Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth hopes to be first minister on Tuesday

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth hopes to be first minister on Tuesday16 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleAdrian BrowneWales political reporterGetty ImagesA celebration with new Plaid Cymru Senedd members turned into a bit of a rally on SaturdayRhun ap Iorwerth says he hopes to become the first Plaid Cymru first minister on Tuesday, after its Senedd election victory. Leading the largest Cardiff Bay group, with 43 seats, ap Iorwerth needs to win a vote of Senedd members to be appointed, but Labour's interim Welsh leader, Ken Skates, has indicated it is unlikely to oppose him. Ap Iowerth told Wales "certainly Tuesday is what we would prefer" but any delay "won't be much" and Plaid was keen to "hit the ground running".

Skates said the idea of "teaming up with Reform" members to block ap Iorwerth was "deeply unpleasant" for Labour Senedd members but they will make a "final decision" on Monday. Both politicians were speaking on Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement. Reform has 34 MSs, Labour just 9, the Conservatives 7, the Green Party 2 and one Liberal Democrat, in an expanded 96-member Welsh Parliament.

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Outgoing Labour First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat in the election, and announced she was resigning as Welsh Labour leader. Ap Iorwerth wants Plaid Cymru to govern on its own, rather than seeking to bring another party or parties into his administration. Wales' new interim Labour leader describes election rout as 'catastrophic'What does Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth do next after election victory?

He told Radio Wales he was seeking cross-party cooperation and wanted support from across the Senedd. He said he had spoken to all the other party leaders apart from Reform's Dan Thomas who "didn't feel like he wanted to speak with me as leader of Plaid Cymru". The Plaid leader's suggestion was immediately denied by Reform.

"We provided a number for the purpose of Rhun contacting Dan," a spokesperson said. "We made a clear communication channel if they wanted to reach him, he hasn't. "Rhun said Dan didn't want to speak to him.

What Experts Say

"Skates, Senedd member for Fflint Wrecsam, revealed Labour Senedd members will hold a meeting on Monday to decide how to vote on Rhun ap Iorwerth's nomination for first minister. "We're going to meet tomorrow to make a final decision on this, but the idea of teaming up with Reform is deeply unpleasant for all of the members of my group," he said. The Labour group is expected to abstain in the vote.

Rhun ap Iorwerth and Ken Skates were doing the media round of interviews on SundaySkates described Labour's emphatic rejection by voters as "a catastrophic defeat, no doubt about it", calling Morgan a "phenomenal leader" in "difficult times". He warned Welsh Labour to avoid the "blame game" and unite. "We need to look at the reasons for our defeat in the most objective manner possibly," he said, saying he wanted the investigation to be like a "forensic study".

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.