Inside Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr on a historic day for the Senedd and Wales
The Valleys Lead brings you the Senedd election results from the valleys, and gives you an insider's view of the vote count in Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr.
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Your new Senedd representatives in the south Wales valleys are...
The 2026 Senedd election results are in, and the results, as expected, have made history.
The votes have ended a century-long run of Labour election success in Wales, with Plaid Cymru winning the most seats (43), followed by Reform UK (34), Labour (9), Conservative (7), Greens (2) and Liberal Democrats (1).
The Valleys Lead went along to the Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr vote count in Aberdare, where we listened to speeches of candidates who won seats and asked for their reactions to the results.
That’s below, but very quickly, here are the results from constituencies in the south Wales valleys:
Afan Ogwr Rhondda (Treorchy, Tonypandy)
Sera Evans (Plaid)
Alun Cox (Plaid)
Elyn Stephens (Plaid)
Benjamin McKenna (Reform UK)
Steve Bayliss (Reform UK)
Huw Irranca Davies (Labour)
Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr (Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Mountain Ash, Abercynon)
Heledd Fychan (Plaid Cymru)
Jason O’Connell (Reform UK)
Lis McLean (Plaid Cymru)
David Hughes (Reform UK)
Sara Crowley (Plaid Cymru)
Vikki Howells (Labour)
Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni (Abertillery, Bargoed, Tredegar, Rhymney, Caerphilly)
Delyth Jewell (Plaid)
Lindsay Whittle (Plaid)
Niamh Salkeld (Plaid)
Llyr Powell (Reform UK)
Catherine Cullen (Reform UK)
Joshua Kim (Reform UK)
Casnewydd Islwyn (Blackwood, Pontllanfraith, Risca, Caerphilly)
Dan Thomas (Reform UK)
Peredur Griffiths (Plaid Cymru)
Art Wright (Reform UK)
Lyn Ackerman (Plaid Cymru)
Jayne Bryant (Labour)
Natasha Asghar (Conservatives)
Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd (Neath, Ystradgynlais)
James Evans (Reform UK)
Sioned Williams (Plaid Cymru)
Ian McIntosh (Reform UK)
Rebeca Philips (Plaid Cymru)
Jane Dodds (Liberal Democrats)
David Mills (Reform UK)
The Valleys Lead at the Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr vote count
At the Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr vote count this afternoon in Pontypridd, the Sobell Leisure Centre in Aberdare was filled with candidates, their teams, families, and reporters – all waiting to hear the results.
After the candidates were taken into a private room to be made aware of who had seats, the air stilled and quieted. When they returned, six candidates were smiling, even crying, with joy and relief. Others were understandably disappointed.
Plaid Cymru won three seats after the party received 28,687 votes (39.5%). The seats went to three women – Heledd Fychan, Lis McLean, and Sara Crowley. Heledd said she was ready to get to work now that she had be re-elected, and that she’d work for residents, no matter if they had voted for Plaid Cymru or not. Lis remarked she has been so proud to be a Merthyr girl. Sara spoke about standing together on the brink of change, and that we are a people who take care of each other.
When The Valleys Lead spoke to Plaid Cymru candidates after the speeches, they said they were glad that “all that work paid off,” and it is now about “where we go from here.”
“I have everything to this campaign,” Lis told The Valleys Lead. “It meant so much to all of us and I’m so pleased it paid off. I think this campaign was won on the ground. We have not stopped knocking doors. Our team was out trying to earn trust and I’m grateful we did that. I think this is a great day for Wales. I’m ready. I’m over the moon. I want more people to feel they can belong in the political system, and I hope people see that from the fact I gave it a go.”
Reform UK pushed strongly this week to get votes in the constituency, hosting a rally at Trago Mills in Merthyr on Tuesday night, which The Valleys Lead covered here. They had two seats in the end, with 22,217 votes (30.6%). Jason O’Connell, a Torfaen councillor has been appointed, as has David Hughes, a Merthyr Tydfil councillor.
Jason said it took “a lot of courage” to put oneself forward as a candidate, and promised to deliver, after mentioning his family is moving house today (could it be to the constituency he has been standing for election in?). David said that he thanked God for this success, and that young people have lost hope. “I will deliver hope,” he said.
Unlike in other constituencies around Wales, Labour held onto a seat in Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr. Vikki Howells, who has been an MS for the Cynon Valley since 2016, won the sixth seat. In her speech, she spoke of what Labour had achieved – the extension of the A465, upgrades to hospitals and colleges, and deliver of the Cross Valley Link. She said that will in many ways, it had been a disappointing day for Labour, this is now a chance to hold the new government to account for promises made. “We achieve more together than alone,” she said.
After her speech, Vikki told The Valleys Lead that the loss for Labour throughout the country is part of the “ebb and flow” of politics, and that being the opposition is an important part of politics and democracy that she was looking forward to being a part of.
The Valleys Lead also spoke with Gerald Jones, Labour MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, who said Labour is ready to “rebuild,” and the party is ready for that.
Below, you’ll find snapshots from the speeches and afternoon. And then, more about what is next for the valleys and Wales.
News from other constituencies in the south Wales valleys
In Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni, Labour didn’t win one seat. This means that Labour’s Alun Davies, who has served as an MS since May 2007, did not win a seat in his constituency. There was a recount in the constituency before Alun said he had lost his seat with Plaid and Reform both claiming three seats in the constituency.
After the recount, the gap between Alun and the sixth seat was even larger than it had been after the first count. It’s understood the gap was around 111 after the first count but around 200 after the second count.
Plaid Cymru’s Lindsay Whittle spoke to The Valleys Lead about the result in Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni: “Plaid Cymru is very exciting that we have three representatives elected to the Senedd. We’re looking forward to the prospect of working hard as a strong team for the valleys.”
In Casnewydd Islwyn, Dan Thomas, leader of Reform UK in Wales, won the first seat, despite his history of outsourcing of public services, which The Valleys Lead covered last week.
There was only one Liberal Democrats seat won in the valleys, and that went to Jane Dodds in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd.
Only one Conservatives seat was won in the valleys – by Natasha Asghar in Casnewydd Islwyn.
Big news for Wales that isn’t specific to the south Wales valleys?
Labour First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat. She said: “Welsh Labour has today suffered a catastrophic result. It ends a century of Labour winning in Wales, and the party will need to take a really hard look at itself and understand the depth of the challenge that we face. I’ve lost my seat here in Ceredigion Penfro and I will be standing down as leader of Welsh Labour. I take responsibility for the Labour result in Wales.”
What now?
Since no party has won the majority – a party would need to have won 49 seats – it’s up in the air what will happen next. Plaid Cymru may choose to govern in a minority government supported by smaller parties on key votes, an option Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorweth has already expressed he would be open to. Or parties will turn to coalition agreements to secure a majority.
Follow along, and we’ll continue to keep you updated on stories from the south Wales valleys as the new government forms.