Labour have emerged victorious in the Welsh Assembly elections but failed to take overall control despite winning half the seats.
The party increased its number of Assembly Members (AMs) by four, while coalition partners Plaid Cymru lost four seats.
Labour won 30 of the Senedd's 60 seats, falling one short of the 31 needed for an overall majority and to abandon its partnership with the nationalists.
Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones said: "The people of Wales have shown that what they want to see is a Labour-led government.
"If people were unhappy with the Welsh Labour Party then we wouldn't have done as well as we have.
"We've got five exciting years in government ahead of us."
The Conservatives gained two AMs, as the party took Aberconwy and Clwyd West, key Labour targets.
However the Tories suffered a shock defeat when Wales party leader Nick Bourne failed to regain his regional seat in the Mid and West Wales region.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats held on their total of give seats.
Labour managed to win back Cardiff Central, Cardiff North and the valleys seat of Blaenau Gwent.
Another key gain for Labour was winning the key seat of Llanelli from Plaid Cymru, defeating the party’s deputy leader Helen Mary Jones.
Jones said: "What Labour have succeeded (in doing) is turning this election into a referendum on what the Conservative government is doing in Westminster.
"It looks disappointing for us. We will have to learn some lessons both locally and nationally."
Labour's Julie Morgan, wife of former first minister Rhodri Morgan, defeated erstwhile Tory AM Jonathan Morgan by more than 2,000 votes.
Her husband had been at the forefront of politics in Wales before retiring last month.
Meanwhile, Lib Dem Welsh leader Kirsty Williams held onto Brecon and Radnorshire, despite a 9.2 per cent drop in its votes compared with the 2007 election.
She said: "It's been a tough campaign for the Welsh Liberal Democrats. We've seen some disappointing results tonight.
"It's been a tough campaign and that's been reflected in some of the seats where perhaps we haven't been able to concentrate our efforts."
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