Left-Wing Parties to Block Reform from Forming Next Welsh Government, Says Drakeford
The Reform party candidate will not succeed in becoming First Minister, according to one of Wales's most prominent ministers.
Left-wing parties in the Senedd are expected to prevent Reform from forming the next government even if the party wins the most seats in the upcoming election, said Mark Drakeford.
Drakeford's remarks come as opinion polls suggest Reform is competing with Plaid Cymru to become the largest party following the vote on May 7.
Since no party is expected to win more than half the seats, it is likely that any party aiming to lead the government will need to reach an agreement to secure the necessary votes for its leader to become First Minister.
Dan Thomas, leader of Reform in Wales, stated:
"Institutional parties will do everything within their power to stop real people from having a seat at the table and being heard."
Challenge of 'Working Together'
In an interview with BBC Cymru's Politics Wales, former Labour First Minister and current Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said:
"Between two-thirds and three-quarters of the Welsh population always choose to vote for parties that describe themselves as left of centre, and there has always been a third or quarter of the population that chooses parties on the right."
"I don't think that will be different in the next Senedd... and the political challenge for progressive parties will be to work together sufficiently to provide the stable and progressive government that the people of Wales expect the Senedd to deliver."
After the election, each party will have the right to nominate its leader for First Minister, but Drakeford said:
"I don't believe for a moment that the Reform candidate will get the Senedd's blessing because I think the Senedd will have two-thirds or three-quarters of its members who do not share the values of that party."
When suggested that this could lead to criticism that left-wing parties are uniting to block Reform, Drakeford responded:
"The left-wing parties... will have more seats and more votes between them and they will vote in a way that reflects their electorates."
"In May, it is time to send a message to them that the people of Wales are not ready to be ignored again."
Mark Drakeford Reflects as His Time in the Senedd Ends
Mark Drakeford's interview came as his time at the Senedd concluded on Wednesday afternoon following the final Senedd meeting before the election.
Few have played a more significant role in the history of devolution since 1999 than Drakeford.
As an adviser to then First Minister Rhodri Morgan, he helped lay the groundwork for Welsh politics in the 21st century.
He was elected as an Assembly Member in 2011 and has since held some of the most prominent positions in the Welsh Government.
Drakeford served as First Minister from 2018 to 2024, leading Wales through the pandemic.
However, after leading Welsh Labour to victory in the 2021 Senedd election, he is leaving the Senedd with his party trailing in the opinion polls.
The latest YouGov poll for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University shows the party in third place at 13%, ahead of the Greens at 12%.
'People Are Losing Faith'
Asked what was responsible for Labour's performance in the polls, Drakeford said:
"There is no doubt that every time you win an election, the hill gets steeper the next time."
"'Time for change' is a very powerful slogan in politics and the longer you are in politics, the more powerful the slogan becomes.
"So there are many obstacles to winning another election, and the zeitgeist is different.
"There is a feeling, after years of fatigue, that the system is not working for people, and then people lose faith in the ways of doing things they had supported in the past."
When asked if he takes personal responsibility for Labour's polling performance, he said:
"You don't do these jobs without being ready to take that responsibility.
"I went into the last election on the basis of a poll that said it would be Labour's worst-ever performance and, in the end, six weeks later, it was our best performance."
Politics Wales can be watched on BBC1 at 10:00 on Sunday, March 29, and on .
