Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru

Good afternoon and welcome, all, to this Plenary meeting, which is the first meeting of the seventh Senedd. May I start by saying how wonderful it is to see this Chamber full? May I congratulate the 95 of you elected to serve the people of Wales in our national Parliament? The expectations of constituents of us all will be very great, and we have a responsibility to deliver against those expectations, and to do so with dignity, respect and some hwyl too.

As I prepare to leave this role, may I wish you all every success in your important work over the next four years? So, as Llywydd, it's my duty, under Standing Order 6.4, to chair proceedings for the election of a new Presiding Officer. I therefore invite nominations under Standing Order 6.6. Are there any nominations?

I nominate Huw Irranca-Davies.

Thank you. Huw Irranca-Davies has been nominated. Is there a Member from a different political group who seconds that nomination?

I second Huw Irranca-Davies.

Thank you. The nomination has been formally seconded. Are there any further nominations?

Llywydd, I nominate Paul Davies.

Thank you. Paul Davies has been nominated. Is there a seconder from a different political group for that nomination?

There is not. As there is no seconder for that nomination, there is just one nomination that is put forward formally and fully, and I therefore propose, in accordance with Standing Order 6.8, that Huw Irranca-Davies be elected Llywydd. Does any Member object? [Objection.] There is objection to that. As there is an objection, I now ask the candidate to make a brief contribution to the Chamber—Huw Irranca Davies.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. First of all, may I congratulate all of the Members of the Senedd, new and old, on being elected? Further to that, I want to extend my thanks to those candidates who were unsuccessful this time. It calls for resilience, bravery and diligence to put your name forward for any election, and without those people who are willing to do so, our democracy could not function.

For those Members of the Senedd who do not know me, I will offer a thankfully brief summary of my experience and skills of relevance to the role of Llywydd.

I spent nearly 15 years in Westminster doing what I sometimes lightheartedly call my apprenticeship for the Senedd. During that time, I served as a Government Minister and a shadow Minister in key roles. I took through complex legislation and engaged constructively with Welsh Government Ministers here in the then Assembly, and I chaired powerful and influential scrutiny committees. When I came to the Senedd, I sought to contribute to the work of this democratic institution as a proud backbench Member—and never forget the importance of that role—also as Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, as a Member of two committees on Senedd reform, as a Government Minister and Cabinet Secretary, and throughout all of this, extending my knowledge and understanding of Standing Orders and Senedd procedures, which I believe has given me the depth and breadth of skills and the ability to take on this important role.

I chose to come back to Wales. I resigned as a Member of the UK Parliament to stand for this Senedd in 2016. I am one of the few to make that journey with real intent and purpose. I did so because I believe in this Senedd, this beating heart of our national democracy here in Wales. Our Senedd Cymru is still a very young Parliament, but it is growing in strength and in confidence. I believe in the power of this democratic institution to improve the lives of the people of Wales, through giving voice to the diverse communities of Wales, through the representatives here elected, and by holding Government to account through effective and constructive scrutiny and challenge.

If the responsibility of being Llywydd is given to me by the Members of this Senedd, I pledge to work with every Member of the Senedd to ensure that our Senedd meets the high expectations of this institution and, as we move into the seventh Senedd term, that the Senedd is relevant to every part of Wales and engages with everyone in Wales, and that our democracy is strengthened through our common interests and efforts as parliamentarians.

I will carry out this role with hallmark openness and collaboration, fairness and impartiality, always keen to ensure that this Senedd and all of us who have the privilege of representing our constituents do so with respect for each other in the way that we engage and we debate, respect for our democratic processes, and respect for the people of Wales in all our great and glorious diversity.

Therefore, thank you.

My thanks to colleagues from across the Siambr for urging me to put my name forward. If elected, I will do my best for all of you and for the Senedd, and, through this, the very best for the people of Wales.

My thanks to you all.

We will now move to the secret ballot, and I will suspend the meeting to conduct that secret ballot. Voting will take place in briefing room 13, which is just outside this Chamber. The ballot will not close until all Members intending to vote have done so.

I have agreed that Sarah Murphy may vote by proxy for reasons of parental leave, and Vikki Howells will exercise the vote on her behalf as a proxy.

The clerk will be responsible for overseeing the voting and the count, and, once the votes cast have been counted from the secret ballot, the bell will be rung so that we may reconvene to announce the result. So, I suspend the meeting.

We reconvene. I have a result for you following that secret ballot. There were 95 votes cast for Huw Irranca-Davies. In favour there were 85 votes, against nine, and one abstention. There were no spoilt ballot papers. So, I declare, in accordance with Standing Order 6.9, that Huw Irranca-Davies is elected as Presiding Officer of the Senedd. Many congratulations. [Applause.] We will now suspend the meeting for a second or two before the Presiding Officer takes the Chair.

Thank you all very much.

Thank you very much indeed for your trust and confidence in me.

Also, I would like to thank Elin. [Applause.] Thank you for your careful and expert stewardship of this Welsh Parliament. It is a place that has changed greatly, and it is even better for your time as Llywydd. Thank you very much. 

Now we move to the next item of business. We move now to the election of a Deputy Presiding Officer. I would remind Members that, in accordance with Standing Order 6.12, nominations for a Deputy Presiding Officer are only valid if a nominee is from a different political group to my own. I therefore invite nominations under Standing Order 6.6.

I would like to nominate Kerry Ferguson.

Thank you very much. Do we have a Member who is not from the same political group to second the nomination?

I second Kerry Ferguson.

Thank you. Are there any other nominations? No—

Bear with me, I'm new to this. [Laughter.] I do not want to get this wrong.

I see that there are no other nominations. I therefore propose, in accordance with Standing Order 6.8, that—. I do apologise. As there is no objection—[Interruption.] No. I do apologise. I see that there are no other nominations. I therefore propose, in accordance with Standing Order 6.8, that Kerry Ferguson is elected as Deputy Presiding Officer. Does any Member object? No. As there are no objections, I therefore declare that Kerry Ferguson is elected as Deputy Presiding Officer of the Welsh Parliament, Senedd Cymru. [Applause.]

Now, in accordance with Standing Order 12.11, the proposal is to bring forward nominations for First Minister. Does any Member object? No. Therefore, we will proceed. As there are no objections, we will proceed with nominations for First Minister under Standing Order 8. Therefore, are there any nominations for appointment as First Minister?

I nominate Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Are there any further nominations?

I nominate Dan Thomas.

On behalf of the Welsh Conservative group, I nominate Darren Millar.

As there are three nominations, I will conduct a vote by roll call and invite each Member present to vote for a candidate. I will call each Member present in alphabetical order. Please clearly state the name of the candidate that you support when your name is called, or indicate that you wish to abstain. In accordance with Standing Order 8.2, neither the Deputy Presiding Officer nor I are permitted to vote. We will then pause for the Clerk to confirm the result of the vote. First, Lyn Ackerman. 

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Zaynub Akbar.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Mabon ap Gwynfor.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Claire Archibald. 

Dan Thomas.

Natasha Asghar.

Darren Millar.

Steve Bayliss. 

Dan Thomas.

Gareth Beer.

Dan Thomas. 

Beca Brown.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Jayne Bryant.

Abstain. 

Anna Brychan.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Cefin Campbell. 

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Nick Carter.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

John Clark.

Dan Thomas.

Carmelo Colasanto.

Dan Thomas.

Sarah Cooper-Lesadd.

Dan Thomas.

Alun Cox.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Sara Crowley.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Catherine Cullen.

Dan Thomas.

Donna Cushing. 

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Andrew R.T. Davies. 

Darren Millar. 

John Davies. 

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Paul Davies.

Darren Millar. 

Jane Dodds. 

Abstain. 

Sarah Edwards. 

Dan Thomas.

Safa Elhassan.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Louise Emery.

Dan Thomas.

Cristiana Emsley.

Dan Thomas.

James Evans. 

Dan Thomas.

Nerys Evans. 

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Sera Evans. 

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Janet Finch-Saunders.

Darren Millar. 

Peter Fox. 

Darren Millar. 

Heledd Fychan.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Leticia Gonzalez.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Andrew Griffin. 

Dan Thomas.

Llyr Gruffydd. 

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Siân Gwenllian. 

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Carrie Harper. 

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Mike Hedges.

Abstain.

Mark Hooper.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Vikki Howells. 

Abstain.

David Hughes.

Dan Thomas.

Helen Jenner.

Dan Thomas.

Delyth Jewell.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Claire Johnson-Wood. 

Dan Thomas.

Elin Jones.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Laura Anne Jones.

Dan Thomas.

Marc Jones.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Matthew Jones.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Joshua Kim.

Dan Thomas.

Paul Marr.

Dan Thomas.

Kiera Marshall. 

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Becca Martin.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Joseph Martin.

Dan Thomas.

Adrian Mason.

Dan Thomas.

Iain McIntosh.

Dan Thomas.

Benjamin McKenna.

Dan Thomas.

Lis McLean.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Darren Millar. 

Darren Millar. 

David Mills.

Dan Thomas.

Tom Montgomery.

Dan Thomas.

Sarah Murphy, via proxy—Vikki Howells.

Abstain.

Lynne Neagle.

Abstain.

Anna Nicholl.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Francesca O'Brien.

Dan Thomas.

Jason O'Connell.

Dan Thomas.

Peredur Owen Griffiths.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Cai Parry-Jones.

Dan Thomas.

Rebeca Phillips.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Llŷr Powell.

Dan Thomas.

Adam Price.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Sarah Rees.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Paul Rock.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Steven Rodaway.

Dan Thomas.

Mair Rowlands.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Sam Rowlands.

Darren Millar.

Niamh Salkeld.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Stephen Senior.

Dan Thomas.

Ken Skates.

Abstain.

Anthony Slaughter.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Elyn Stephens.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Shavanah Taj.

Abstain.

Dan Thomas.

Dan Thomas.

Gareth Thomas.

Dan Thomas.

Huw Thomas.

Abstain.

Dafydd Trystan Davies.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Elwyn Vaughan.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Lindsay Whittle.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Elfed Williams.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Gwyn Williams.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Nigel Williams.

Dan Thomas.

Sioned Williams.

Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Art Wright.

Dan Thomas.

We will now pause for the Clerk to confirm the result of the vote.

The result of the vote by roll call is as follows: Rhun ap Iorwerth, 44; Dan Thomas, 34; Darren Millar, seven; abstentions, nine. The total number of votes is 94. I therefore declare that Rhun ap Iorwerth is nominated for appointment as First Minister of Wales. In accordance with section 47(4) of the Government of Wales Act 2006, I will recommend to His Majesty the appointment of Rhun ap Iorwerth as First Minister. I invite Rhun ap Iorwerth to address the Senedd. [Applause.] 

Thank you very much, all. Thank you, Llywydd, first of all, and congratulations to you on being elected to the role, and to the Deputy Presiding Officer too. I know that the success and reputation of our Senedd are matters that are very close to your heart, and that you will be a worthy custodian and ambassador for the home of our democracy. Thank you.

It's the greatest privilege of my life to be elected First Minister of the nation that means so much to me. I begin the journey humbly, indebted to the support and love of my family, who are here today, to my mother, who continues to influence me today as much as ever, and to friends and colleagues. I'm eager to repay the trust that the people of Wales have placed in us, and to achieve the change that people have stated so clearly that they wish to see.

But first of all, I want to pay tribute to my predecessor in this role. With resilience and determination, Eluned steered her Government and her nation with enthusiasm and with pride at all times. As a father of two daughters, I thank her for shattering that glass ceiling, and in so doing inspiring young women across Wales and beyond. Thank you, Eluned. [Applause.]

I would also like to congratulate party leaders: Jane Dodds, Darren Millar and Ken Skates on their re-election. I know they will bring the same energy and passion to proceedings in the seventh Senedd, as they did in the last. To our colleagues in the Green Party, we applaud you on your historic breakthrough and look forward to a new era of ensuring that plurality pays dividends for the people of Wales. And, of course, let me congratulate Dan Thomas and the Reform UK group on securing what will no doubt prove to be a formidable presence in the Chamber and one that promises to keep the Government on its toes.

I'll always welcome scrutiny. And using my words tentatively here, let me say I look forward to our weekly sessions of First Minister's questions. I guess I will learn soon enough whether asking them was, in fact, much more fun than answering them. [Laughter.] But that is why our democracy is to be cherished: a free and fair election, followed by the opportunity to form an administration in a peaceful and orderly manner, before being held to account for our record of governing—a privilege denied to so many around the world and one we must never take for granted.

Llywydd, something has stirred in the soul of Wales—a new confidence, a new hope, a new, broader horizon, never to be narrowed again by the naysayers with other priorities in other places. From this historic moment onwards, every person in every part of our nation can know that the Government of Wales is their Government. And they will know that their Government does not and will not impose on itself, or on our citizens, any limits on what our nation can achieve.

And my promise to everyone is that I will lead without prejudice or presumption. I'll never take this privilege for granted, nor will my principles be burdened by power, because the challenges we face are too many in number and too grave in nature for us to lose sight of what is at stake: the need to take decisive action to bring down waiting lists and to put health and care and our treasured NHS on a more sustainable footing for the future; an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of those children across Wales who woke up to poverty this morning, and to ease the punishing cost-of-living crisis for families, to give every child the skills they need to thrive through a renewed focus on standards in education, and to unleash our economic potential by backing businesses and creating jobs in all parts of Wales.

The Plaid Cymru Government will be here to serve everyone in every community, urban and rural, old and young, whether they speak Welsh or do not, those who have always been here and those who are new amongst us, south, east, west and north. Where there is common ground, we will make every effort to find it. 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. Wales is a vineyard entrusted to our care, and we will care for her in the name of all of those who came before us and all those who will follow.

Llywydd, I will end with this: 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 how we know that our best days lie ahead of us. That is how we know that together we can and will build a fairer, more ambitious Wales for all. That work starts now. 

Thank you all very much. [Applause.]

Thank you very much, Rhun. There is now an opportunity to call on other leaders to say a few words. So, first, Dan Thomas.

Llywydd, congratulations on your appointment today, and thank you for the time. May I also congratulate all Members on their election or re-election, as the case may be? And may I congratulate Plaid Cymru's nominee for First Minister on your election? I'd like to thank the Reform group for their endorsement of my leadership at the inaugural group meeting that we had yesterday. Thank you.

As leader of the largest opposition group, I wish the Government well in its efforts to reduce NHS waiting lists, to improve education results, and in creating the right environment for the economy to grow and for job creation, because Wales badly needs it. And to that end, the Reform group will be a robust opposition. We will hold Plaid Cymru to account and we will be a voice of the left-behind communities that have voted for us. And Reform is represented across Wales. We represent all people across all of Wales. We will do all we can to break up the cosy consensus that has presided over 27 years of managed decline in this country.

And finally, I would like to remind Plaid Cymru that this Chamber has a pro-union majority, and Reform will work with all pro-union parties to block taxpayers’ money being spent on an independence commission. The future of a prosperous Wales lies within a successful United Kingdom, and Reform will ensure that that union prevails. The people of Wales have made that clear at the ballot box, and Reform serves the people of Wales. Diolch yn fawr. [Applause.]

Thank you. Next, we call on Ken Skates.

Llywydd, I'd like to congratulate all Members on their election to this Senedd, and, in particular, Rhun on his appointment as the new First Minister. It is a very turbulent and divided world, so please let's all treat each other with the dignity and respect, during even the most challenging of debates, that the people who elected us deserve to see day in, day out.

We now have a new, larger Senedd. We have two new parties represented here and we have a different party at the helm. It goes without saying that I am deeply saddened at Welsh Labour's loss. We were represented by a determined team of immensely talented candidates and supported by brilliant volunteers and organisers.

Llywydd, no-one knows better than our party that it is a privilege to govern. That privilege and the immense responsibility that goes with it now rests on different shoulders. I'd like to pay my respects to those Members who have gone before us and the colleagues that have not been returned to this place, in particular to my predecessor in our party, Eluned Morgan, who worked so hard in the role, who showed so much dignity at a difficult time for her personally and for our party.

Now, make no mistake, work is what this place is about, and I'm proud of our achievements, including in recent times bringing down waiting lists in the NHS for nine consecutive months and funding so many new twenty-first century schools for our children; delivering an £800 million fleet of shiny new trains and unprecedented progress on metros north and south; and of course legislating to protect our environment, deal with coal tips and clean up the air we breathe. I hope to see the same kind of work rate and delivery from the party now in power, and I do look forward to my party being an effective opposition, scrutinising and holding Rhun and his colleagues to account where necessary to improve legislation. Now, I hope as a Minister I demonstrated to Plaid Members how collaboration and challenge both benefit the Government, and I hope the people of Wales will see that, in this term, Welsh Labour in opposition will remain focused laser like on serving their interests and improving their lives.

We may only be a group of nine now, but above all we are a fellowship, 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. [Laughter.]

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. Within our group we have a combination of immense experience and new energy and expertise, but above all we have passion and purpose, and to quote from a poet familiar to many:

‘We are not now that strength which in old days / Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; / One equal temper of heroic hearts, / Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will. / To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.'

[Applause.]

Thank you, Ken. And finally, we call on Darren Millar.

Diolch, Lywydd. Fellow Members of the Senedd, I rise today to mark an historic and significant moment in the life of this Siambr and, indeed, this nation. I want to put on record, first of all, my thanks to the outgoing Llywydd, Elin Jones, for the way in which she conducted the business of this Senedd over the past 10 years. You did a spectacular job and served our nation with dignity, as did the Deputy Presiding Officer, David Rees, who served so ably alongside you.

I also want to put on record my thanks to the former First Minister for her service to our nation. We crossed swords every single week and, in fact, during the election campaign, every single day, but I have the utmost respect for her as a person and I know that she loved this country and served it to the very best of her ability.

And, of course, it's incumbent upon me to offer my sincere and heartfelt congratulations to Rhun ap Iorwerth on becoming the Senedd's nominee to be the next First Minister of Wales. To lead your country is the highest honour in national and public life, and, regardless of our political differences, I wish you well personally as you assume this huge mantle and take on this mantle of responsibility. I also extend my congratulations to his party for a formidable election result, because to become the largest party in this Senedd for the first time is a huge achievement and it cannot be overlooked.

I want to congratulate every single Member of this Senedd on being elected to serve our nation and the people of Wales. But, First Minister, be under no illusion: you have a monumental task before you. The honeymoon period for you and your party is going to be short. While the celebrations in the Plaid Cymru ranks may continue tonight, the cold reality is waiting for you in the morning: an NHS that isn't working as it should be, a stagnant economy that isn't growing as it should be, an education system that isn't serving our young people as it should be. They will all be waiting in your in-tray as you assume office.

The people of Wales did not vote for a change of personnel; they voted for a change of outcomes. Now, from these benches, the Welsh Conservatives will approach this term, of course, with mixed emotions. We're deeply saddened to have lost hard-working and dedicated colleagues who served their constituents and this institution of the Senedd with distinction. But we're also delighted to have outperformed the pessimistic estimations and expectations of almost every pundit and every pollster in this country, because we've returned a magnificent seven Members to this Senedd. And we're here to champion the things that we Welsh Conservatives hold dear: a more prosperous Wales with lower taxes, an end to Government waste, and more efficient and effective public services that work for the people of Wales. And I promise the new First Minister that we will be a serious, robust and responsible opposition, and that responsibility begins today by calling out the glaring gap between Plaid Cymru's rhetoric and the parliamentary reality that we have seen.

Throughout the recent campaign, the First Minister Elect's message was one of change. He promised a new era of breaking from the past, and yet the very first act of his party in this new Senedd has been to stitch up the post of Presiding Officer with their former partners in the Labour Party. Llywydd, it is a move that many people across Wales will find deeply unedifying. In no other western democracy would a person jump directly from being the former Deputy First Minister or Deputy Prime Minister of their nation into the speaker's chair in the very next Parliament. Frankly, it stinks. The role of the Llywydd demands absolute impartiality. It should not be treated as a consolation prize for the previous Deputy First Minister after their own political party has just been vomited from Government in such a spectacular way by the electorate. To do so, undermines and damages the reputation of this Parliament, because a Presiding Officer must command respect across the whole of the Senedd, especially amongst opposition parties and those who have a role in scrutinising the Government.

So, Llywydd, while I have every respect for you, and the experience that you hold and the important office that you now hold, and I congratulate you and our new Deputy Presiding Officer on your respective elections today, I'm afraid that you will need to earn the confidence of the Welsh Conservative group in the weeks and months ahead. Because this back-room deal is a clear sign that the Labour-Plaid axis, the very same partnership that has failed Wales for years, is set to continue under a different guise, and it demonstrates very clearly that despite the glossy manifesto promises of change, the old adage remains as true now here in Wales as it has ever been: vote Plaid, get Labour; vote Labour, get Plaid. We on these benches will judge this Government not by its promises, but by its actions, and I'm afraid that today's stitch-up suggests that, unfortunately, it is very much business as usual here in Cardiff Bay. First Minister, you have your mandate, but you will also have our scrutiny and we will hold you accountable for all of the decisions that you make. [Applause.]

Well, thank you all very much. Yes, Dafydd.

Llywydd, with your permission, may I ask you to read again the votes for the Llywydd, so that the Chamber may be reminded of the votes?

Dafydd, I'm happy to say that the number of votes for the Prif Weinidog are on the record, but also those for the Llywydd as well, and they were very clear. 

I would simply say in some reassurance to Darren, who challenges me to earn the respect of the Conservative group, that I will earn the respect of everybody here within this Chamber in the way that I preside over it, as first and foremost a parliamentarian. So, you can be assured of that, Darren, as everybody else here can as well. [Applause.]

Can I thank all of the leaders for their contributions?

May I once again thank the First Minister, Rhun? There is a great deal of work for us all to do, but now, in accordance with Standing Order 12.8, I will ensure that Members are informed of the date and time of the next meeting.

And that brings today's proceedings to a close. Thank you very much. [Applause.]