Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Rhun ap Iorwerth[1] |
| Deputy Leader | Delyth Jewell |
| Westminster Leader | Liz Saville Roberts |
| Chair | Marc Jones |
| Honorary President | The Lord Wigley |
| Founded | 5 August 1925; 100 years ago (1925-08-05)[2] |
| Headquarters | Tŷ Gwynfor Marine Chambers Anson Court Atlantic Wharf Cardiff CF10 4AL |
| Youth wing | Plaid Ifanc |
| LGBT wing | Plaid Pride |
| Disability wing | Plaid Cymru Anabledd |
| Membership(2022) | c.10,000[3] |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-left[17] |
| European affiliation | European Free Alliance |
| Colours | Green Yellow |
| House of Commons | 4 / 32 (Welsh seats) |
| House of Lords | 2 / 825 |
| Senedd[18] | 13 / 60 |
| Councillors in Wales[19] | 200 / 1,234 |
| Councils led InWales[20] | 4 / 22 |
| Police and crime commissioners in Wales | 1 / 4 |
| Website | |
| plaid partyof | |
Plaid Cymru (English:/plaɪdˈkʌmri/plydeKUM-ree,[21]Welsh:[plaidˈkəmrɨ];lit. 'Party of Wales', officiallyPlaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, and often referred to simply asPlaid) is acentre-left,Welsh nationalistpolitical party in Wales, committed toWelsh independence from theUnited Kingdom.[22][23] It campaigns on a platform ofsocial democracy andcivic nationalism. The party is a supporter of theEuropean Union and is a member of theEuropean Free Alliance (EFA).[24][25] The party holds 4 of 32 Welsh seats in the UKHouse of Commons, 14 of 60 seats in theSenedd,[26] and 200 of 1,234 principal local authority councillors.[27] Plaid was formed in 1925 under the namePlaid Genedlaethol Cymru ('the national party of Wales') andGwynfor Evans won the first Westminster seat for the party at the1966 Carmarthen by-election.[28]
In1999 (in the first devolvedWelsh Assembly election), Plaid Cymru gained considerable ground in traditionally Labour heartlands.[29] These breakthroughs were part of the intentional aim to win more seats in theWelsh valleys andNorth East Wales, which continues to be an ambition today.[30] The party have mostly been in opposition in theSenedd. Although under the leadership ofIeuan Wyn Jones, the party was part of a coalition as a junior partner withWelsh Labour (See:One Wales,Morgan andJones governments) between 2007 and 2011.[31] Wyn Jones became thedeputy First Minister andMinister for the Economy and Transport, other Plaid Cymru Assembly members were also part of the cabinets.
After losses in the2011 Assembly elections and dropping down to being the third largest party, Wyn Jones stepped down. He was succeeded byLeanne Wood.[32] In the2016 Assembly elections Wood managed to win her constituency seat ofRhondda meaning the party gained one seat, and became the official opposition once again, although only for a brief period.[33] In 2018 following internal pressure and aleadership contest,Adam Price defeated Wood and was elected the new leader. Following the2021 Senedd election Plaid formed aco-operation agreement with theWelsh Labour government.[34] In May 2023 Price resigned as leader following the publication of a report which detailed failings by the party to prevent sexual harassment and bullying.[35] In June 2023Rhun ap Iorwerth was elected unopposed as leader.[36] The party won the second most seats inWales in the 2024 general election and won both its target seats.[37]
In September 2008, a senior Plaidassembly member spelled out her party's continuing support for an independent Wales. The then WelshMinister for Rural Affairs,Elin Jones, told delegates at Plaid's annual conference inAberystwyth that the party would continue its commitment to independence under the coalition withWelsh Labour.[38]
In 2014, the party's constitution included the following aims:
While Wales remains part of the United Kingdom, Plaid Cymru want to see further powers devolved from the UK Government to Wales, including: broadcasting and communication powers, devolution of the Crown Estate, welfare and rail.[40][34][41][42]
The party opposesnuclear power andnuclear weapons (including theUK's Trident nuclear weapons programme).[43][44][45][46]
The party also favours lowering the voting age to 16 years old.[47] The voting age has already been lowered to include 16- and 17-year-olds for bothSenedd elections[48] and local elections in Wales since 2020,[49] but not for UK general elections orpolice and crime commissioner elections: 18 is the minimum voting age for both of these.[49]
Plaid Cymru supports making social care "free at the point of need".[50][51][52]
In 2021, Plaid Cymru's policies inits co-operation agreement with Welsh Labour included:[53]
In 2025, despite the party's historically strong vocal support for Welsh independence, the party's leader,Rhun ap Iorwerth, stated there was no plan for an independence referendum in the first term of a Plaid Cymru government if they were elected at the next Senedd election, and that talk of a referendum would not take place before 2030. The party does however continue to have an official policy of Welsh independence.[55][56]
While both theLabour andLiberal parties of the early 20th century had accommodated demands for Welsh home rule, no political party existed for the purpose of establishing a Welsh government.Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (Welsh for 'the National Party of Wales') was formed on 5 August 1925, byMoses Gruffydd,H. R. Jones andLewis Valentine, members ofByddin Ymreolwyr Cymru (Welsh for 'the Home Rule Army of Wales';lit. 'the Self-Rulers' Army of Wales'); andFred Jones,Saunders Lewis ofY Mudiad Cymreig (Welsh for 'the Welsh Movement') and D. Edmund Williams.[57] Initially, home rule for Wales was not an explicit aim of the new movement; keeping WalesWelsh-speaking took primacy, with the aim of making Welsh the only official language of Wales.[58]
In the1929 general election, the party contested its first parliamentary constituency,Caernarvonshire, polling 609 votes, or 1.6% of the vote for that seat. The party contested few such elections in its early years, partly due to its ambivalence towards Westminster politics. Indeed, the candidateLewis Valentine, the party's first president, offered himself in Caernarvonshire on a platform of demonstrating Welsh people's rejection of English dominion.[59]
By 1932, the aims ofself-government and Welsh representation at theLeague of Nations had been added to that of preserving Welsh language and culture. However, this move, and the party's early attempts to develop an economic critique, did not broaden its appeal beyond that of an intellectual andsocially conservative Welsh language pressure group.[60] The alleged sympathy of the party's leading members (including PresidentSaunders Lewis) towards Europe'stotalitarian regimes compromised its early appeal further.[61]
Saunders Lewis, David John Williams and Lewis Valentine set fire to the newly constructed RAFPenyberth air base on theLlŷn Peninsula inGwynedd in 1936, in protest at its siting in the Welsh-speaking heartland. The leaders' treatment, including the trial judge's dismissal of the use of Welsh and their subsequent imprisonment inWormwood Scrubs, led to "The Three" becoming acause célèbre. This heightened the profile of the party dramatically and its membership had doubled to nearly 2,000 by 1939.[58][62]
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Penyberth, and Plaid Cymru's neutral stance during theSecond World War, prompted concerns within the UK Government that it might be used by Germany to insert spies or carry out other covert operations.[63] In fact, the party adopted a neutral standpoint and urged (with only limited success)conscientious objection to war service.[64]
In 1943, Saunders Lewis contested the University of Wales parliamentary seat at a by-election, gaining 1,330 votes, or 22%. In the1945 general election, with party membership at around 2,500, Plaid Cymru contested seven seats, as many as it had in the preceding 20 years, including constituencies in south Wales for the first time. At this timeGwynfor Evans was elected president.[65]
_and_Gwynfor_Evans_(15171981727).jpg)
Gwynfor Evans's presidency coincided with the maturation of Plaid Cymru (as it now began to refer to itself) into a more recognisable political party. Its share of the vote increased from 0.7% in the1951 general election to 3.1% in1955 and 5.2% in1959. In the 1959 election, the party contested a majority of Welsh seats for the first time. Proposals to flood the village ofCapel Celyn in theTryweryn valley in Gwynedd in 1957 to supply the city ofLiverpool with water played a part in Plaid Cymru's growth. The fact that the parliamentary bill authorising the dam went through without support from any Welsh MPs showed that the MPs' votes in Westminster were not enough to prevent such bills from passing.[66]
Support for the party declined slightly in the early 1960s, particularly as support for the Liberal Party began to stabilise from its long-term decline. In 1962, Saunders Lewis gave a radio talk entitledTynged yr Iaith (The fate of the language) in which he predicted the extinction of the Welsh language unless action was taken. This led to the formation ofCymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) the same year.[67]
Labour's return to power in 1964 and the creation of the post ofSecretary of State for Wales appeared to represent a continuation of the incremental evolution of a distinctive Welsh polity, following theConservative government's appointment of a Minister of Welsh Affairs in 1951[68] and the establishment ofCardiff as Wales's capital in 1955.[69]
However,in 1966, less than four months after coming in third in the constituency ofCarmarthen, Gwynfor Evans captured the seat from Labour at a by-election. This was followed by two further by-elections inRhondda West in1967 andCaerphilly in1968 in which the party achieved massive swings of 30% and 40% respectively, coming within a whisker of victory. The results were caused partly by an anti-Labour backlash. Expectations in coal mining communities that theWilson government would halt the long-term decline in their industry had been dashed by a significant downward revision of coal production estimates.[70] However, particularly in Carmarthen, Plaid also successfully depicted Labour's policies as a threat to the viability of small Welsh communities.[71]
In the1970 general election, Plaid Cymru contested every seat in Wales for the first time and its vote share surged from 4.5% in 1966 to 11.5%. Gwynfor Evans lost Carmarthen to Labour, but regained the seat inOctober 1974, by which time the party had gained a further two MPs, representing the constituencies ofCaernarfon andMerionethshire.[72][73]
Plaid Cymru's emergence (along with theScottish National Party) prompted the Wilson government to establish theKilbrandon Commission on the constitution. The subsequent proposals for a Welsh Assembly were, however, heavily defeated in areferendum in 1979. Despite Plaid Cymru's ambivalence toward home rule (as opposed to outright independence) thereferendum result led many in the party to question its direction.[59]
Plaid campaigned to leave the Common Market in the1975 referendum,[74][75] feeling that the EC's regional aid policies would "reconcile places like Wales to their subordinate position".[76] Nevertheless, 65% of Welsh voters voted to remain in the EC during a1975 referendum.[77] The EC was incorporated into theEuropean Union (EU) in 1993.[78]
At the1979 general election, the party's vote share declined from 10.8% to 8.1% and Carmarthen was again lost to Labour, althoughCaernarfon andMerionethshire were held by the party.[citation needed]
Caernarfon MPDafydd Wigley succeeded Gwynfor Evans as president in 1981, inheriting a party whose morale was at an all-time low. In 1981 the party adopted a policy of "community socialism".[79] While the party embarked on a wide-ranging review of its priorities and goals, Gwynfor Evans fought a successful campaign (including the threat of a hunger strike) to oblige the Conservative government to fulfill its promise to establishS4C, a Welsh-language television station.[80] In 1984,Dafydd Elis-Thomas was elected president, defeatingDafydd Iwan, a move that saw the party shift to the left.Ieuan Wyn Jones (later Plaid Cymru leader) capturedYnys Môn from the Conservatives in1987. In 1989 Dafydd Wigley once again assumed the presidency of the party.[citation needed]
In the1992 general election, the party added a fourth MP,Cynog Dafis, when he gainedCeredigion and Pembroke North from theLiberal Democrats. Dafis was endorsed by the local branch of theGreen Party. The party's vote share recovered to 9.9% at the1997 general election.[citation needed]
In 1997, following the election of a Labour government committed to devolution for Wales, afurther referendum was narrowly won, establishing theNational Assembly for Wales. Plaid Cymru became the main opposition to the ruling Labour Party, with 17 seats to Labour's 28. In doing so, it appeared to have broken out of its rural Welsh-speaking heartland, and gained seats in traditionally strong Labour areas in industrialSouth Wales.[81]
Ahead of the1999 National Assembly for Wales election, Plaid Cymru dropped its policy of Welsh independence in favour of continued membership in the European Union. These changes in policy were made as it was believed that the electorate in Wales did not view independence as an important issue. It also adoptedsocial democracy for its economic policy in an attempt to weaken Labour. These changes in policy have been used to explain the party's subsequent electoral success in Labour's traditionalSouth East Wales heartlands.[82]
In the1999 election, Plaid Cymru gained seats in traditional Labour areas such asRhondda,Islwyn andLlanelli, achieving by far its highest share of the vote in any Wales-wide election. While Plaid Cymru regarded itself as the natural beneficiary of devolution, others attributed its performance in large part to the travails of the Labour Party[who?], whose nomination forAssembly First Secretary,Ron Davies, was forced to stand down in an allegedsex scandal. The ensuing leadership battle, won byAlun Michael, did much to damage Labour, and thus aided Plaid Cymru, whose leader was the more popular and higher profileDafydd Wigley. The Labour Party's UK national leadership was seen to interfere in the contest and deny the popularRhodri Morgan victory.[83] Less than two months later, inelections to the European parliament, Labour support slumped further, and Plaid Cymru came within 2.5% of achieving the largest share of the vote in Wales. Under the new system ofproportional representation, the party also gained two MEPs.[citation needed]
Plaid Cymru then developed political problems of its own. Dafydd Wigley resigned, citing health problems but amid rumours of a plot against him.[84] His successor,Ieuan Wyn Jones, struggled to impose his authority, particularly over controversial remarks made by a councillor, Seimon Glyn.[85] At the same time, Labour leader and First Minister Alun Michael was replaced by Rhodri Morgan.[citation needed]
In the2001 general election, notwithstanding Plaid Cymru recording its highest-ever vote share in a general election, 14.3%, the party lost Wyn Jones's former seat ofYnys Môn toAlbert Owen, although it gainedCarmarthen East and Dinefwr, whereAdam Price was elected.[citation needed]
TheAssembly elections of May 2003 saw the party's representation drop from 17 to 12, with the seats gained in the 1999 election falling again to Labour and the party's share of the vote declining to 21%. Plaid Cymru narrowly remained the second-largest party in the National Assembly ahead of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats anda single independent.[86]
On 15 September 2003,folk-singer and county councillorDafydd Iwan was elected as Plaid Cymru's president. Ieuan Wyn Jones, who had resigned from his dual role as president and Assembly group leader following the losses in the 2003 Assembly election, was re-elected in the latter role.Elfyn Llwyd remained the Plaid Cymru leader in the Westminster Parliament. Under Iwan's presidency, the party formally adopted a policy of independence for Wales within Europe at its conference in September 2003.[87] Plaid Cymru had historically supported Welsh independence but dropped this policy ahead of the 1999 devolved election.[82]
The 2004 local election saw the party lose control of the two South Wales councils it gained in 1999,Rhondda Cynon Taff andCaerphilly, while retaining its stronghold of Gwynedd in the north-west. The results enabled the party to claim a greater number of ethnic minority councillors than all the other political parties in Wales combined,[88] along with gains in authorities such as Cardiff andSwansea, where Plaid Cymru representation had been minimal. In the European Parliament elections of the same year, the party's vote share fell to 17.4%, and the reduction in the number of Welsh MEPs saw its representation reduced to one.[89]
In thegeneral election of 5 May 2005, Plaid Cymru lost theCeredigion seat to theLiberal Democrats; this result was a disappointment to Plaid, who had hoped to gainYnys Môn. Overall therefore, Plaid Cymru's Parliamentary representation fell to three seats, the lowest number for the party since 1992. The party's share of the vote fell to 12.6%.[90]
Since Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru reformation to 'Plaid Cymru' in 1933, the logo representing the party was the green 'triban' (three peaks) which symbolically represented Plaid's three key goals; self-government, cultural prosperity and economic prosperity, 'anchored in the bedrock of Welsh identity and history that is the Welsh upland landscape',[91] the logo would change in the late stages of 20th century to include the red dragon of Wales, however this version was short-lived. In 2006, the party voted constitutional changes to formally designate the party's leader in the assembly as its overall leader, withIeuan Wyn Jones being restored to the full leadership andDafydd Iwan becoming head of the voluntary wing of the party.[92] The party unveiled a radical change of image in 2006. In that year, the party opted to use "Plaid" as the party's name, although "Plaid Cymru — the Party of Wales" would remain the official title. Plaid would abandon the triban (apart from the merchandise) and adopt the yellowWelsh poppy (Meconopsis cambrica).[93]
In theNational Assembly election of 3 May 2007, Plaid Cymru increased its number of seats from 12 to 15, regainingLlanelli, gaining one additional list seat and winning the newly created constituency ofAberconwy. The 2007 election also saw Plaid Cymru'sMohammad Asghar become the first ethnic minority candidate elected to the Welsh Assembly.[94] The party's share of the vote increased to 22.4%.[95]
After weeks of negotiations involving all four parties in the Assembly, Plaid Cymru and Labour agreed to form acoalition government. Their agreed "One Wales" programme included a commitment for both parties to campaign for a Yes vote in areferendum on full law-making powers for the Assembly, to be held at a time of the Welsh Assembly Government's choosing.[31] Ieuan Wyn Jones was subsequently confirmed asDeputy First Minister of Wales[96] andMinister for the Economy and Transport.Rhodri Glyn Thomas was appointed Heritage Minister. He later stood down, andAlun Ffred Jones took over. Ceredigion AMElin Jones was appointed to the Rural Affairs brief in the new 10-member cabinet.Jocelyn Davies became Deputy Minister for Housing, and later, Regeneration.[citation needed]
In the2010 general election, Plaid returned three MPs to Westminster. They took part in theYes for Wales cross-party campaign for the March 2011 referendum.[97]
In the2011 National Assembly election, Plaid slipped from second place to third, being overtaken by theWelsh Conservatives and losing its deputy leaderHelen Mary Jones. The party held an inquiry into the election result.[98] The internal investigation led to the adoption of wide-ranging changes to its constitution, including a streamlining of the leadership structure.[99]
In May 2011, Ieuan Wyn Jones announced he would stand down as leader within the first half of the Assembly term.[100] A leadership election was held in which three candidates eventually stood:Elin Jones,Dafydd Elis-Thomas andLeanne Wood;[101]Simon Thomas withdrew his candidacy before ballots were cast.[102]
On 15 March 2012, Plaid Cymru elected Leanne Wood as its new leader. She received 55% of the vote, over second-placed Elin Jones with 41%.[103] Wood was the party's first female leader, and its first not to be a fluent Welsh speaker.[32][104] Soon after her election as leader, she appointed former MPAdam Price to head an economic commission for the party "focussed on bringing together tailor-made policies in order to transform our economy".[105][106] On 1 May 2012, it was confirmed Leanne Wood would not be taking the £23,000 pay increase that every other party leader in the Assembly receives.[107]
On 12 November 2012, Wood announced she would aim to abandon her relatively safe list seat by winning a constituency at the 2016 National Assembly elections;[108] she later confirmed she would contest theRhondda.[109] Adam Price was subsequently selected as the party's candidate forCarmarthen East and Dinefwr.[110] Lindsay Whittle confirmed he would stand solely inCaerphilly.[111]
On 20 June 2013, former party leader Ieuan Wyn Jones stood down from the Assembly as the member forYnys Môn.[112] Plaid Cymru's candidateRhun ap Iorwerth was elected as the new Assembly Member for the constituency, receiving 12,601 votes (a 58% share) with a majority of 9,166 over the Labour candidate.[113]
At the2016 Welsh Assembly elections, Plaid Cymru gained one seat,Rhondda from Labour, on what was an otherwise disappointing night,[114] and became the Assembly's second-largest party and briefly became the official opposition to the Welsh Government with 12 seats.[33] By January 2018 Plaid Cymru had been reduced to ten Assembly Members, following the resignation ofDafydd Elis-Thomas in 2016[115][116] and the permanent expulsion ofNeil McEvoy from Plaid's Assembly group in 2018.[117]
Despite campaigning to leave in1975,[75] Plaid campaigned for a Remain vote in the2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the EU,[118] spending £27,495 on the campaign.[119] In the referendum Wales voted 52.5% in favour of Leave.[120] Immediately after the referendum, Leanne Wood stated that voters 'must be respected' and criticised calls for a second EU referendum.[121] Plaid Cymru later modified their policy to support aPeople's Vote.[122]
In the2017 United Kingdom general election, Plaid saw their popular vote fall, but narrowly gained Ceredigion and saw Arfon become highly marginal.[123]
In September 2018, Adam Price won the party'sleadership election, defeating the incumbent Leanne Wood and fellow challengerRhun ap Iorwerth.[124] In October 2018, it was regarded asleft-wing populist by Massetti Emmanuel in theComparative European Politics academic journal.[125]
In theBrecon and Radnorshire by-election Plaid Cymru decided not to put up a candidate, but instead to support the Liberal Democrat candidateJane Dodds in order to maximise the chance of an anti-Brexit candidate winning.[126]
In the2019 United Kingdom general election, Plaid stood aside in four seats to endorseUnite to Remain candidates.[127] Plaid held their four seats but saw a decrease in their popular vote.[128]
In the run-up to the2021 Senedd election, polling suggested that Welsh Labour would win the highest number of seats but fall short of an overall majority. Pollsters and commentators suggested that the most likely outcome would be another Labour–Plaid Cymru coalition,[129][130] an option First MinisterMark Drakeford said he would be open to.[131] Price insisted that his party would not be Labour's "junior partner",[132] nor would they work with the Conservatives under any circumstances.[133] He stated that Plaid would be willing to join forces with Labour, but only if the former were the largest party or if it were an equal partnership.[130] Price also said that he did not considerWelsh independence to be "a distraction or a constitutional abstraction", but rather "a practical necessity".[134]
At the election, Plaid increased their seat total to thirteen, up one from the twelve they won in 2016, but lost out in their target constituencies, and lostRhondda where former leader Leanne Wood lost her seat to Labour.[135] Price said he would not resign, tellingITV Wales: "My job is to lead, its not to give up at a set back or disappointment. My job is to sustain the hope – all those young people who voted for Plaid because they were inspired by our message of the potential we believe is there in Wales to deliver a decent society for our people. I firmly believe that we have sown a lot of seed at this election. A lot of young people in particular who did come with us this time has laid the foundations for the future which I think will set us up for growth in the years to come."[136]
On 22 November 2021, despite Price's earlier comments about refusing to work with Labour,[137] the two parties announced aco-operation agreement consisting of almost 50 different policies, including providing free school meals for all primary school children, the establishment of a free-at-point-of-need national care system and building a railway betweenNorth andSouth Wales.[138] Price called the agreement "a down-payment on independence" and claimed that the results of the Senedd election "confirmed Wales's status as an indy-curious nation. A curiosity that will give birth – sooner than many think – to an independent Wales." He went on to say, "For Wales to be free, we must first be united. And, that is what this Co-operation Agreement sets out to achieve. It launches us on a pathway to a united Wales, one that, sooner than we perhaps think, will find it both comfortable and natural, indeed essential, to join the world community of normal, independent nations."[139]
The co-operation agreement was ratified by Plaid's conference, with 94% voting in favour. "This is a huge step forward for Wales and our democracy," Price said. "The co-operation agreement will bring immediate, tangible and long-term benefit for the people of Wales. All primary school children will now receive free school meals; there will be free childcare for all two-year-olds; and radical action to tackle the housing crisis. There will be stability payments to support family farms; exploration of an accelerated pathway to net zero by 2035; the creation ofYnni Cymru – a company to expand community-owned renewable energy generation; and a new and reformed Senedd – bigger, more diverse, and gender balanced in law. From feeding our children to caring for our elderly, this is a nation-building Programme for Government which will change the lives of thousands of people the length and breadth of our country for the better. And none of it would be happening without Plaid Cymru."[140]
In May 2023, the publication of a report which detailed failings by the party to prevent sexual harassment and bullying led to media coverage suggesting that Price had agreed to resign the party leadership,[35][141] and Price confirmed this in a statement on 10 May. Acknowledging that he "no longer had the united support of [his] colleagues", Price stated that he would step down officially at the start of the following week, once the process for electing a new interim leader was finalised.[142][143] On 11 May Plaid Cymru announced thatLlyr Gruffydd, Senedd member for North Wales, would replace him as interim party leader, and that this would be confirmed by the NEC on 13 May.[144] On 16 June 2023Rhun ap Iorwerth was announced as the new permanent leader after he was elected unopposed.[36]
At party conference inAberystwyth in October 2023, Rhun ap Iorwerth said the party was "not just forWelsh speakers".[145] Accomplishments like free school meals with theDrakeford government were promoted.[146]
Before the 2019 general election, Price announced that he would set up a commission to look at the practicality ofWelsh independence, and how a Plaid Government would holdan independence referendum.[147] The commission, led by former PlaidDwyfor Meirionydd MPElfyn Llwyd, released its report on 25 September 2020.[148][149] It recommends five key aims for Plaid Cymru:[150]
It also recommends that there should be one multiple choice referendum to gauge views and to persuade a UK Westminster government to agree to a referendum on the preferred option.[149]
The report was met with criticism from theWelsh Liberal Democrats, describing the report as a mix of "fanatical politics" and "pie in the sky economics".[151]
In December 2020, Price stated that an independence referendum would be held in Plaid Cymru's first term in office, if the party won a majority at the2021 Senedd election.[152]
Undeb Credyd Plaid Cymru Credit Union Limited is a savings and loansco-operative established for party members in 1986.[153] Based inRoath, Cardiff, it is a member of theAssociation of British Credit Unions Limited.[154] Thecredit union is authorised by thePrudential Regulation Authority and regulated by theFinancial Conduct Authority. Ultimately, like the banks and building societies, members' savings are protected against business failure by theFinancial Services Compensation Scheme.[155]
| Name and portrait | Party office | Constituency (if any) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Rhun ap Iorwerth | Leader of the Senedd Group and Party Leader | Ynys Môn | |
 Liz Saville Roberts | Westminster Group Leader | MP forDwyfor Meirionydd | [156] |
 Dafydd Wigley | HonoraryParty President from 2001 | N/A | Former Party President Member of theHouse of Lords |
The party leader was referred to in English as the president until March 2000, when the separate role of Leader was created.
| Name | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Valentine | 1925 | 1926 |
| 2 | Saunders Lewis | 1926 | 1939 |
| 3 | John Edward Daniel | 1939 | 1943 |
| 4 | Abi Williams | 1943 | 1945 |
| 5 | Gwynfor Evans | 1 August 1945[157] | 1981 |
| 6 | Dafydd Wigley | 1981 | 1984 |
| 7 | Dafydd Elis-Thomas | 1984 | 1991 |
| (6) | Dafydd Wigley | 1991 | 4 August 2000 |
| 8 | Ieuan Wyn Jones | 4 August 2000 | 16 March 2012 |
| 9 | Leanne Wood | 16 March 2012 | 28 September 2018 |
| 10 | Adam Price | 28 September 2018 | 16 May 2023 |
| - | Llyr Gruffydd (acting) | 16 May 2023[158] | 16 June 2023 |
| 11 | Rhun ap Iorwerth | 16 June 2023[159] | Incumbent |
| Deputy Leader | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhodri Glyn Thomas | 2003[160] | 2007 | |
| Alun Ffred Jones | 2007[161] | 2008 | |
| Helen Mary Jones | 2008 | 2012 | |
| Elin Jones | 17 July 2012[162] | 2016 | |
| Vacant | 2016 | 2018 | |
| Rhun ap Iorwerth &Siân Gwenllian | 23 October 2018[163] | 27 June 2023 | |
| Delyth Jewell | 27 June 2023 | Present | |
| Chief executive | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Dafydd Trystan Davies | 2002 | 2007 |
| Gwenllian Lansdown | 2007[164] | 2011 |
| Rhuanedd Richards | 2011[165] | 2016[166] |
| Gareth Clubb | 2016[167] | 2020 |
| Marc Phillips | 2020[168] | 2021 |
| Carl Harris | 2021[169] | 2022 |
| Owen Roberts | 2023[170] | Incumbent |
| Name | Constituency | Since | Spokesperson role[171] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Davies | Caerfyrddin | 2024 | Department for Work and Pensions; Environment and Rural Affairs; Education; Transport; and Culture, Media, and Sport |
| Llinos Medi | Ynys Môn | 2024 | Department of Energy Security and Net Zero; Business and Trade; Housing, Communities and Local Government; Health; and Equalities |
| Ben Lake | Ceredigion Preseli (Ceredigion 2017-2024) | 2017 | Group Secretary and Treasurer, speaking for the group on the Treasury; Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and Science, Innovation and Technology |
| Liz Saville Roberts | Dwyfor Meirionnydd | 2015 | Wales Office; Ministry of Justice; Home Office; Cabinet Office; Attorney General’s Office; and Ministry of Defence |
| Name | Date Ennobled |
|---|---|
| Lord Wigley | 24 January 2011 |
| Baroness Smith of Llanfaes | 13 March 2024 |
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| Election | Leader | Wales | UK | +/– | Government | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | % | ||||
| 1929 | Saunders Lewis | 609 | 0.003 | 0 / 36 | 0.0 | — | |
| 1931 | 2,050 | 0.2 | 0 / 36 | 0.0 |  | — | |
| 1935 | 2,534 | 0.3 | 0 / 36 | 0.0 | | — | |
| 1945 | Abi Williams | 16,017 | 1.2 | 0 / 36 | 0.1 | | — |
| 1950 | Gwynfor Evans | 17,580 | 1.2 | 0 / 36 | 0.1 | | — |
| 1951 | 10,920 | 0.7 | 0 / 36 | 0.0 | | — | |
| 1955 | 45,119 | 3.1 | 0 / 36 | 0.2 | | — | |
| 1959 | 77,571 | 5.2 | 0 / 36 | 0.3 | | — | |
| 1964 | 69,507 | 4.8 | 0 / 36 | 0.3 | | — | |
| 1966 | 61,071 | 4.3 | 0 / 36 | 0.2 | | — | |
| 1970 | 175,016 | 11.5 | 0 / 36 | 0.6 | | — | |
| Feb 1974 | 171,374 | 10.8 | 2 / 36 | 0.5 |  2 | Opposition | |
| Oct 1974 | 166,321 | 10.8 | 3 / 36 | 0.6 | 1 | Opposition | |
| 1979 | 132,544 | 8.1 | 2 / 36 | 0.4 |  1 | Opposition | |
| 1983 | Dafydd Wigley | 125,309 | 7.8 | 2 / 38 | 0.4 | | Opposition |
| 1987 | Dafydd Elis-Thomas | 123,599 | 7.3 | 3 / 38 | 0.4 | 1 | Opposition |
| 1992* | Dafydd Wigley | 156,796 | 9.0 | 4 / 38 | 0.5 | 1 | Opposition |
| 1997 | 161,030 | 9.9 | 4 / 40 | 0.5 | | Opposition | |
| 2001 | Ieuan Wyn Jones | 195,893 | 14.3 | 4 / 40 | 0.7 | | Opposition |
| 2005 | 174,838 | 12.6 | 3 / 40 | 0.6 | 1 | Opposition | |
| 2010 | 165,394 | 11.3 | 3 / 40 | 0.6 | | Opposition | |
| 2015 | Leanne Wood | 181,694 | 12.1 | 3 / 40 | 0.65 | | Opposition |
| 2017 | 164,466 | 10.4 | 4 / 40 | 0.5 | 1 | Opposition | |
| 2019 | Adam Price | 153,265 | 9.9 | 4 / 40 | 0.48 | | Opposition |
| 2024 | Rhun ap Iorwerth | 194,811 | 14.8 | 4 / 32 | 0.68 | | Opposition |
*Six seats (Blaenau Gwent, Ceredigion & Pembroke North, Islwyn, Monmouth, Newport West and Torfaen) contested on a joint Plaid Cymru/Green Party ticket
| Election | Constituency | Regional | Total seats | +/– | Government | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | ||||
| 1999 | 290,572 | 28.4 | 9 / 40 | 312,048 | 30.6 | 8 / 20 | 17 / 60 | Opposition | |
| 2003 | 180,185 | 21.2 | 5 / 40 | 167,653 | 19.7 | 7 / 20 | 12 / 60 | 5 | Opposition |
| 2007 | 219,121 | 22.4 | 7 / 40 | 204,757 | 21.0 | 8 / 20 | 15 / 60 | 3 | Lab–Plaid |
| 2011 | 182,907 | 19.3 | 5 / 40 | 169,799 | 17.9 | 6 / 20 | 11 / 60 | 4 | Opposition |
| 2016 | 209,376 | 20.5 | 6 / 40 | 211,548 | 20.8 | 6 / 20 | 12 / 60 | 1 | Opposition |
| 2021 | 225,376 | 20.3 | 5 / 40 | 230,161 | 20.7 | 8 / 20 | 13 / 60 | 1 | Opposition |
| Election | Votes | % | Councils | +/- | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 115,900 | 12.5 | 1 / 8 | 202 / 1,272 | ||
| 1999 | 179,212 | 18.2 | 3 / 22 | 2 | 205 / 1,270 | 3 |
| 2004 | 149,352 | 16.4 | 1 / 22 | 2 | 175 / 1,263 | 30 |
| 2008[173] | 159,847 | 16.8 | 0 / 22 | 1 | 205 / 1,270 | 31 |
| 2012[174]* | 133,961 | 15.8 | 0 / 22 | | 158 / 1,235 | 41 |
| 2017[175] | 160,519 | 16.5 | 1 / 22 | 1 | 208 / 1,254 | 33 |
| 2022[176] | 160,284 | 16.9 | 4 / 22 | 3 | 202 / 1,231 | 6 |
*The 2012 figures exclude Anglesey, where the vote was delayed until 2013. The changes in seats and votes shown for 2012 are a direct comparison since the 2008 elections in the 21 councils up for election (i.e. excluding Anglesey).
In 2008, Plaid won 205 seats including six in Anglesey. For the purposes of this table the 205 figure has been reduced to 199 for the 2012 elections where the party lost 41 of the 199 seats it was defending on the night, leaving them with 158 seats.
In the2013 elections in Anglesey, the party won 12 seats, up from the 6 it won in 2008 (although there were significant boundary changes and a reduction in the total number of seats from 40 to 30).
The 2017 figures are based on changes from the 2012 and 2013 elections.(Hence the slight discrepancy in the percentage increase.)
| Election | Wales | +/– | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Pref Votes | % | Seats | ||
| 2012 | did not contest | |||
| 2016 | 228,334 | 23.7% | 2 / 4 | |
| 2021 | 247,518 | 23.2% | 1 / 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 92,063 | 23.3% | 1 / 4 | |
| Election | Wales | +/– | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | ||
| 1979 | 83,399 | 11.7 | 0 / 4 | |
| 1984 | 103,031 | 12.2 | 0 / 4 | |
| 1989 | 115,062 | 12.9 | 0 / 4 | |
| 1994 | 162,478 | 17.1 | 0 / 5 | |
| 1999 | 185,235 | 29.6 | 2 / 5 | 2 |
| 2004 | 159,888 | 17.1 | 1 / 4 | 1 |
| 2009 | 126,702 | 18.5 | 1 / 4 | |
| 2014 | 111,695 | 15.3 | 1 / 4 | |
| 2019 | 163,928 | 19.6 | 1 / 4 | |
Plaid retains strong links with theScottish National Party (SNP),[177] with both parties' MPs co-operating closely with one another.[178] They work as a single parliamentary group withinWestminster,[179] and were involved in joint campaigning, under the banner of a "Celtic alliance", during the2001 and2010 general elections.[180][181] Both Plaid and the SNP, along withMebyon Kernow ofCornwall,[182] are members of theEuropean Free Alliance (EFA), a pan-European political party forregionalist,autonomist and pro-independence political parties across Europe. The EFA co-operates with the largerEuropean Green Party to formThe Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA)political group in theEuropean Parliament, although the UK is no longer a member of the European Union.
Plaid Cymru has several official sections and affiliated groups, with the aim of representing all parts of wider society. The official sections of Plaid[183] are as follows:
On the sensitive issue of giving the Welsh assembly full law-making powers, a referendum on the issue is promised "as soon as practicable, at or before the end of the assembly term (in 2011)". According to the document "both parties will then take account of the success of the bedding down of the use of the new legislative powers (which came in after last May's election) already available and, by monitoring the state of public opinion, will need to assess the levels of support for full law-making powers necessary to trigger the referendum".
Mr Evans changed the face of British politics when he became Plaid's first MP in the 1966 Carmarthen by-election. Fourteen years later he threatened to starve himself to death in the cause of Welsh language television, leading to the foundation of S4C.
Mr Michael, who has Prime Minister Tony Blair's backing, has been widely predicted to come first due to the form of electoral system used. An electoral college composed of three groups — politicians, trade unions and party members — will determined the winner. Large unions such as AEEU that have made their choice after a ballot of a small number of delegates are backing Mr Michael, but Mr Morgan has won every union member vote, including the shopworkers' union Usdaw on Tuesday night. Mr Morgan, a left-wing backbencher, has also repeatedly topped opinion polls taken among Labour Party members in Wales.
Mr Wigley's announcement that he was to give up the presidency of Plaid Cymru in May came as a shock. Although he had been in hospital undergoing heart surgery, he was expected to resume his career. Some Assembly members said privately that he had taken on too much — being an MP, AM, party president and also group leader in the National Assembly. But there was also the suggestion that there was a conspiracy to oust him.
But Mr Jones was soon facing questions about his credentials for the job. Seimon Glyn, until then a fairly obscure Plaid Cymru councillor from Gwynedd, had made controversial comments on BBC Radio Wales about inward migration into Welsh-speaking communities. The issue was raised when Mr Jones appeared on the BBC's Question Time in Caernarfon, and he was criticised for his response, in which he at first denied that Mr Glyn had referred to English as a foreign language. There were more problems when Plaid's then chief executive said that Mr Jones was on a learning curve in the job.
The assembly has its first ethnic minority member with the election of Plaid Cymru's Mohammad Asghar on the regional list. Mr Asghar, who was second on the Plaid list, was the fourth and final AM to be elected in South Wales East.
Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said it was a "great honour" to become the Welsh assembly's Deputy First Minister. He was Plaid's first government minister in the party's 82-year history. In accepting the post as part of the coalition deal with Labour, Mr Jones said it was an "historic statement" personally and for his party.
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