It’s been a historic day in the Senedd, and the new First Minister has said ‘from this historic moment onwards, every person in every part of our nation can know that the Government of Wales is their Government’
Rhun ap Iorwerth was all smiles as he prepared to give his first speech as First Minister in the Senedd(Image: Matt Horwood/Senedd Cymru)
Rhun ap Iorwerth has made his first speech in the Senedd after being officially confirmed as Wales’ new First Minister.
A vote was taken in the new Senedd on Tuesday afternoon as it met for the first time since the election results were announced last Friday. Plaid Cymru are the largest party with 43 seats, while Reform have 34 Members of the Senedd (MSs). Labour came third in the election with nine MSs, while the Welsh Conservatives have seven.
The Green Party have two MSs and the Liberal Democrats have one. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
A new Llywydd (presiding officer) was also elected today, with Labour’s Huw Irranca-Davies taking on the role from Plaid Cymru’s Elin Jones.
Taking up his position as Plaid Cymru’s first ever First Minister – which is expected to be ratified by King Charles III later on Tuesday – Mr ap Iorwerth spoke to the new Senedd and said that he will “never take this privilege for granted”.
You can see his speech in full below:
“Thank you, Llywydd, first of all, and congratulations to you on being elected to the role, and to the Deputy Presiding Officer too. I know that the success and reputation of our Senedd are matters that are very close to your heart, and that you will be a worthy custodian and ambassador for the home of our democracy. Thank you.
I”t’s the greatest privilege of my life to be elected First Minister of the nation that means so much to me. I begin the journey humbly, indebted to the support and love of my family, who are here today, to my mother, who continues to influence me today as much as ever, and to friends and colleagues. I’m eager to repay the trust that the people of Wales have placed in us, and to achieve the change that people have stated so clearly that they wish to see.
“But first of all, I want to pay tribute to my predecessor in this role. With resilience and determination, Eluned steered her Government and her nation with enthusiasm and with pride at all times. As a father of two daughters, I thank her for shattering that glass ceiling, and in so doing inspiring young women across Wales and beyond. Thank you, Eluned.
“I would also like to congratulate party leaders: Jane Dodds, Darren Millar and Ken Skates on their re-election. I know they will bring the same energy and passion to proceedings in the seventh Senedd, as they did in the last.
“To our colleagues in the Green Party, we applaud you on your historic breakthrough and look forward to a new era of ensuring that plurality pays dividends for the people of Wales. And, of course, let me congratulate Dan Thomas and the Reform UK group on securing what will no doubt prove to be a formidable presence in the Chamber and one that promises to keep the Government on its toes.
“I’ll always welcome scrutiny. And using my words tentatively here, let me say I look forward to our weekly sessions of First Minister’s questions. I guess I will learn soon enough whether asking them was, in fact, much more fun than answering them.
“But that is why our democracy is to be cherished: a free and fair election, followed by the opportunity to form an administration in a peaceful and orderly manner, before being held to account for our record of governing – a privilege denied to so many around the world and one we must never take for granted.
“Llywydd, 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. And 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.
“And my promise to everyone is that I will lead without prejudice or presumption.
“I’ll never take this privilege for granted, nor will my principles be burdened by power, because the challenges we face are too many in number and too grave in nature for us to lose sight of what is at stake: the need to take decisive action to bring down waiting lists and to put health and care and our treasured NHS on a more sustainable footing for the future; an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of those children across Wales who woke up to poverty this morning, and to ease the punishing cost-of-living crisis for families, to give every child the skills they need to thrive through a renewed focus on standards in education, and to unleash our economic potential by backing businesses and creating jobs in all parts of Wales.
“The Plaid Cymru Government will be here to serve everyone in every community, urban and rural, old and young, whether they speak Welsh or do not, those who have always been here and those who are new amongst us, south, east, west and north.
“Where there is common ground, we will make every effort to find it. And where unfairness and injustice threaten the fabric of our nation, we will turn that mission of kindness and tolerance into support for those who need it most. Wales is a vineyard entrusted to our care, and we will care for her in the name of all of those who came before us and all those who will follow.
“Llywydd, I will end with this: when compassion is backed by the courage to act, and when recognition of our potential today meets a collective aspiration to secure a better tomorrow, that is when our nation’s voice will sing the loudest.
“That is how we know that our best days lie ahead of us. That is how we know that together we can and will build a fairer, more ambitious Wales for all. That work starts now.”
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