CARDIFF — Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said on Monday he hopes to be elected Welsh first minister as early as Tuesday after his party won the most seats in the Senedd elections without securing a majority. Labour won nine seats, ending 100 years of Labour control in Wales.

"We're ready to go as quickly as we can. We hope for it to be Tuesday. We want to get going." ap Iorwerth said.

He said Plaid Cymru had put a clear programme for government on the table that he hoped would get backing from across the Senedd. "We want actively to get support of people in other parties. I will be explicitly cooperative." he said.

Ap Iorwerth turned to the implications for the UK government, suggesting the result should change how Westminster approaches Wales. "Labour can go in one of two ways now on a UK level. They can decide to punish Wales because Wales turned its back on Labour and say: 'Right you're getting nothing now,'" he said.

He said he would seek to influence the relationship between Cardiff and Westminster regardless of who occupies Downing Street. "I will guide the next UK prime minister, whoever that might be, to start looking at Wales in a different way." he said.

Asked about the current prime minister, he said: "I think you might be right. It is clear to me Keir Starmer has been getting it very very wrong in the indifference shown towards Wales. Keir Starmer can change his ways or Labour can choose someone else to do things in a different way."

He outlined areas where cooperation across parties and nations could be possible. "There are a number of different ways that we can work together. There are ways of looking at policies that we have in common, the way that we use the natural resources off our coasts, for example. But there's a deeper sense than that, too, of being able to make a stand together to call for less inequality within these islands." he said.

Ken Skates, interim leader of Welsh Labour, said party members would meet on Monday to discuss how they would approach the vote on the next first minister. Skates said Welsh Labour would serve the people of Wales rather than Plaid Cymru's party.