Plaid Cymru criticised for skipping key business event

Emily Price

Plaid Cymru has been strongly criticised for skipping a key round table event with Welsh business leaders the day after a new Senedd poll revealed the party is surging ahead of Reform UK.

This week, the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) Cymru Wales hosted a high level business meeting in Cardiff with a cross party set of politicians.

The association works with a number of the UK’s professional consultancies and engineering companies operating in the social and economic infrastructure sectors.

The Welsh arm of the group works closely with UK Government ministers, the Welsh Government and the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales, applying pressure for greater investment and acting as an adviser to key clients and representatives in Cardiff.

The ACE event on Wednesday (January 14) was part of a final set of political round tables ahead of the crucial Senedd election on May 7.

It was attended by Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans, Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnorshire David Chadwick, and Reform UK Councillor Jason O’Connell.

The guests had been booked some weeks in advance.

Plaid Cymru’s Economy and Energy spokesperson Luke Fletcher was due to speak at the event – but Nation.Cymru was told organisers were furious when he “pulled out at the last minute”.

The round table had taken place the day after it was revealed that Plaid was surging ahead of Reform UK as the predicted largest party in the upcoming Senedd election.

Lib Dem David Chadwick blasted Plaid for the party’s failure to provide a replacement who could attend the event in Fletcher’s place.

He said: “This was a significant event, bringing together senior figures from across Welsh business at a time when our economy is under real pressure.

“The people in the room are the ones creating jobs, investing in communities and grappling every day with the challenges facing the Welsh economy.

“Policy doesn’t work if it isn’t tested and scrutinised by those operating in the real economy.

“If Plaid Cymru think they are ready for government, it raises serious questions about why they chose not to engage with Welsh businesses when it mattered.

“The Lib Dems believe fixing Wales’ economy means working in partnership with businesses, not standing them up.”

Nation.Cymru asked Plaid Cymru why a representative of the party hadn’t attended the round table meeting.

Plaid said Luke Fletcher’s participation in the ACE Cymru Wales event had never been guaranteed.

A spokesperson for the party said: “Luke Fletcher MS had accepted the request in principle in November, while making the organisers aware that his participation could not be guaranteed, as the event was during Senedd business.

“The event ended up coinciding with the introduction of emergency legislation in the Senedd, which required the attendance of all MSes to partake in its scrutiny and to vote – a situation that was made clear to the organisers in advance.

“Plaid Cymru MSes always take their responsibility as representatives of their communities and of scrutinising legislation incredibly seriously

“The MS is in the process of rescheduling a meeting with the organisers.”