Plaid Cymru ‘ready to form’ next government in Wales, says leader Rhun ap Iorwerth
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has said his party is “ready to form a government” in Wales.
But asked by Sky News whether a vote for Plaid Cymru meant a vote for Welsh independence, the Plaid leader refused to be drawn.
It comes as a new poll published on Tuesday put the Welsh nationalists as the largest party in Wales, with 30% of the vote share.
Wednesday marks exactly a year until the next Senedd election, when voters in Wales will elect 96 members for the first time – an increase of more than 50% from the current 60.
While Plaid has previously been a coalition party in government, the party has never formed the biggest group in the Senedd (Welsh parliament).
But the latest YouGov poll for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University put them ahead of Reform UK in second place with 25% of the vote, Labour in third with 18% and the Conservatives in fourth with 13%.
On Tuesday, Welsh Labour leader Eluned Morgan called for a review of the cuts to winter fuel allowance – but Downing Street has refused to change tack.
Plaid Cymru supporters gathered outside the Senedd on Wednesday
Speaking alongside supporters outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay, Mr ap Iorwerth said his party was “ready to govern” and that the “hard work” had now begun.
“People know that Plaid Cymru is the only credible pro-Wales government that they can choose to offer us a fresh start as a nation next year,” he added.
Speaking to Sky News after the campaign event, Mr ap Iorwerth said people were “yearning for a change”.
Rather than a vote for Welsh independence, “a vote for Plaid Cymru is a vote for a Plaid Cymru-led government here,” he said.
“On the future of Wales constitutionally, yes I believe in us taking control of our own future, but the key thing is, it’s up to the people of Wales where we go on that particular journey.”
Asked if a Plaid Cymru-led government would push for an independence referendum, Mr ap Iorwerth said: “Let’s deal with the issues that we have here in Wales, on health, on education, on creating a more prosperous economy, dealing with the scourge of child poverty.”
Last year, he told Sky News it was “not useful” to put a date on Welsh independence.
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Mr ap Iorwerth said his party had a “plan”, but also a “vision on where we can go as a country”.
“While I’m convinced that it’s by taking powers into our own hands that we build that brighter future, there are people who have different viewpoints,” he said.
“I want to bring people with us on that journey and create a new confidence in what we can be.”
Politics
Migrants to be deported to France ‘within weeks’ – as Farage vows to scrap human rights law
Nigel Farage has said he would scrap the UK’s human rights law to enable the mass deportation of illegal migrants, as the government reportedly prepares to send more than 100 small boat arrivals back to France.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph ahead of a speech later today, the Reform leader said the Human Rights Act would be ripped up should he become prime minister.
Politics Hub: Follow live updates
He would also take the country out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and other international treaties, describing them as “malign influences” which had been “allowed to frustrate deportations”.
Pulling Britain out of the ECHR would make it one of only three European countries not signed up – the others being Russia and Belarus.
The UK’s Human Rights Act, Reform say, would be replaced by a British Bill of Rights. This would only apply to British citizens and those with a legal right to live in the UK.
Small boat arrivals would have no right to claim asylum. They would be housed at old military bases before being deported to their country of origin, or third countries like Rwanda.
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Will Starmer’s migration tough talk deliver?
One in, one out
Sir Keir Starmer, meanwhile, is said to be ready to implement one of his major policies to tackle the small boats crisis within weeks.
According to The Times, the one in, one out migrant deal he signed with France’s Emmanuel Macron earlier this summer will soon see more than 100 people sent back.
The newspaper reported there are dozens of migrants currently in detention, including some arrested over the bank holiday weekend, who could be among the first sent back to France.
In exchange, the UK would be expected to take an equal number of asylum seekers in France with ties to Britain.
Read more: How will the one in, one out deal work?
Sir Keir Starmer hopes his deal with Emmanuel Macron will help. Pic: Reuters
A record 28,288 people have crossed the Channel in small boats this year. The total is 46% higher than at the same stage last year.
More boats were seen crossing on Monday, though the figures won’t be published by the Home Office until later.
Sir Keir is under mounting pressure within his own party to grip the issue, with Sir Tony Blair’s former home secretary Lord Blunkett warning the public “will turn on” him.
But they may already have – a YouGov poll over the weekend found 71% of people think the prime minister is dealing with the small boats crisis badly.
Protests have taken place outside hotels used to house asylum seekers over the weekend, and the government is braced for more legal challenges from councils over their use.
Labour have taken a battering in the opinion polls throughout 2025, with Reform consistently in the lead.
REX Financial CEO Greg King said the crypto market gets dicey “below the top 10” and ETF issuers should carefully choose what tokens to turn into funds.
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