Sturgeon ‘sad to see Leanne Wood go’ but Plaid Cymru ‘doing extremely well’

Nicola Sturgeon has said that she was “sad to see Leanne Wood go” as leader but that Plaid Cymru are doing “extremely well” under new leader Adam Price.

The Scottish First Minister was speaking to broadcast journalist Guto Harri of Y Byd yn ei Le in an interview that will be broadcast tonight, Tuesday 30 April at 9.30pm on S4C.

“I don’t think Plaid Cymru have lost their way,” she says in the interview. “Wales and Scotland have faced different circumstances and have had different starting points, but I think Plaid Cymru are doing extremely well under Adam Price.

“I was sad to see Leanne Wood go, but I am a great supporter of Adam Price and I believe that Adam can take Plaid Cymru into government in Wales.

“Everybody brings their own different personalities into politics. I think Leanne did a fantastic job…

“think Adam is really showing what Plaid Cymru really has to offer and from my observations of recent developments in Welsh politics, I think Plaid Cymru have every reason to be very optimistic about being in government.”

She said that she believed that having the power to implement the party’s policies have helped the SNP prove that the country can make its own legislation work for the benefit of the Scottish people.

Plaid Cymru could also create such optimism in the country if it were to win power in Wales, she said.

Second referendum

In the interview, the Scottish First Minister said that she didn’t believe that the SNP were pushing ahead too quickly with a call for the new independence referendum, just to please the party activists.

“If I were putting the wishes of party activists first, we would have another referendum tomorrow,” she said.

“I will make a judgement on what I think is right for the country and then will put that to the people to decide.

“Brexit is going to cause untold damage to the Scottish economy for decades to come and I believe the people of Scotland should have the option of accepting that, or else having a future as an independent country within the EU.”

She says that Brexit has shown that the UK government doesn’t care about the needs of small countries such as Scotland and Northern Ireland, while the EU, on the other hand, has shown huge respect for the rights of a small country like the Republic of Ireland.

“It really does underline the need for the people of Scotland to look after their own interests,” she said.

“If people want to be part of Brexit UK, that’s one thing, but that shouldn’t be imposed upon us; we should be given the opportunity to decide whether we want that or whether we want a future as an independent country.”

Y Byd yn ei Le will be broadcast Tuesday, 30 April, 9.30pm. English subtitles are available. It is an ITV Cymru Wales production for S4C.

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