6 May 2011
Labour made significant gains in the Welsh Assembly elections but failed to secure an outright majority
But after winning 30 out of the 60 seats the party is set to try to form a government.
The results left it painstakingly close to securing the 31 seats it needed to win an overall majority. Nevertheless, Labour First Minister Carwyn Jones said the people of Wales had sent a strong message that it wanted Labour to represent them.
The party’s gains were principally at the expense of Plaid Cymru, which it has been in coalition with for the past four years. Llanelli was among the wins, previously held by Plaid Cymru deputy leader Helen Mary Jones.
Labour also won seats from both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives in Welsh capital Cardiff.
Colin Talbot, professor of public policy at Manchester University, said it came as no surprise that the juniorcoalition partners in both the Welsh Assembly and the UK government had fared so badly in the elections.
