Rhun ap Iorwerth became first minister today after Plaid Cymru won the biggest share of votes across Wales, leading to them becoming the largest party in the Senedd.

Reform UK actually saw the biggest improvement in their share of votes compared to the previous election in 2021 - seeing a huge 28% increase.

Labour saw the biggest drop - losing more than 25% of the share of votes compared to 2021, bringing and end to its 27-year rule in government.

Felicity Evans
Wales money editor

The new first minister's in-tray will be bulging, but measures to help with the cost of living will be near the top.

Plaid has promised to expand childcare and take action on child poverty but both schemes will take time to roll out.

Meanwhile, the ongoing crisis in the Middle East will continue to put pressure on energy and food prices and the instability at Westminster could lead to higher borrowing costs for the UK government.

This could result in more money being spent on servicing debt and less being available for public services.

The Senedd rose in applause as Rhun ap Iorwerth was confirmed as Wales' first minister.

"Something has stirred in the soul of Wales," he said in his speech to the parliament.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Now he's been elected by the Senedd to be Wales' new first minister, there are more formalities for Rhun ap Iorwerth to attend to.

The first job is to get sworn in by a High Court judge, so he can legally become the political head of the Welsh government - he'll shortly be heading over to the government's headquarters in Cardiff to do that.

Then he will have to pick his ministers. But we're expecting that to play out tomorrow, on his first full day in charge.

A final round of applause marks the end of the meeting.

Senedd members file out of the doors at the back of the chamber.

And that's that - with a little bit of a heated speech at the end, Rhun ap Iorwerth is Wales' new first minister.

The speech takes a turn as Millar accuses Plaid of stitching-up the position of presiding officer with Labour, which he says many in Wales will find unedifying.

"Frankly, it stinks," he says, before saying Huw Irranca-Davies had been "vomited from government".

Reform's Dan Thomas is shaking is head as Millar speaks.

In response, Irranca-Davies says he will earn the respect of everyone in the chamber.

"You can be assured of that Darren," he says.

Welsh Tory Senedd leader Darren Millar says to Rhun ap Iorwerth: "To lead your country is the highest honour" in public life.

He wishes him well and extends his congratulations to Plaid for a "formidable election result" which he says is a "huge achievement and cannot be overlooked".

"Be under no illusion, you have a monumental task before you.

"The honeymoon period for you and your party is going to be short.

"The cold reality is waiting for you in the morning," and mentions "an NHS which isn't working" and "a stagnant economy which isn't working".

He says the Tories were delighted to have out performed the pessimistic predictions of pollsters in returning a 'magnificent seven'.

Ken Skates, interim leader of Welsh Labour, says he looks forward to his party being an effective opposition, scrutinising and holding Plaid to account.

A known fan of Lord of the Rings, he gets a laugh from the Senedd as he makes a comparison to his own group of MSs.

“We may only be a group of nine now, but above all we are a fellowship,” he says.

“And let's remember in The Fellowship of the Ring, it was just nine warriors who overcame enormous odds to bring down an empire guided by their very own Gandalf, who will now guide us and protect our democracy with his shiny new mace.

“Be assured we will not let the party of government off the hook at any time, as they quite rightly did not allow us to.”

It is interim Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates' turn to speak.

"I am deeply saddened by Welsh Labour's loss," he tells the Senedd in his first remarks.

"No one knows better than our party that it is a privilege to govern", which he says now "rests on different shoulders."

He pays tribute to those who have not returned, including Eluned Morgan, who he says showed "so much dignity" for herself and for Labour.

"I do look forward to my party being an effective opposition," he says, and says Labour will be "laser-like" on improving people's lives.

Dan Thomas congratulates Rhun ap Iorwerth and thanks Reform MSs for endorsing his leadership at a group meeting yesterday.

The Reform group will be a "robust opposition" that will hold "Plaid to account", he says.

He says it will be a voice for the "left-behind communities that have voted for us".

Thomas also says there is a "pro-union majority" in the Senedd.

"The future of a prosperous Wales lies within a successful United Kingdom."

He receives a round of applause from Reform MSs.

Ap Iorwerth says his government will be there to "serve everyone in every community, urban and rural, old and young, whether they speak Welsh or do not".

“Where there is common ground, we will make every effort to find it,” he adds.

"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."

Rhun ap Iorwerth continues: "We will turn that mission of kindness and tolerance into support for those who need it most.

"Wales is a vineyard entrusted in our care, and we will care for her."

"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 when we know that our best days lie ahead of us."

He says Plaid's work starts now - to another round of applause from Plaid members, but not other parties, with a few exceptions.

Ap Iorwerth says he looks forward to weekly sessions of first minister's questions with Reform's Dan Thomas.

"I will learn soon enough whether asking them is much more fun than asking them," he jokes.

"Something has stirred in the soul of Wales," ap Iorwerth adds.

"A new confidence, a new hope. A new broader horizon, never to be narrowed again.

"From this historic moment onwards every person in every part of our nation can know that the government of Wales is their government.

"My promise to everyone is that I will lead without prejudice or presumption. I will never take this privilege for granted."

There's a standing ovation from Plaid Cymru MSs, and in the public gallery, for the new first minister.

Rhun ap Iorwerth congrats the new presiding and deputy presiding officers first.

"It is the greatest privilege of my life to be elected first minister in a nation that means so much to me," he says.

"I'm eager to repay the trust that the people in Wales have placed in us and to achieve the change that people have stated so clearly they wish to see."

He pays tribute to former first minister Eluned Morgan - "Eluned steered her government with enthusiasm and with pride at all time".

Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth has been formally elected Wales' new first minister after a roll call of Members of the Senedd.

He was voted by 44 votes to Dan Thomas's 34. Darren Millar had seven. There were nine abstentions.

Ap Iorwerth is the first politician not from Labour to perform the role of first minister.

Members of the Senedd have now voted.

Labour members have abstained, meaning we are expecting Rhun ap Iorwerth to be successful.

We are waiting for the result now.

We are on to the really important bit - the nominations for first minister.

Zaynub Akbar nominates Rhun ap Iorwerth from Plaid, and Llyr Powell nominates Dan Thomas from Reform.

Andrew RT Davies nominates Darren Millar from the Tories.

There will be a roll call vote now - you can watch it on the live stream above.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Now we turn to the vote for the next first minister, which will happen by roll call.

It's a little unusual as we don't have those kind of votes often in the Senedd - it involves the names of Members of the Senedd (MSs) being read out one by one.

Each politician will have to say out loud who they are supporting.

It has the quirk of forcing leaders to support themselves - so Rhun ap Iorwerth will have to say he is supporting himself.

He should be elected, because he has the support of the Greens while Labour and the Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds are expected to abstain.

The winner is either:

• If there are two nominees, the nominee with the most votes
• If there are three or more nominees, the nominee who beats all others combined

Plaid Cymru's Kerry Ferguson is the Senedd's new deputy presiding officer.

Matthew Jones from Plaid and Anthony Slaughter from the Greens have nominated the former Aberystwyth mayor for the role.

As there are no other nominations and no objections, she has been elected unopposed.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

After a round of applause, Huw Irranca-Davies thanks Elin Jones for her "careful and specialised stewardship of this Welsh parliament - it is a placed that has changed greatly. It is better for your services as Llywydd".

He moves on to the vote for deputy presiding officer.