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Plaid Cymru pulls out of Co-operation Agreement with the Welsh Government

17 May 2024 4 minute read
Rhun ap Iorwerth and Vaughan Gething

Plaid Cymru has ended its co-operation agreement with the Welsh Labour government with immediate effect, party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has said.

He cited concerns over First Minister Vaughan Gething’s election campaign finances as a factor, claiming the receipt of £200,000 from a company convicted of environmental offences “demonstrates a significant lack of judgment”.

Mr ap Iorweth also said he was worried about the First Minister’s decision to sack his minister for social partnership, Hannah Blythyn, following the leak of a phone message to the media which she insisted she was not behind.

Policy agreement 

The agreement, under which Plaid voted with Labour on a series of policy areas to ensure a majority in the Senedd, was originally due to last until December.

It was established following the 2021 Senedd elections, in which Labour gained 30 out of the 60 seats, one below a majority.

Without Plaid Cymru to support it, Labour now finds itself as a minority administration in Cardiff Bay, which may prove troublesome when it seeks to pass new laws, as it does not have guaranteed support from another political party.

Concerned

The Plaid leader said: “I remain deeply concerned that the First Minister has failed to pay back the £200,000 donation to his leadership campaign from a company convicted of environmental offences, and believe it demonstrates a significant lack of judgment.

“Money left over has now been passed on to Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.”

He added: “I am worried by the circumstances around the decision to sack a member of the Government this week relating to matters that should be in the public domain already.”

Mr Gething said: “The co-operation agreement was about mature politics, working together on areas where we agree. While it was always a time-limited agreement, we are disappointed Plaid Cymru has decided to walk away from their opportunity to deliver for the people of Wales.”

The First Minister thanked Sian Gwenllian and Cefin Campbell, Plaid’s two designated members for the agreement.

“By working together we have achieved a great deal, including free school meals for all pupils in primary schools, providing more free childcare, introducing a radical package of measures to create thriving local communities, helping people to live locally and addressing high numbers of second homes in many areas of Wales,” he said.

“We will now look closely at how we can progress the outstanding co-operation agreement commitments, including the Welsh Language Education Bill and the White Paper on Right to Adequate Housing and Fair Rents.”

On Thursday, the First Minister said he had “no alternative” but to ask Ms Blythyn, Labour MS for Delyn, to leave his government.

She insisted she was “clear and have been clear that I did not, nor have I ever leaked anything” and was “deeply shocked” at her dismissal.

Message

It followed reports in Nation.Cymru which featured a message posted to a ministerial group chat in August 2020 by Mr Gething, stating that he was “deleting the messages in this group”.

Mr Gething previously told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry that lost WhatsApp messages were not deleted by him, but by the Welsh Parliament’s IT team during a security rebuild.

The Welsh Labour leader has come under sustained pressure in recent weeks, with repeated calls for an investigation into donations he received while running to be Welsh Labour leader.

Earlier this month, he survived a Senedd vote calling for an independent inquiry into the £200,000 donation he took from a man convicted of environmental offences.

On Thursday, the BBC reported that more than £31,600 from Mr Gething’s leadership campaign would go to the Labour Party.

The Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies told the broadcaster it is “odds on” there will be a no confidence vote in Mr Gething, following his turbulent time as First Minister since taking up the office on March 20.

Plaid Cymru’s withdrawal from the co-operation agreement could lead it to move against him in such a vote, but Tory leader Mr Davies was not forgiving of the Welsh nationalist party either.

“Together, Labour and Plaid have worked together to divert resources away from the people’s priorities and towards vanity projects like putting more Senedd Members in Cardiff Bay, and have been hand in glove on policies like the destructive sustainable farming scheme and 20mph.

“This move from Plaid means nothing and the Welsh public won’t be fooled,” he said.


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Gary H
Gary H
4 months ago

Good on ya, Rhun. Decent men like him and Drakeford can get somewhere. A decent man and a dodgy rogue shouldn’t even try because the rogue will always win out. Well ditched. Now then, Labour MSs: why not do the same?

Rhufawn Jones
Rhufawn Jones
4 months ago

Da iawn Rhun. Falch bod yna chydig o ruddin ar ôl yn y Blaid.

Jeff
Jeff
4 months ago

Opsy. This comes under “mess around and find out……”

Mr Gethin could have nailed this from day 1. The signalling at the very least, for those of us on the outside, has been absolutely terrible.

ARTD will be warming up his tub for thumping with the same zeal he welcomed his BFF, 30p and trotted around pubs moaning about boats..

Ein Wlad
Ein Wlad
4 months ago

Long overdue and time for PC to cooperate with others where its beneficial to Wales ONLY.

Cymru cyntaf pob tro 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
4 months ago
Reply to  Ein Wlad

Who else can they cooperate with? The tories? No thanks.

Cymru Cyntaf
Cymru Cyntaf
4 months ago
Reply to  Barry Pandy

Greens plus Liberals or at local gvt level the Independents ?

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
4 months ago

The Labour/Plaid co-operation agreement has provided a strong barrier again RTs wrecking crew. Maybe that’s why they are quiet at the moment just waiting for the cracks to weaken it. This is the final straw for me. Gething MUST GO NOW and a new First Minister who will be able to restore the agreement should be appointed, yes just appointed, without delay. Get on with it Labour. You are endangering our country.

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
4 months ago
Reply to  Fi yn unig

They won’t, Gething is Starmer’s good little poodle.

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
4 months ago
Reply to  Barry Pandy

I think they will recalling the Michael to Morgan change. There are many Labour members who are ‘Indy curious’. It’s time to get ‘Indy crucial’.

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
4 months ago
Reply to  Fi yn unig

Against.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
4 months ago

Mutiny on the good ship Cymru…

Is there any chance you solicitor politicians could do what you are paid for instead of embarrassing the country with your downright shifty ways…

hdavies15
hdavies15
4 months ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

What ? ..and change the habits of a lifetime ? It will take time for the stench of being Labour’s poodle to disperse no matter how hard Plaid huff and puff.

Swn Y Mor
Swn Y Mor
4 months ago

Plaid Cymru has been tainted due to their cooperation agreement with Welsh Labour and this is an attempt to save face. It also follows the criticism from Dai Nicholas of the party and Rhun himself. They have become Labour lackeys and by voting and agreeing with Labour on some questionable policies have opened themselves up to be attacked by the Welsh Conservatives and RT Davies. Plaid cannot change history, their voting record on these policies is there for all to see. ‘Mr ap Iorwerth said I remain deeply concerned that the First Minister has failed to pay back the £200,000… Read more »

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
4 months ago

Not surprising. Welsh Labour are becoming toxic under Vaughan Gething’s leadership, or lack of seeing his dodgy dealings. Savvy Plaid’s Rhun ap Iorwerth, who is a leader in waiting, can see the writing on the wall. I think Welsh Labour are up are river without a paddle. My only advice to Vaughan Gething is this. When your boat sinks, and you decide to swim for your political life, best not swallow any water seeing what’s floating in it.

Evan Aled Bayton
Evan Aled Bayton
4 months ago

They should work towards getting Mr Gething to see sense and resign.

Elaine
Elaine
4 months ago

This is the message Martin Shipton posted on Twitter yesterday evening (didn’t Gething accuse Nation [& Jeremy Miles?] of racism just before the leadership vote closed too?)

https://twitter.com/ShiptonMartin/status/1791548231744131222?t=MA1HWWlvjZjWZLZnfEN1zQ&s=19

I couldn’t give a damn what colour he is, his denial of any shred of accountability is damaging Wales and our democracy.

Cwm Rhondda
Cwm Rhondda
4 months ago

Plaid should never signed the cooperation agreement. Peel away the veneer and Labour, especially in the valleys, are as dodgy as the Tories.

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