Plaid Cymru

"Party of Wales" redirects here. For other political parties in Wales, see List of political parties in Wales.
Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales
LeaderRhun ap Iorwerth[1]
Deputy LeaderDelyth Jewell
Westminster LeaderLiz Saville Roberts
ChairMarc Jones
Honorary PresidentThe Lord Wigley
Founded5 August 1925; 99 years ago (1925-08-05)
HeadquartersTŷ Gwynfor
Marine Chambers
Anson Court
Atlantic Wharf
Cardiff
CF10 4AL
Youth wingPlaid Ifanc
LGBT wingPlaid Pride
Disability wingPlaid Cymru Anabledd
Membership (2022)Increase c.10,000[2]
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left[24] to left-wing[27]
European affiliationEuropean Free Alliance
Colours  Green   Yellow
House of Commons (Welsh seats)
4 / 32
House of Lords[28]
2 / 806
Senedd[29]
12 / 60
Police and crime commissioners in Wales
1 / 4
Councillors in Wales[30]
205 / 1,231
Website
plaid.cymru (Welsh)
partyof.wales (English)
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Plaid Cymru (English: /plaɪd ˈkʌmri/ PLYDE KUM-ree;[31] Welsh: [plaid ˈkəmri], lit. 'Party of Wales'; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, and often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom.[32][33] It campaigns on a platform of social democracy and civic nationalism. The party is a strong supporter of the European Union and is a member of the European Free Alliance (EFA).[34][35] The party holds 4 of 32 Welsh seats in the UK Parliament, 12 of 60 seats in the Senedd,[36] and 202 of 1,231 principal local authority councillors.[30] Plaid was formed in 1925 under the name Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (English: The National Party of Wales) and Gwynfor Evans won the first Westminster seat for the party at the 1966 Carmarthen by-election.[37]

In 1999 (in the first devolved Welsh Assembly election), Plaid Cymru gained considerable ground in traditionally Labour heartlands.[38] These breakthroughs were part of the intentional aim to win more seats in the Welsh valleys and North East Wales, which continues to be an ambition today.[39] The party have mostly been in opposition in the Senedd. Although under the leadership of Ieuan Wyn Jones, the party was part of a coalition as a junior partner with Welsh Labour (See: One Wales, Morgan and Jones governments) between 2007 and 2011.[40] Wyn Jones became the deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport, other Plaid Cymru Assembly members were also part of the cabinets.

After losses in the 2011 Assembly elections and dropping down to being the third largest party, Wyn Jones stepped down. He was succeeded by Leanne Wood.[41] In the 2016 Assembly elections Wood managed to win her constituency seat of Rhondda meaning the party gained one seat, and became the official opposition once again, although only for a brief period.[42] In 2018 following internal pressure and a leadership contest, Adam Price defeated Wood and was elected the new leader. Following the 2021 Senedd election Plaid formed a co-operation agreement with the Welsh Labour government.[43] 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. [44] In June 2023 Rhun ap Iorwerth was elected unopposed as leader.[45] The party won the second most seats in Wales in the 2024 general election and won both its target seats. [46]

  1. ^ "Plaid Cymru: Rhun ap Iorwerth takes over as party leader". BBC News. 16 June 2023.
  2. ^ Burton, Matthew; Tunnicliffe, Richard (30 August 2022). "Membership of political parties in Great Britain" (PDF). UK Parliament House of Commons Library. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  3. ^ Zurcher, Anthony (9 December 2019). "General election 2019: Does UK hold clues to Trump's fortunes?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  4. ^ Mandhai, Shafik (5 October 2016). "UK Conservative Party's migration comments prompt anger". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  5. ^ Leftly, Mark (18 January 2017). "British Lawmakers Worry About Donald Trump's Offer of a Trade Deal". Time. New York City. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  6. ^ Sandle, Paul (3 November 2019). "Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage will not run in UK election". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  7. ^ [3][4][5][6]
  8. ^ "Programme for Opposition 2016–2021" (PDF). Plaid Cymru. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  9. ^ "Plaid Cymru". Politics.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  10. ^ [8][9]
  11. ^ "Plaid Cymru". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  12. ^ a b Schrijver, Frans (2006). Regionalism After Regionalisation: Spain, France and the United Kingdom (Thesis). Amsterdam University Press. p. 330. hdl:11245/1.288031. ISBN 978-90-5629-428-1.
  13. ^ Siaroff, Alan (2000). Comparative European Party Systems: An Analysis of Parliamentary Elections Since 1945. Garland. p. 467. ISBN 978-1-138-88809-8.
  14. ^ a b Elias, Anwen (2006). "From 'full national status' to 'independence' in Europe: The case of Plaid Cymru — the Party of Wales". European Integration and the Nationalities Question. Routledge. p. 194.
  15. ^ [12][13][14]
  16. ^ Driver, Stephen (2011). Understanding British Party Politics. Polity Press. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-7456-4078-5.
  17. ^ [12][16]
  18. ^ a b Hamilton, Paul (2008). "Nationalism and Environmentalism". Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview. Vol. 3. ABC-CLIO. p. 881.
  19. ^ [18][14]
  20. ^ Schrijver, Frans (2006). Regionalism After Regionalisation: Spain, France and the United Kingdom. Amsterdam University Press. pp. 261–290. ISBN 978-90-5629-428-1. Archived from the original on 1 May 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  21. ^ Emmanuel, Massetti (2018). "Left-wing regionalist populism in the 'Celtic' peripheries: Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party's anti-austerity challenge against the British elite". Comparative European Politics. 16 (6): 937–953. doi:10.1057/s41295-018-0136-z. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  22. ^ Dimitri Almeida (2012). The Impact of European Integration on Political Parties: Beyond the Permissive Consensus. Taylor & Francis. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-136-34039-0.
  23. ^ Scully, Roger (13 April 2017). "Wales and the Brexit dilemma - will radical devolution provide an escape?". New Statesman. London. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  24. ^ [22][23]
  25. ^ Dunphy, Richard (2004). Contesting capitalism?: Left parties and European integration. Manchester University Press. p. 157. ISBN 0-7190-6803-7.
  26. ^ McEwen, Nicola; Parry, Richard (2005). "Devolution and the preservation of the United Kingdom welfare state". The Territorial Politics of Welfare. Routledge. p. 53.
  27. ^ [25][26]
  28. ^ "Lords by party and type of peerage". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  29. ^ "Plaid Cymru Senedd member Rhys ab Owen suspended from party group". BBC News. 8 November 2022.
  30. ^ a b "Wales Local Elections 2022". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  31. ^ "Plaid Cymru, n." OED Online. Oxford University Press. September 2014. Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  32. ^ "Plaid Cymru conference calls for independence for Wales". BBC News. 10 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  33. ^ "Plaid Cymru Constitution" (PDF). February 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  34. ^ "European Free Alliance". The Party of Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  35. ^ Cymru, Plaid. Plaid Cymru Manifesto 2024 (PDF). p. 51.
  36. ^ "Welsh Parliament election 2021". BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  37. ^ "Plaid Cymru's first MP 'helped change course of a nation'". BBC News. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  38. ^ "Wales election 2021: Plaid Cymru to harness 'spirit of 1999'". BBC News. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  39. ^ Hayward, Will (22 March 2024). "Plaid's leader on his plan to win votes in the Valleys and take on Gething". Wales Online. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  40. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  41. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  42. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  43. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  44. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  45. ^ Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  46. ^ "Wales results: Plaid Cymru delight at 'terrific' target seat wins". BBC News. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.