Farmers and non-farmers alike can be in no doubt of the significance of last week’s Senedd Election results. For the first time since devolution began at the end of the 20th Century, Welsh Labour were not returned as the largest party to Cardiff Bay, with Plaid Cymru winning a plurality at 43 seats of the 96 available followed by Reform UK in second place with 34 seats.

You will have undoubtedly digested plenty of breakdowns, opinion pieces and news analysis on the significance of the results, but they truly cannot be overstated. For over a century, the Labour Party and latterly Welsh Labour have been the largest party that the Welsh electorate has returned to both Westminster and Senedd Cymru. Spawning five Labour leaders, six First Ministers and two Labour Prime Ministers, Wales has been the electoral bedrock and political breeding ground of the party since its inception. Indeed, the first Labour Party MP, and eponym for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Keir Hardie, was elected in Merthyr Tydfil in 1900.

Though a story that will go onto be dissected and discussed for years to come, this result was of little surprise if the polling in the run-up was to be believed. Since early 2025, Labour’s vote share was beginning to fall as both Plaid Cymru and Reform UK swapped the lead over the following year. This would continue with both parties using a ‘two horse race’ messaging up until polling day when, though Plaid Cymru won the most seats, both parties were well clear of Labour in third place on nine seats.

To coincide with the beginning of the formal Senedd Election campaign, NFU Cymru re-launched its manifesto ‘Growing Forward’ to emphasise the importance of agriculture within Wales to candidates of all political persuasions. Key asks included a comprehensive farm to fork food strategy, a commitment to evolve the Sustainable Farming Scheme, the establishment of an independent review of the regulatory burden and a guarantee to increase the use of local Welsh produce in the public sector.

Having met with over 100 political candidates at various roundtable meetings, farm visits, events and hustings, NFU Cymru welcomes the commitments made by parties across the new Senedd, many of which reflect the asks the union put forward to them. In fact, Plaid Cymru’s own ‘First 100 Days’ pledges include many of the aforementioned policy asks.

Our election manifesto was foundational in all our engagements and going forward these asks set the direction of travel we wish to see the new Welsh Government and Senedd Cymru as a whole support Welsh farmers in reaching. NFU Cymru is committed to working with all Members of the Senedd to deliver on our members’ priorities, to help secure a brighter future for the industry and help farmers deliver for the benefit of all of Wales.