Left-Wing Parties to Block Reform UK Government in Wales, Says Drakeford
Mark Drakeford has stated that left-wing parties would collaborate to prevent Reform UK from forming the next Welsh government, even if Reform UK secures the most seats in the Senedd election.
These remarks from the former Welsh first minister come amid polls indicating that Reform UK is competing closely with Plaid Cymru for the leading position ahead of the Senedd election scheduled for 7 May.
Neither party is anticipated to win an outright majority, meaning any party aspiring to establish the next government will likely need to negotiate agreements with others to secure the nomination for first minister.
Dan Thomas, Reform UK's Welsh leader, criticized Drakeford's comments, asserting they demonstrate that "establishment parties will do absolutely anything" to prevent "real people from having a seat at the table."
Drakeford, currently serving as Welsh finance minister, made these statements during an interview with the BBC as his tenure in the Senedd concluded on Wednesday, coinciding with the final sitting of Wales' parliament before the election.
Speaking on the Politics Wales programme, Drakeford expressed his belief that the majority of Welsh voters would support left-leaning parties in the upcoming election. He described the "political challenge" as those parties collaborating to form a "stable and progressive government."
Following the election, any party will have the opportunity to nominate a candidate for first minister ahead of a Senedd vote. To be successful, a candidate must obtain a majority of the total votes cast.
Drakeford stated:
"I don't believe for a moment that a Reform nominee would be endorsed by the Senedd because I think that next Senedd will have three-quarters or two-thirds of its members who do not share the views of that party.
So even if they are the largest party - and I don't think they will be - but even if they were, they could put forward their nominee and that nominee will not succeed."
When challenged with the suggestion that critics might accuse left-wing parties of conspiring to block Reform, Drakeford responded:
"The left-wing parties... would have more seats and more votes between them and they will be casting those votes to reflect the views of their electorate."
Dan Thomas countered:
"The establishment parties will do absolutely anything they can to stop real people from having a seat at the table and having their voices heard.
This May, it's time to send them a message that hardworking Welsh men and women will no longer be ignored."
Drakeford's Role in Welsh Politics and Labour's Prospects
Few individuals have had a more significant influence on Welsh devolution over the past 27 years than Mark Drakeford. Initially serving as a senior adviser to former First Minister Rhodri Morgan, he helped shape Welsh politics for the 21st century.
He became a member of the National Assembly in 2011, prior to its renaming as the Welsh Parliament or Senedd, and over the last 15 years has held several prominent positions within the Welsh government.
Drakeford served as first minister from 2018 to 2024, leading Wales through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite leading Welsh Labour to victory in the 2021 Senedd election, he departs with the party's century-long record of electoral success in Wales facing uncertainty.
The latest YouGov poll conducted for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University places Welsh Labour in third position with 13%, narrowly ahead of the Green Party at 12%.
When asked about the reasons behind Welsh Labour's poor polling, Drakeford said:
"There's no doubt that every time you win an election the hill gets steeper the next time.
'Time for a change' is a very potent slogan in politics and the longer you are in government the more potent that slogan becomes.
There is a feeling out there, after those long years of austerity, that the system isn't working for people, and then people lose faith in the ways of doing things that they had supported in the past."
Regarding whether he accepts any personal responsibility for Welsh Labour's polling performance, Drakeford stated:
"You don't do these jobs without being willing to shoulder
I went into the last election on the basis of an opinion poll that said it was going to be Labour's worst-ever result and in the end, only six weeks later, it was our best-ever result."
Senedd Election 2026
The upcoming Senedd election on 7 May is shaping up to be highly competitive, with no party expected to secure a majority outright. The contest between Reform UK, Plaid Cymru, and Welsh Labour is drawing significant attention.
