Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of Plaid Cymru, has been named the next First Minister of Wales.
Mr ap Iorwerth won the most votes from Members of the Senedd (MSs) on Tuesday, making him the first politician not from Labour to do so in the 27-year history of the Welsh Parliament.
He succeeds Baroness Eluned Morgan, who lost her seat in the Senedd election last week and subsequently resigned as Welsh Labour leader after a devastating set of results for the party.
Mr ap Iorwerth has said he will seek to form a minority government after his party secured the largest bloc in the election, falling short of a majority with 43 Members of the Senedd (MSs).
His nomination for appointment as first minister was supported by the two Wales Green Party MSs, while Liberal Democrat MS Jane Dodds and Welsh Labour MSs abstained.
Before he is officially confirmed as first minister, the Senedd’s presiding officer will write to the King recommending he is officially appointed.
There were two other nominations for first minister, with Reform’s Dan Thomas receiving 34 votes and the Welsh Conservatives’ Darren Millar receiving seven.
In order to win, Mr ap Iorwerth needed more support than all other candidates combined, which he achieved with 44 votes.
The Plaid Cymru leader described the result as the “greatest privilege” of his life.
He said: “Something has stirred in the soul of Wales – a new confidence, a new hope, a new broader horizon, never to be narrowed again by the naysayers with other priorities in other places.
“From this historic moment onwards, every person in every part of our nation can know that the government of Wales is their government.
“They will know that their government does not and will not impose on itself or on our citizens any limits on what our nation can achieve.
“My promise to everyone is that I will lead without prejudice or presumption. I’ll never take this privilege for granted.”
He paid tribute to his predecessor Lady Morgan, who he said governed “with resilience and determination”.
Her defeat – a “Portillo moment” of the Welsh election akin to the shock when Conservative former minister Michael Portillo lost his Westminster constituency in 1997 – marks her out as the first serving leader of a government to lose her seat in British electoral history.
Ken Skates, who is Welsh Labour’s interim leader until a full leadership contest takes place, said he was “deeply saddened” by his party’s loss at the election.
“I hope the people of Wales will see that in this term, Welsh Labour in opposition will remain focused, laser-like on serving their interests and on improving their lives,” he added.
Dan Thomas, leader of Reform Wales, which returned 34 MSs in the election, said his party would be a “robust opposition” to the Plaid Cymru government.
“I would like to remind Plaid Cymru that this chamber has a pro-Union majority,” he added.
“Reform will work with all pro-Union parties to block taxpayers’ money being spent on an independence commission.
“The future of a prosperous Wales lies within a successful United Kingdom and Reform will ensure that that union prevails.
“The people of Wales made that clear at the ballot box and Reform serves the people of Wales.”
