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Friday 06 May 2016 7:44 am

Wales election 2016 results: Rhondda-ful victory for Leanne Wood, but Labour largest overall

By: Hayley Kirton

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Labour has become the largest party in Wales, but Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has claimed the prize of a seat in Rhondda.

Labour won 29 of the 60 possible seats, just two shy of a majority win. 

Wood's victory came as something as a shock as the seat was expected to be won by Labour's Leighton Andrews.

"To win here, in the Rhondda, to win where you've lived all your life and grown up is a real honour," Wood is reported as saying by the BBC.

In Rhondda @LeanneWood overturns Labour's 6,739 majority to win with a majority for Plaid Cymru of over 3,000 votes pic.twitter.com/UNrsfNXCsK

— Plaid Cymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@Plaid_Cymru) May 6, 2016

Congratulations to @LeanneWood on winning the Rhondda first past the post. @Plaid_Cymru

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) May 6, 2016

Plaid Cymru did not perform as well across the rest of the country, winning only 12 seats and gaining just the one. It is, however, the second biggest party.

Meanwhile, the Conservative party failed to make a mark, only holding onto 11 seats and losing three. 

https://twitter.com/thomasmessenger/status/728472792924979200

Another party that shocked many with its performance in Wales was UKIP. The party gain seven seats and it received a significantly larger proportion of ballots compared with the 2011 elections. 

According to the BBC, turnout for the election is 45.3 per cent.

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