1.2.3 – Emerging and minor UK political parties
1.3.1 – Different electoral systems
2.1.3 – Devolution
Plaid Cymru have come to the rescue of the Labour government in Wales, after announcing its support for the budget due to be voted on in January.
Labour lost its working majority in the Senedd after the Caerphilly by-election in October, and has therefore been working behind the scenes to find support for its proposals from across the chamber including, it is reported, from the Welsh Conservatives.
The announcement, which will see an additional £300m extra invested in public services, was described by the First Minister, Eluned Morgan, as showing ‘the strength of the Senedd parties working together on shared priorities to deliver for Wales’, and by Plaid leader, Rhun ap Iorweth, as, ‘[putting] the next Welsh Government on a firmer footing than would otherwise be the case’. Conversely, the Senedd leader of the Welsh Conservatives described the announcement as ‘another Plaid-Labour stitch-up’, and by Reform UK as ‘more evidence that a vote for Plaid next year is a vote for Labour’.
The move to the closed-list PR system for Senedd elections from May 2026 will make the prospect of single-party government less likely than it was under AMS. As such, the agreement between Plaid and Labour may be an indication of their intention to work together to form a future executive. This is a view clearly shared by other parties, hence Reform’s response to the news of Plaid’s support for the budget.