Rhun ap Iorwerth MS

First Minister of Wales

Personal history

Rhun ap Iorwerth was first elected as the Member for Anglesey in a by-election in August 2013. He was brought up on the island and educated at Ysgol David Hughes and Cardiff University, where he graduated in Politics and Welsh. Fluent in Welsh, he is married and has three children.

Professional background

Rhun was a journalist and broadcaster for almost 20 years before being elected. He joined BBC Wales in 1994 and worked for some time in Westminster before returning to Wales after the 1997 devolution vote. A former Chief Political Correspondent, he has also been a BBC Network News correspondent and has presented a wide range of television and radio programmes, in Welsh and English.

Political history

Since his by-election victory in 2013, Rhun has been Plaid Cymru's spokesperson on the economy and transport, finance, and health and social care. He also spent two Senedd terms as Chair of the Wales branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. In 2023, he was elected Leader of Plaid Cymru, before being appointed First Minister of Wales on 12 May 2026.