100 days to Senedd election as Plaid leads polls at 37%

The countdown is on for the Senedd election on 7 May 2026, with Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth declaring the vote offers Wales a chance for “positive new leadership”.

Latest polling paints a dramatic picture of Welsh politics in flux. YouGov figures show Plaid Cymru commanding 37% support, whilst Reform UK sits on 23%. In a stunning reversal of fortunes, Labour – which has governed Wales in various forms since devolution began in 1999 – has plummeted to just 10%, now trailing the Greens on 13%.

Mr ap Iorwerth said: “In just 100 days, people across Wales will be heading to the polls, and communities can vote for positive new leadership that only Plaid Cymru can deliver.”

He pledged a government “steadfast in standing up for Wales when we are shortchanged by Westminster”, citing longstanding grievances over funding, rail investment and devolved powers.

Policy priorities under a Plaid-led administration would include NHS improvements, supporting small businesses, creating better-paid jobs and retaining wealth within local communities. Education and childcare would take centre stage, with plans for what the party describes as the most generous free childcare offer in the UK, alongside strengthened literacy and numeracy programmes.

“That’s the difference a Plaid Cymru government can make,” he said. “Policies which will make a real, genuine difference for so many communities.”

Mr ap Iorwerth also warned that Plaid Cymru represented the best bulwark against Reform UK gaining influence in Wales, describing the threat as “very real”.

The election carries constitutional significance beyond Wales. First Minister Eluned Morgan cautioned at the weekend that nationalist parties gaining power across all devolved administrations posed a genuine danger to the Union’s future.

Speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Baroness Morgan noted that Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill already serves as First Minister in Northern Ireland, whilst the SNP could retain power in Scotland.

“I think there’s a real possibility” the UK could break up in future, Baroness Morgan said. “The elections in May could have profound implications, not just for Wales and its public services, but for the whole of the United Kingdom. The danger is real.”

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has suggested the May elections could spell the “end of the road” for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer should Labour suffer significant losses.