In the Senedd, the Leader of the Opposition () is the leader of the Official Opposition (), the largest political party that is not in the Welsh Government. Currently, this office is held by Helen Jenner following the resignation of Dan Thomas as leader of Reform UK Wales on 15 September 2026. The Leader of the Opposition leads and appoints members of the Shadow Cabinet.

From 5 December 2024 to 20 January 2026 the Leader of the Opposition in the Senedd was Darren Millar, from the Welsh Conservatives. To date the office has been held by eight individuals from 1997, beginning with Dafydd Wigley. Three have been from Plaid Cymru and four from the Welsh Conservatives. Only one, Ieuan Wyn Jones, has gone on to serve in the Welsh Government.

Role Like in the Westminster system of the UK Parliament, the Welsh Senedd has an official opposition which, by convention, serves to scrutinise the government of the day and acts as an alternative government-in-waiting. The Official Opposition is formed from the largest political party in the Senedd which does not serve in the Welsh Government. This is generally the second largest party in the Senedd, however smaller parties may also fulfill the role when there is a coalition between the largest parties. The Leader of the Opposition leads the Official Opposition and appoints its members to the Welsh Shadow Cabinet, whose portfolios mirror those of ministers or cabinet secretaries in the Welsh Government. Members of the Shadow Cabinet lead the Official Opposition in challenging government ministers and holding them to account.

As with some other practices in the Senedd, the roles of Official Opposition and Leader of the Opposition have no legal basis, instead they have developed as conventions in the Senedd. Both concepts were introduced on an informal basis with the establishment of the Senedd as the National Assembly for Wales in 1999, with the inaugural holder being Dafydd Wigley of Plaid Cymru, the Official Opposition in the assembly at the time. Official recognition was granted in October 2000 with the formation of Rhodri Morgan's coalition government between Welsh Labour and the Welsh Liberal Democrats, with Wigley's successor Ieuan Wyn Jones formally being granted the title of Leader of the Opposition as the assembly began to adopt some elements of the style of government as seen in Westminster. The official introduction of the role also signalled a move toward increased precedence for the Official Opposition in plenary sessions of the assembly and on its subject committees, leading to further scrutiny of the government.

The Leader of the Opposition is officially recognised by the Llywydd of the Senedd and on the website of the Senedd as uniquely serving in that position. Sometimes, the Leader of the Opposition is also styled as the Shadow First Minister of Wales, which is a role they can hold as leader of the Shadow Cabinet; this title has been held by Dafydd Wigley and Ieuan Wyn Jones of Plaid Cymru and Nick Bourne of the Welsh Conservatives.

Salary In 2001, the National Assembly for Wales decided to grant the Leader of the Opposition a dedicated salary, equivalent to that of a minister in the Welsh Government, of around £34,000. By the end of the third legislative term of the National Assembly in 2011, the salary of the Leader of the Opposition was £41,949.

Going into the fourth term of the assembly in 2011, the Independent Remuneration Board of the assembly replaced the dedicated salary of the Leader of the Opposition with a general salary for all opposition party leaders in the assembly, with a minimum salary of £12,420 which was increased by £1,000 for each seat held by their party. As such, the salary of the Leader of the Opposition, with 14 AMs in their party at the time, was reduced to £26,420 from July 2011 and frozen for a period of four years. In April 2023, Leader of the Opposition Andrew RT Davies's salary as leader of the Conservative opposition group in the Senedd was set at £101,656. In March 2024, Davies's salary was increased to £104,709 for the 2024/25 tax year.

History Between July 2007 and May 2011, Nick Bourne served as Leader of the Opposition, even though the Conservatives were the third largest group in the Assembly. This was a result of the Welsh Government's make-up consisting of Labour and Plaid Cymru, which were the largest and second largest groups respectively.

Following the 2016 election, Plaid Cymru (led by Leanne Wood) became the largest group not in government, having won 12 seats to the Welsh Conservatives' 11. On 14 October 2016 Dafydd Elis-Thomas left Plaid Cymru to sit as an independent, which resulted in Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives both holding 11 seats. During this period Leanne Wood was not referred to as Leader of the Opposition but was instead referred to as the leader of Plaid Cymru. The Conservative group grew to 12 following Mark Reckless's defection from UKIP to the Conservative Group on 6 April 2017, and Andrew RT Davies was once again referred to as Leader of the Opposition.

On 29 March 2021 Nick Ramsay left the Welsh Conservative party, meaning that the group had lost its title as the largest party not in government as by this point both the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru were tied on 10 seats each, with no official office holder of the Leader of the opposition in the final period before the 2021 Senedd election.

Following the 2021 Senedd election the Welsh Conservatives returned 16 seats making them comfortably the second party ahead of Plaid Cymru who won 13 and as a result Andrew RT Davies once again became Leader of the Opposition. On 3 December 2024, Andrew RT Davies resigned, after a period of prolonged controversy over his public comments and conduct. He left the role on 5 December 2024, after the Senedd Conservative group selected Darren Millar to replace him. In January 2026, James Evans defected from the Welsh Conservatives to Reform UK Wales. Due to other losses of members throughout the term, this placed the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru tied, meaning the position remained vacant until the Senedd was dissolved for the election.

List of leaders of the opposition in the Senedd PortraitLeader of the OppositionTerm of officeElectionsShadow cabinetConstituency/RegionGovernmentStartEndDafydd Wigley12 May199916 March20001999Shadow Cabinet of Dafydd WigleyCaernarfonMichael administrationInterim Rhodri Morgan administrationFirst Rhodri Morgan governmentIeuan Wyn Jones16 March200011 July20072003Shadow Cabinet of Ieuan Wyn JonesYnys MônSecond Rhodri Morgan government2007Third Rhodri Morgan governmentNick Bourne11 July20076 May20112011Shadow Cabinet of Nick BourneMid and West WalesFourth Rhodri Morgan governmentFirst Jones governmentPaul Davies6 May201114 July2011 —Interim Shadow Cabinet of Paul DaviesPreseli PembrokeshireSecond Jones governmentAndrew RT Davies14 July20116 May 20162016First Shadow Cabinet of Andrew RT DaviesSouth Wales CentralLeanne Wood6 May201614 October2016 —Shadow Cabinet of Leanne WoodRhonddaThird Jones governmentNot in use 14 Oct 2016 – 6 April 2017During this period, both Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives were tied on 11 seats each. This was after Lord Elis-Thomas left Plaid Cymru to sit as an independent. Leanne Wood was not referred to as Leader of the Opposition during this period and was instead referred to as the leader of Plaid Cymru. The Conservative group grew to 12 following Mark Reckless's defection from the UK Independence Party to the Conservatives on 6 April, and Andrew RT Davies was referred to as Leader of the Opposition once more.Andrew RT Davies6 April201727 June 2018 —Second Shadow Cabinet of Andrew RT DaviesSouth Wales CentralFirst Drakeford governmentPaul Davies27 June 2018 23 January20212021Shadow Cabinet of Paul DaviesPreseli PembrokeshireAndrew RT Davies24 January202129 March2021 —Third Shadow Cabinet of Andrew RT DaviesSouth Wales CentralNot in use 29 March – 7 May 2021During the final period before the 2021 Senedd election, both the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru were tied on 10 seats each. This happened after Nick Ramsay left the Welsh Conservatives and group in the Senedd to stand as an independent in the Senedd election.Andrew RT Davies7 May20215 December 2024 —Fourth Shadow Cabinet of Andrew RT DaviesSouth Wales CentralSecond Drakeford governmentGething governmentEluned Morgan governmentDarren Millar5 December202420 January2026—Shadow Cabinet of Darren MillarClwyd WestNot in use 20 January – 8 May 2026During the final period before the 2026 Senedd election, both the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru were tied on 13 seats each. This happened after James Evans was expelled from the Welsh Conservatives and group in the Senedd to sit as an independent MS in the Senedd.Dan Thomas202620262026Shadow Cabinet of Dan ThomasCasnewydd Islwynap Iorwerth governmentHelen Jenner2026Incumbent—Shadow Cabinet of Helen JennerBangor Conwy Môn

Timeline

See also First Minister of Wales Deputy First Minister for Wales Welsh Government

Notes and references Notes

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