Welsh Labour keeps power, Tories ‘delighted’ – but it’s disappointment for nationalists

FIRST Minister Mark Drakeford was returned to power in Wales yesterday as the Conservatives and Labour recorded their best ever results in a Welsh election, while nationalists in the country suffered a crushing blow.

Based on the constituency results, Labour received 39.9 per cent of the vote across Wales while the Conservatives received 26.1 per cent. Plaid Cymru followed with 20.3 per cent and the Liberal Democrats with 4.9 per cent.

Mr Drakeford vowed to be “radical” and “ambitious” in government after his party won 30 of the 60 available seats – one short of an absolute majority. The Welsh Labour leader can now choose whether to form a minority government or invite members of other parties into a Labour-led administration, giving the party greater control of the Senedd.

It came as Plaid Cymru’s former leader Leanne Wood lost her Rhondda seat to Labour, which she called “disappointing”. The nationalists had hoped to have some sort of role in the next government and press their case for an independence referendum to be held.

The Tories finished as the secondbiggest party with 16 seats, with party leader Andrew RT Davies saying he was “delighted” that they had also secured the party’s “best ever result” in a Senedd election. This including taking the Vale of Clwyd from Labour, and Brecon and Radnorshire from the Liberal Democrats.

“It’s been an unconventional campaign and it’s clear incumbency and continuity has played a significant part,” Mr Davies said.

He congratulated Mr Drakeford and Welsh Labour on a successful campaign and said the election had been fought “in good spirit” by political parties across Wales.

Welsh Labour put what it called an “extraordinary set of results” down to Drakeford’s careful leadership during the coronavirus pandemic.

Asked if he planned to continue his cautious approach during a new admin

istration, Drakeford said: “Well, absolutely as far as coronavirus is concerned. The pandemic has not gone away.”

However, he added that on other matters, his party’s manifesto is a “radical manifesto with a host of ideas that are ambitious for Wales”. He said: “I’ll be very keen to ensure that we give that the most powerful sense of momentum behind it to get those things happening here in Wales,” he said.

Plaid Cymru now has 13 seats in the Welsh Parliament, despite losing the Rhondda seat. On her Facebook page, Ms Wood said her team could “hold our heads high in the knowledge that we ran a clean and honest campaign, we did not denigrate our opponents and we worked hard”.

The Welsh Lib Dems have just one seat. Leader Jane Dodds, who won the regional seat in Mid and West Wales after her party lost the Brecon and Radnorshire constituency to the Conservatives, said she has yet to be approached by Mr Drakeford to help form the next government. She told BBC Radio Cymru: “I need to speak to other people within the party and we shall have to see.”

Lib Dem Kirsty Williams served as education minister in the last administration when Labour held 29 seats.