Welsh Labour leader apologises for election defeat in May

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Nov, 21:01 · Archive

Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates has apologised to voters after the party lost control of the Welsh government in May's Senedd election to Plaid Cymru.

Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates apologised on Saturday as the party published a review into its historic election defeat in May's Senedd election, which saw the party lose control of the Welsh government to Plaid Cymru after 27 years. The party fell from 30 seats to just nine.

The review, commissioned from Professor Anand Menon of King's College London, identified three fundamental reasons for the defeat. It found that Welsh Labour had kept traditional supporters but steadily lost progressive voters to other left-wing parties. Voters who left Labour said the party had not delivered on the NHS, the economy and the cost of living. The party was also seen as being associated with an unpopular UK Government for the first time in over a decade.

Skates criticised his party's past stance on devolution, saying it had treated standing up for Wales as merely wanting more powers for the Senedd. 'Standing up for Wales means standing up for the people of Wales, people's jobs and wages, the NHS,' he told the party conference at Venue Cymru in Llandudno. He apologised that the party 'fell short on what matters to you most' and 'sometimes didn't prioritise the things the people truly cared about'.

How it is being reported

• The 3 reasons blamed for Welsh Labour's Senedd election catastrophe and 5 ways to put things rightA review was commissioned of Welsh Labour’s performance in the 2026 Senedd elections and the final report has now been publishedWalesOnline · 14 Nov, 20:30
• Labour lost its connection with voters, says Welsh leaderOn Saturday, Labour will publish a review into its historic election defeat in May’s Senedd election.BBC Wales · 13 Nov, 18:44

In this story: Welsh Labour · Ken Skates · Plaid Cymru · Wales · Eluned Morgan · Anand Menon

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