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First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has pledged to tackle child poverty, cut NHS waiting lists and stand up for Wales during this Senedd term – while also revealing he discussed Welsh independence with the Prime Minister.

Following the appointment of members to the Senedd’s business committee on Tuesday May 19, the First Minister addressed the Siambr to establish the priorities for Plaid Cymru’s first ever government.

Mr ap Iorwerth said: “As we meet for the second time as a Senedd since the election less than two weeks ago, I do hope that my government’s desire to maintain momentum and to get on immediately in making a difference to people’s lives is clear for everyone to see.

“It was a pleasure to announce my energetic and talented ministerial team over recent days, and I am pleased to say that we have already met to discuss the priorities of this new administration and to receive an update on the impact of the war in the middle east on the cost of living for Welsh households.

“I vowed to lead a government that would bring new energy, new ideas and new leadership, and I’m pleased that our first week in office has made a clear statement of intent in that regard.”

He outlined the Welsh Government’s “core missions” as cutting waiting lists, raising school standards, creating jobs and supporting businesses, tackling child poverty, helping households with the cost-of-living crisis and standing up for Wales.

The First Minister concluded his statement by saying: “The path will not always be smooth and without obstruction, but we will face the challenges together, with the aim of saying that we have always done our best for Wales.

“I am conscious that we are merely custodians as we work in the pursuit of an ideal that we hope will long outlive any of us here: the betterment of the nation we love.

“A new administration with a new approach, one that inspires us to move with a new energy and renewed pace to turn aspirations into outcomes for the benefit of everyone who calls Wales home.”

Standing up for Wales

Much of the First Minister’s statement focused on the importance of the government “pursuing fair treatment” for Wales “on funding, the full benefits of our natural resources, and the powers we need to improve people’s lives”.

Sharing he had already spoken with Prime Minister Kier Starmer, Mr ap Iorwerth noted the importance of a “constructive relationship” with the UK Government.

He said: “I expect our nation to be treated as an equal partner in those discussions, and for the actions that follow from the UK Government to reflect that in reality, not just in rhetoric.

“Claiming that this is a union of equals is not enough, because any analysis of the reality leaves such words ringing hollow.”

The First Minister went on to share his commitment to the devolution of justice and policing, the Crown Estate, and developing a fair funding formula for Wales – issues which he claimed have “majority support” among Senedd members.

“Constitutional obsession”

Leader of the Opposition, Reform UK’s Dan Thomas began by discussing the clear changes to the political landscape in Wales following the 2026 election.

The Casnewydd Islwyn MS said: “After decades of Welsh politics looking exactly the same, the people of Wales have finally said enough is enough, with almost a third of voters trusting Reform to bring about real change.

“People want politicians focused on the issues that matter: the NHS, education, the economy, infrastructure and the cost of living.

“That is why Reform has surged across Wales – not because of constitutional obsessions or ideology, but because we are speaking for the people who feel ignored, overtaxed and forgotten.”

Claiming that Plaid Cymru has had “decades to prepare”, Mr Thomas suggested the people of Wales will be expecting “immediate action and swift improvements”.

The Reform leader criticised the First Minister for focusing on “constitutional issues”, sharing that he was “disappointed to read reports that one of your first discussions with the outgoing Prime Minister touched on independence.”

He told the Siambr that there is “little appetite” among Welsh people for “endless constitutional expansion while basic services struggle”.

In his response, Mr ap Iorwerth acknowledged the immense changes seen to the Welsh political landscape and declared his intention to “reflect the plurality of opinion that was expressed in that recent election” as First Minister.

He added he had “no doubt” that he and Mr Thomas would continue to “cross swords on the question of ambition for our nation”.

The First Minster said: “I have a level of ambition for my nation where I said that I want to lead a national conversation creating that confidence in our ability, undoubtedly, to be an independent nation like so many countries like ours.

“But, I said to the Prime Minister, as I have said throughout my time in politics and will continue to do so, we deal with the issues that we deal with now, and we set a journey that the people of Wales will ultimately have to decide on the trajectory and the pace of.”

“Health emergency”

In his statement to the Siambr, Mr ap Iorwerth shared his hopes of making “cross-government, longer-term thinking” a “hallmark of this Government”.

In the case of the NHS, part of this “longer-term thinking” includes the creation of a Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health to ensure a “sustainable future for the NHS”.

He also shared plans to host a summit of all health board chief executives, alongside the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care and the Minister for Finance, to develop “a road map for a sustainable shift of NHS resources towards primary care”.

Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Darren Millar, challenged the First Minister on his plans for the NHS, noting that Mr ap Iorwerth did not describe the state of the NHS as a “health emergency”.

In response, the First Minister said: “I’ll use the words; we clearly face an emergency within the NHS in Wales. We clearly face a crisis within the NHS in Wales.

“But far more important than what you call it is what you do in response, and that’s why the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care has been charged with beginning, not next week, but already, to put in place those measures that we have already outlined in order to deal with the issue of waiting times and the pressing need to take action on that front, but also the longer term thinking, the preventative agenda, the women’s health agenda, the mental health agenda and so on.”

“Net-zero dogma”

The First Minister also faced scrutiny for a lack of focus on agriculture and farming during his statement.

Referring to the importance of food security, Labour’s Ken Skates noted his disappointment in the “absence of reference” to farming throughout the First Minister’s statement.

Reform’s Laura Anne Jones echoed these concerns expressing her “huge reservations” about Plaid Cymru’s ability to achieve the best outcomes for Wales.

She criticised the First Minister, noting that both farming and agriculture were absent from his six priorities for government.

Ms Jones called on the First Minister to “reassure” farmers across Wales that he will listen to them rather than letting “agriculture die on the altar of net-zero dogma and unrealistic environmental targets”.

In response, Mr ap Iorwerth noted that Reform UK had failed to “mention health as a priority within [their] programme for government”.

He continued: “Plaid Cymru is a party that has always championed both agriculture and rural Wales and the sustainability of our environment.

“I know that, working together, we can make sure that we provide the support that a strong, resilient agriculture sector needs in order to build resilience in our food and drink sector, and that we build food security in a resilient way.”