Plaid Cymru members back new plan which could mean becoming junior partner in Labour Government
Members of Plaid Cymru have backed a new political strategy that would endorse the party joining a coalition government as a step towards achieving independence.
At a special conference in Llanelli members voted to support the strategy which the leadership said had been developed after more than a year of engaging with members at all levels of the party.
The strategy hasn’t been made public but Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has said it has three strands: achieving independence for Wales as a main goal, being seen as a party of government and widening electoral support both for the party and for independence.
After the special conference endorsed the strategy, Mr Price said, “From raising living standards, building the nation, and gaining independence for Wales, Plaid Cymru’s newly adopted political strategy reaffirms and re-emphasises our values and vision as a national organisation.
“This strategy has been the culmination of over a year of work and has been the most far-reaching member consultation in Plaid Cymru’s history. I give thanks to everyone who has contributed to make this one of party’s most democratic exercises yet.
“The real work begins now as we take the strategy forward and secure the change we need to make a real difference to people’s lives by building Cymru For All: socially just, strong economically, green, and bilingual - a nation of equals in the truest sense."
Some delegates at the conference in Llanelli had expressed unease about the commitment to going into government even if that meant joining as a junior partner.
The political strategy rules out working with the Conservatives, so any coalition would have to be with Labour. Although Plaid Cymru has been in coalition with Labour previously, in recent times it’s resisted doing so again.
Instead it currently has a co-operation agreement with Mark Drakeford’s Welsh Government that involves delivering on a specific set of policies but stops short of coalition: there are no Plaid Cymru ministers and Plaid politicians remain free to oppose the Welsh Government when they disagree.
The Conservatives have called the co-operation agreement a “travesty” and accuse Plaid Cymru of “propping up” Labour.
And some inside Plaid Cymru fear the decision to seek to join a coalition government suggests the party has given up on trying to win Senedd elections.
But in his speech Adam Price said “for the avoidance of doubt, this party and this leader have not given up on the goal of leading our country.”
Success in winning support for the strategy comes during a difficult time for Plaid Cymru’s leadership.
There has been internal criticism of the handling of a series of controversies: the suspension and reinstatement of Jonathan Edwards MP; the suspension of Rhys ab Owen MS while he’s investigated by the Senedd’s Standards Commissioner over an alleged breach of the code of conduct for members and the resignation of the party’s Chief Executive.
In response, Plaid Cymru brought in an external HR company to investigate allegations of misconduct and former Senedd member Nerys Evans is leading a working group reviewing the party’s complaints process.
Some members had hoped to use their contributions to the special conference to raise issues relating to the party’s culture even though the focus of it was on the political strategy.
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