A long-standing Labour victory streak in Wales comes to an end as the party's leader loses his seat.

In a surprising turn of events, Eluned Morgan, the Welsh First Minister, has lost her seat in the Senedd due to a new voting system. This marks a devastating collapse for Labour in what was once considered their stronghold. For nearly a century, Labour has consistently come out on top in every Welsh election, both at the Westminster and Cardiff Bay levels.

However, it seems that Keir Starmer's leadership has brought an end to this winning streak. Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are now in a tight race for power in Wales. The loss of Morgan's seat in Ceredigion Penfro is a significant blow to the Prime Minister's leadership, as he has been in power since 2024.

This afternoon, it was announced that three MSs from Plaid Cymru, two from Reform UK, and one from the Conservatives will represent the region. The impact of Labour's loss extends beyond Wales, as they have also lost hundreds of council seats and control of numerous councils in England. On the other hand, Reform UK has gained more seats in these elections.

Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has publicly acknowledged that his party lost the argument for change in Holyrood. This election was the first time Wales used a new voting system based on proportional representation. Instead of individual candidates running for 40 constituencies, the country now elects six MSs for each of the 16 larger constituencies.

The allocation of MSs from each party is determined by a mathematical formula, and as a result, the size of the Senedd has increased by more than 50%. Labour's share of the vote has fallen far behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, only achieving a third of their vote counts. This is a remarkable result for a country that is known as one of the birthplaces of the Labour movement.

Merthyr Tydfil, the birthplace of NHS founder Aneurin Bevan, and former leaders Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock, was also the constituency of Keir Hardie, the first parliamentary leader of the party. A spokesperson for the party has conceded to the election results, stating that Welsh Labour will return a group of around 10 MSs. While this allows for a vocal Labour opposition, they are deeply disappointed about not being able to lead the government.

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