Labour have held onto power in Wales and increased their seat tally in the Senedd, matching their best-ever Senedd election result.
With all results declared, Labour won 30 seats – exactly half of the 60 seats in the Senedd. The party held all of its seats from the 2016 election, apart from the Vale of Clwyd which it lost to the Conservatives. Labour also gained the Rhondda constituency seat from Plaid Cymru and gained a seat in the Wales North region.
31 seats are needed for an official majority in the Parliament, though 30 should provide the Drakeford government with a working majority. It is yet to be confirmed whether Welsh Labour will try to do a deal with another party, such as the Liberal Democrats, to build an even stronger government.
The full results see the new makeup of the Senedd by party as follows;
| Welsh Labour | 30 seats |
| Conservatives | 16 seats |
| Plaid Cymru | 13 seats |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 seat |
The Conservatives also made significant gains in Wales, with the party gaining Brecon & Radnorshire, the Vale of Clwyd and 3 regional seats. Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru increased their seat total by 1, gaining an extra seat in the regions.
The UKIP vote collapsed – all of the seats gained by the party in the last election were lost, benefitting the major parties. The Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party, Reform UK, Gwlad, Propel and the Greens all failed to win any seats – all picking up minimal levels of the vote share.
The Senedd Election was the first chance for voters to have their say at the polls since the UK left the European Union, and since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. While some have criticised it, many have welcomed Mark Drakeford’s cautious approach to responding to the pandemic and it is clear that voters have given him new backing and support in this election.
Mr Drakeford, who will remain as First Minister, has already taken his oath in the Welsh Parliament as MS for Cardiff West – where he increased his majority by over 10,000 votes.
Labour’s win in Wales contrasts the results of the party elsewhere in the UK, with Labour making significant losses in the English local elections and losing the Hartlepool parliamentary constituency for the first time since its creation in 1973.
For the latest from the elections and a breakdown of the Senedd Election Results by party, visit our Election Centre.
