Plaid Cymru delight at 'terrific' target seat wins

New Ynys Môn MP Llinos Medi smiling at the election count with her arms around her happy children Twm and Elliw
New Plaid Cymru Ynys Môn MP Llinos Medi at the election count with her children Twm and Elliw [BBC]

Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth has hailed what he called “terrific results” in his first election as leader.

The party won both its target seats of Ynys Môn and Caerfyrddin from the Conservatives, and ended up with four in total.

Mr ap Iorwerth said: “We’ve had some pretty important and dramatic gains and it gives me confidence looking towards the Senedd elections in 2026."

Ynys Môn council leader Llinos Medi took the traditionally competitive seat - which is represented in the Senedd by Mr ap Iorwerth - while Ann Davies was victorious in Caerfyrddin.

Ms Medi told BBC Wales that the people of Ynys Môn backed her because they wanted “a local voice”.

She said that the Ynys Mon constituency was the “gift that keeps on giving because you’ve no idea which ways it’s going to go”.

Plaid held Ceredigion Preseli with a hugely increased majority, as Ben Lake returned to Parliament and Liz Saville Roberts also retained Dwyfor Meirionnydd.

In an emotional speech following her election, Ms Medi said: "Someone said to me 'Llinos, I'm so glad you want to be an MP'.

"I said 'I don't want to be an MP, I just want to represent Ynys Môn which I love so much'."

She added: "Can I say to any young girl who doesn't think she's good enough, everything is possible if you go for it."