Plaid leader says Senedd election is ‘stark choice’ as campaign enters final week
The leader of Plaid Cymru has said voters face a “stark choice” at next week’s Senedd election, as he claimed the contest has become a direct battle between his party and Reform UK.
Speaking ahead of a campaign event in Pontypridd, Rhun ap Iorwerth said Labour’s long period in government in Wales should come to an end after more than two decades in power.
With polling suggesting a close race ahead of the May 7 vote, both Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are vying to emerge as the largest party in the Senedd.
Mr ap Iorwerth said:
“We have one week left to change Wales for good.
“Labour have had their day.
“The sun is setting on 27 years of missed opportunities and managed decline.
“And the spectre of Reform is causing anxiety and unease among communities already wrangling with those rising totals at the supermarket till and the petrol pump.
“Only Plaid Cymru offers new hope to Wales.
“Only Plaid Cymru has a clear vision and a credible plan to put our nation on a new path towards fairness and prosperity.”
Recent polls have indicated that no single party is likely to secure an outright majority, raising the prospect of coalition talks or agreements between parties after the election.
Mr ap Iorwerth said that if he becomes First Minister, he would seek to find “common ground” with others who share his party’s values.
“The choice between the two futures facing Wales a week today could not be starker,” he added.
“It is a straight fight between Plaid Cymru and Reform.
“So, if you believe in Wales, if you care about our communities, if you value our NHS and want to keep our country free from Trumpian politics, there is only one option.”
The latest YouGov poll for ITV Cymru Wales suggested a tightly contested race, forecasting Reform UK on 37 seats, Plaid Cymru on 36, and Welsh Labour on 12 in the 96-member Senedd.
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The choice is vote reform or Tory, good bye Wales.
It is obvious to any thinking person that Reform UK does not operate as a democratic political party but as a one-man-band dictatorship. Its key decisions are made by its self-selected leader, one of deranged Trump’s best pals, Nigel Farage. The Welsh leader, Dan Evans, wasn’t elected by a ballot of Reform Wales membership but was chosen by dictator Farage. Reform is an extreme right-wing English Nationalist party whose only interest in the Senedd is to cause chaos there and to abolish it.
Although that is legally possible if they win power in Wales and eventually Westminster it would be a disaster for them as ironically it would cause exactly what they don’t want which is widespread protests, political mobilisation across parties, strengthening independence support, increased support for the Welsh language, strengthening Plaid Cymru support and more than likely it would cause support for Irish unification and Scottish independence to go through the roof. The house of lords would also block and hinder such a move for a very long time. Maybe I’m wrong, but even though they are dumb they are not… Read more »
It all sounds good until he mentioned a coalition with Labour. People of the Valleys are sick of Starmer Labour with their policies and want a change! To keep them in power when they cut winter fuel payments, disability benefits, impose Digital Id even if you do not have the technology etc willl not go down well! This could cost Plaid in 2029.A Plaid/ Green or even Lib Dem coalition would be better. but not Labour! If Plaid promise not to do deal with Labour they might stop Reform in the Valleys and Llanelli in the west. I am a… Read more »
I have to be honest, I was pretty happy when Reform Saes won in a few relatively safe places in England. I always believed that the only way some people would see through the lies would be to see things fall apart in their own towns.
I’m happy to see that things in these places are markedly worse than they are in other towns. Perhaps not surprisingly, Reform candidates register the fewest worked hours but the highest expenses bills almost universally in their constituencies.