Plaid Cymru leadership: Wigley backs Rhun ap Iorwerth to succeed Leanne Wood

One of Plaid Cymru's most senior figures, Dafydd Wigley, has backed Rhun ap Iorwerth to take over from Leanne Wood and become the party's next leader.

Dafydd Wigley says the Anglesey AM has the ability to ease tensions within the Plaid Assembly group and to reach out beyond the party's traditional areas of support.

It's a significant intervention from Lord Wigley who is a former leader himself and who had publicly backed Leanne Wood when she stood for election in 2012.

As Honorary President, the peer says he won't take part in campaigning but also says that 'it would be wrong' not to say how he's intending to vote since he did so last time.

Leanne Wood is facing a challenge for Plaid's top job from both Rhun ap Iorwerth and Adam Price, the AM for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr.

Lord Wigley says that all three are 'worthy candidates' and that he believes 'all three have the ability to be very good party leaders.'

But he says whoever wins needs to have a clear objective of ensuring Plaid Cymru offers an alternative government to Labour in Wales after the next Assembly election in 2021.

That should mean being willing to work with other parties not 'on the basis of which party they're from [but] on the basis of their willingness to support [Plaid's] programme.'

In my interview with Dafydd Wigley, he sets out 'three attributes' he thinks the next leader needs:

• Ability to lead the Assembly group and end tensions within the group

• Be seen as a capable of being First Minister

• Reaching out to parts of Wales Plaid hasn't succeeded in reaching

When I asked him if one candidate possesses those attributes he said:

I put it to him that by endorsing one candidate he was implying that he didn't rate the others.

You can watch the full interview below:

The three candidates will be canvassing support from Plaid Cymru members over the summer with the winner expected to be announced by the end of September.