Thursday’s election – making it a significant presence in Welsh public life regardless of the Westminster context.

Immigration is not a devolved matter and any detention centre policy would be decided by the UK Government, not the Senedd. Welsh communities would have no recourse through their Senedd Members to challenge any siting decision under Reform’s proposed legislation, which would remove the right of local authorities to block unwanted facilities.

Our Senedd election coverage

Labour suffers dramatic collapse in new Wales poll — here’s what it means for your constituency
The latest More in Common poll puts Labour on just 16% three days before polls open.

Plaid on course to make history — but here’s who’s set to represent YOU on 7 May
Seat-by-seat projections for every constituency across south-west Wales.

Reform UK targets Sir Gaerfyrddin seats with nine days to go
How the campaign has been playing out across south-west Wales.

SENEDD ELECTION: Labour suffers dramatic collapse in new Wales poll — here’s what it means for your constituency

Welsh Labour has suffered its worst polling result yet with just three days to go until Thursday’s Senedd election – with a new survey putting the party on just 16% of the vote and projecting its most humiliating result since devolution began.

The poll, by More in Common, puts Plaid Cymru ahead on 30% with Reform UK close behind on 27%. Labour trails in third on 16%, with the Conservatives on 12%, the Greens on 9% and the Liberal Democrats on 4%.

The significance of the More in Common poll is that it has consistently been the most favourable for Labour of all the polling firms covering the Senedd election. Previous polls had already shown a knife-edge race between Plaid and Reform – but Labour had been holding on to the More in Common numbers as a relative comfort. That comfort has now gone.

Translated into seats under the new proportional system, the poll projects Plaid Cymru and Reform UK level on 34 seats each, with Labour on 14 – down ten from the last projection – the Conservatives on nine and the Greens on five. The new Senedd has 96 seats, meaning a majority requires 49. Under these projections, no single party or obvious coalition can reach that threshold.

One of the most striking individual findings is the projection for First Minister Eluned Morgan’s own seat in Ceredigion Penfro. Under the previous More in Common MRP, Morgan was narrowly projected to hold on as Labour’s sole representative in the constituency. With Labour now down a further five points nationally, that margin is under even greater pressure. Analysts caution that local projections carry significant uncertainty – but the direction of travel is clear.

Luke Tryl, Executive Director of More in Common UK, said the race had tightened significantly. “With less than a week to go, the race has tightened. Plaid Cymru now leads on vote share, but in terms of seats it all looks set to come down to the sixth seat in each constituency which will likely be decided by handfuls of votes,” he said.

The poll also underlines how the new closed list system benefits the larger parties at the expense of smaller ones. Plaid and Reform are each projected to win around 35% of seats despite winning 30% and 27% of the vote respectively, while the Liberal Democrats on 4% are projected to win no seats at all nationally. Two-thirds of Welsh voters still don’t understand how the new system works, according to research published at the weekend.

The new More in Common poll has not yet published full constituency-level breakdowns. The projections below are based on the April More in Common MRP model, adjusted in light of the new national figures – particularly Labour’s further five-point fall. They should be read as indicative rather than definitive.

In Sir Gaerfyrddin – covering the whole of Carmarthenshire – Plaid Cymru are dominant, polling at around 37%. Under the April MRP, Plaid were projected to take three seats – Cefin Campbell, Nerys Evans and Adam Price – with Reform UK’s Gareth Beer and Carmelo Colasanto taking two. Labour’s Calum Higgins held the sixth seat by a narrow margin. With Labour down further nationally, that sixth seat is now under serious threat.

In Gŵyr Abertawe – covering Swansea – the April MRP projected a dead heat, with Reform UK’s Francesca O’Brien and Steven Rodaway, Plaid Cymru’s Gwyn Williams and Safa Elhassan, and Labour’s Mike Hedges and Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart each winning two seats. Labour’s national collapse makes both of those Labour seats harder to hold under the new figures.

In Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd – covering Neath Port Talbot and the Brecon area – the April MRP projected the most fragmented result of any constituency in south-west Wales, with one seat each for six different parties: Reform UK’s James Evans and Iain McIntosh; Labour’s Dr Mahaboob Basha; Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams; the Liberal Democrats’ Jane Dodds; and Conservative Tyler John Chambers. With Labour on 16% nationally, Dr Basha’s seat is the most exposed of the six.

In Ceredigion Penfro – covering Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion – Plaid Cymru dominate on around 38%. The April MRP projected Elin Jones, Kerry Ferguson and Anna Nicholl taking three seats for Plaid, with Reform UK’s Susan Claire Archibald taking one and Conservative Paul Windsor Davies another. First Minister Eluned Morgan was projected to narrowly hold the sixth seat for Labour – but that projection is now in serious doubt given Labour’s further national decline.

In Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg – covering Bridgend – the April MRP projected a three-way tie with two seats each for Reform UK’s Sarah Cooper-Lesadd and Gareth Thomas, Plaid Cymru’s Mark Hooper and Sarah Rees, and Labour’s Sarah Murphy and Huw John David. Labour’s second seat here is under pressure under the new polling figures.

A second major poll from YouGov is expected on Tuesday – which will give a further picture of where Wales stands heading into polling day on Thursday. We will bring you the full breakdown as soon as it is published.

Our Senedd election coverage

Plaid on course to make history — but here’s who’s set to represent YOU on 7 May
Seat-by-seat projections for every constituency across south-west Wales under the new system.

Race between Plaid and Reform on a knife-edge as two major polls show Wales heading for historic result
The polling picture before the More in Common survey.

Two-thirds of Welsh voters don’t understand the new voting system
New research from Aberystwyth and Swansea universities on voter knowledge ahead of Thursday.

Reform UK targets Sir Gaerfyrddin seats with nine days to go
How the campaign has been playing out across south-west Wales.

CARMARTHENSHIRE: Two Debenhams buildings, two very different outcomes — as Senedd candidates question council’s town centre spending priorities

Two former Debenhams buildings sit at the heart of two Welsh town centres – but their stories could not be more different, and the contrast is drawing scrutiny from candidates standing in Thursday’s Senedd election for Sir Gaerfyrddin.

In Swansea, the former Debenhams building in the Quadrant was sold this week to Centurion – the company that already owns the shopping centre – with three major new tenants set to be announced within days. The sale was brokered by Swansea Council after the Welsh Government helped fund the purchase of the building.

In Carmarthen, the picture is more complicated. Carmarthenshire County Council purchased the town’s former Debenhams building and announced plans to transform it into Atriwm, a cultural and community venue – part of a strategy to repurpose large vacant units left by departing chains.

But opening has been pushed back to 2027 after a structural defect was discovered in the building following purchase – a complication the council says forms part of its £146 million capital programme.

Calum Higgins, Welsh Labour’s lead candidate for Sir Gaerfyrddin, said the situation raised serious questions about spending priorities across the county. “There have been some poorly thought out purchases in Carmarthen by the Plaid Cymru led Carmarthenshire County Council, and a lack of investment in towns like Ammanford and Llanelli because money is being sucked up by white elephants,” he said. He is calling for a Senedd inquiry into how local authorities spend money on town centres.

The spending in Carmarthen comes against a backdrop of contested town centre plans for Llanelli and Ammanford set out by the council in September last year.

The masterplan acknowledged that both towns face significant challenges – in Llanelli, the Murray Street multi-storey car park and indoor market beneath it are nearing the end of their structural life, while Ammanford’s plan focused on reconnecting the town centre with surrounding communities and tackling the leakage of shoppers to larger centres.

Llanelli Market has been at the centre of significant controversy since plans emerged in July 2025 to demolish the existing building and relocate to the former Woolworths site, with traders and Labour councillors raising concerns about the process.

A Bake Off star who opened a bakery in the market quit after just a year, blaming the council’s handling of the situation.

Carl Peters-Bond, Mayor of Kidwelly and independent candidate for Sir Gaerfyrddin, said the pattern of spending reflected a wider failure of priorities. “Councils and Welsh Government must start listening to people rather than ploughing blindly on with vanity projects,” he said. “Money seems to be no object when it comes to Carmarthen – yet other market towns across the county are left to survive on whatever grant funding they can find, with all the restrictions and conditions that come with it.”

Peters-Bond said the Llanelli Market move illustrated the problem. “The proposed move to the former Woolworths site is only happening because refurbishment of existing retail is a condition of the grant the council has applied for – not because it is the best outcome for the town or its people,” he said. Carmarthenshire Council has not publicly addressed this specific claim.

Plaid Cymru’s candidate for Sir Gaerfyrddin, Mari Arthur, pointed to a different root cause – arguing that the business rates system was working against town centres across Wales, not just in Carmarthenshire. “A café owner on Stepney Street pays rates that bear no relation to the advantages enjoyed by a big-box retailer on the edge of town,” she said. “That is not a fair system – it is a rigged one.” Plaid’s manifesto commits to restructuring business rates to level the playing field between high-street businesses and out-of-town retail.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s position, as set out in its capital programme, is that the Atriwm project remains a long-term investment in Carmarthen’s cultural offer, with the 2027 opening date reflecting the work required to address the structural issues identified after purchase.

Cabinet Member for Regeneration Cllr Hazel Evans said in September that the placemaking plans for all three towns would “only succeed if they’re driven by the communities they affect.”

Related coverage

Carmarthen’s old Debenhams reborn as Atriwm — but opening pushed back to 2027
Our report on the delays and structural issues affecting the Carmarthen project.

Swansea: Debenhams building sold to Quadrant owners as three major new tenants set to be named
This week’s news on Swansea’s former Debenhams — a very different outcome.

Llanelli faces twin loss as council moves to demolish market and multi-storey car park
Our original report on the Llanelli Market controversy.

Future of Llanelli, Ammanford and Carmarthen town centres set out in new plans
The council’s own vision for town centres across Carmarthenshire, published September 2025.

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