Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan has lost her Senedd seat in a dramatic setback for Labour, as the party endures a day of historic losses across the country.
Morgan, who has led the devolved Welsh government since 2024, saw her constituency taken by Elin Jones of Plaid Cymru, who secured 35.8% of the vote. Labour finished fourth with just 7.3%, marking a sharp decline in support.
Reform UK came second with 25.8%, while the Conservative Party placed third on 16.6%. The Green Party followed closely behind Labour on 7.1%, with the Liberal Democrats trailing on 5.2%.
Labour Collapse In Wales As Plaid Cymru And Reform UK Gain Ground
Reacting to the outcome, Morgan described the results as “catastrophic” and called on the party to take a long hard look at itself. She confirmed she would step down as leader, accepting full responsibility for the collapse in support.
The loss of Labour’s most senior figure in Wales compounds an already bruising day for the party. Across England, Labour has suffered significant setbacks in local elections, while in Wales, Plaid Cymru has made notable inroads into traditional Labour strongholds.
Earlier in the week, Morgan — who also sits in the House of Lords — declined to back Keir Starmer as Labour leader beyond “this point in time”.
Senedd Election Results Signal Major Shift In Welsh Politics
Although the full results for all 96 seats in the Senedd are still pending, Labour has warned it could secure as few as 10 seats — a dramatic drop from its previous position.
A total of 49 seats is required for a majority. Prior to the expansion of the Senedd, Labour held 29 of 60 seats and had remained the dominant political force in Wales for more than a century.
However, widespread dissatisfaction with Starmer’s government had already led forecasters to predict heavy losses for Labour in Wales.
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Labour’s deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who retained his seat in Afan Ogwr Rhondda, acknowledged the scale of the challenge early on Friday. He said it would be an “exceptionally tough day” and added: “All of us come into politics to do things and change the country, our community, the nation, to be better, to improve people’s lives, and to be rejected in that way is hard to take.
“But I think that is part of politics as well.”
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