Welsh Labour slams Plaid Cymru’s “fantasy” plan for First Minister job-share

Welsh Labour has rubbished Plaid Cymru’s suggestion that Leanne Wood could become First Minister as part of a potential coalition deal.

Latest forecasts show Labour finishing several seats short of an overall majority in the Welsh Assembly and they could have to rely on the Welsh nationalists to stay in power. However, Labour sources have dismissed any talk of potential power-sharing deals – pointing out the party currently governs without a working majority.

Predictions put Welsh Labour on course to lose two Assembly Members (AMs), leaving the party three short of an overall majority. With the Lib Dems set to make further losses and being reduced to a rump, Labour may need to rely on Plaid votes in the Senedd to pass legislation.

Now reports suggest that in potential coalition negotiations, Plaid could push for a deal that would see their leader Wood become First Minister for the first half of the five year Assembly term, followed by a Labour FM for the remainder of the term. If it happened, it would be the first time in the 17 years since the Welsh Assembly was created that the position would not be held by Labour.

But a spokesperson for Welsh Labour dismissed the proposal as “a total fantasy, dreamed up by a party giving up on democracy”. They added that “voters won’t look kindly on the nationalists trying to fix their way to power, instead of trying to win the election fair and square.”

Privately, party sources are equally dismissive of the idea, with one describing it as “b*******”.

Despite the success of the Scottish nationalists last year, Plaid Cymru have failed to make a breakthrough, and are not expected to advance much, if at all, on the 11 Assembly seats they already hold – well short of the 30 AMs Labour have.

There is some consternation among the Plaid ranks at the failure to capitalise on greater publicity, despite Wood’s stated ambition to win two-thirds of the 40 constituency seats.

A Labour spokesperson said: “This idea is not just about a potential path to power for Plaid Cymru, it’s also a shot across the bow for their own leader. A warning to Leanne Wood that whatever happens in May her leadership is under threat, laying bare the bitter divisions at the heart of the party.”

There are concerns in Welsh Labour about the election, with many treating the 28 seat projection as optimistic. After almost two decades in power, a dip in popularity is not being treated as a crisis, but a target of 27 AMs – seen as a minimum to comfortably govern as a minority administration – is considered an aspiration rather than an expectation. If Labour return 28 Assembly Members, it will be considered a very good night for the party.