Photo: BBC (2025)
Following the Senedd elections on the 7th of May 2026, the First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan has been forced to resign as both First Minister and leader of Welsh Labour after a historic collapse in support for the party. Labour not only suffered its worst result since Welsh devolution began in 1999, but Morgan also lost her own seat, marking the first time in modern British political history that the sitting leader of a UK nation lost their seat while still in office. ¹ ²
Morgan became the first female leader of Wales during a difficult period for Welsh Labour. She took office after her predecessor Vaughan Gething resigned just months into his premiership, inheriting a party facing growing voter fatigue. Her leadership was complicated by dissatisfaction with both Cardiff Bay and Westminster Labour, especially amid criticism of public services, NHS waiting times, economic stagnation, and controversial policies associated with Keir Starmer’s government. ³
The recent election campaign itself appeared increasingly difficult for Welsh Labour. Polls throughout April showed Labour falling behind both Rhun ap Iorwerth’s Plaid Cymru and Reform UK. Morgan herself publicly admitted she was at serious risk of losing her seat, describing the election as “knife edge”. I notable moment from Morgan’s election campaign included a moment in which she told voters in Welsh to “vote Plaid Cymru” before immediately correcting herself. ⁴
Photo: Sky News. Rhun ap lorweth in 2025
Ultimately, the Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party in the Senedd, ending over a 100-years of Labour dominance in Wales. Reform UK also made major gains, reflecting wider political fragmentation across Britain, and Reform influence not just in England. Plaid’s victory is particularly significant for the future of the United Kingdom. With the Scottish National Party in Scotland and Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland remaining dominant in each respective countries, now three of the UK’s devolved nations are led politically by nationalist movements. While Plaid Cymru is not currently advocating immediate independence, its rise will likely intensify debates surrounding devolution, Welsh autonomy, and the long-term future of the UK union itself.
Photo: Nation Cymru. Eluned Morgan with Hiroshi Suzuki
Personally, I will remember Morgan most for her surprisingly good and wholesome attempts to sing the Japanese national anthem alongside Japan’s ambassador to the UK, Hiroshi Suzuki. ⁵ On more than one occasion, she sang it with an almost accurate pronunciation and intonation in response to Suzuki’s attempts at singing the Welsh anthem. Those exchanges represent the growing friendship between Wales and Japan, and will likely be remembered fondly in the history of Welsh–Japanese relations.
¹ BBC News
³ BBC News
⁴ ITV News
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