Labour’s Vaughan Gething said people across Wales are calling for a change of government as Welsh parties geared up for the general election.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ended general election speculation on Wednesday, saying voters will go to the polls on 4 July.
His party leader in the Senedd, Conservative Andrew RT Davies said Labour’s record in the Welsh government is a “stark warning to the rest of the United Kingdom”.
Meanwhile Plaid Cymru said only they will put Wales first.
The election is the first since a major boundary review which will cut the number of MPs in Wales from 40 to 32.
All seats will see their boundaries change, with the exception of Ynys Môn.
At the last election, Labour won most seats with 22, but the Conservatives earned their largest haul since the Thatcher years, with eight seats.
Led by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the party won seats in traditional Labour areas in the north East and Bridgend.
Plaid Cymru meanwhile held four seats.
The first minister and Welsh Labour leader Vaughan Gething said on X: “Rishi Sunak has finally come to the same conclusion as the rest of the country: a General Election is needed now.
“People across Wales are calling out for a change of government, an end to Tory chaos and two Labour governments working together – for Wales and Britain.”
Andrew RT Davies, the Senedd Conservative leader, said Mr Gething was “mired in controversy” over donations, 20mph speed limits and “out of touch plans to spend £120 million on 36 more politicians”.
He said: “Keir Starmer says Wales is his blueprint for government, and while the Conservatives are delivering for Wales, Labour’s record in Wales stands as a stark warning to the rest of the United Kingdom.”
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “Only a vote for Plaid Cymru will put Wales’ best interests first in this election.
“The Tories have crashed the economy and hard-working people are still paying the price of high bills. Labour, on the other hand, just take Wales for granted.”
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