Welsh Conservatives slam Plaid-Labour coalition comments

The Welsh Conservatives have said that another Labour-Plaid coalition would hold Wales back after both Mark Drakeford and Adam Price were quoted as saying they would be amenable to a deal.

According to today’s Financial Times, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price would be willing to join a government that would set Wales “on a different path”.

Labour leader Mark Drakeford echoed the comments, saying that a previous coalition with Plaid Cymru had worked well. “The key thing is whether there is a policy platform on which we can agree,” he added.

However Welsh Conservative Senedd leader, Andrew RT Davies said that a deal would simply keep Wales locked into the “status quo”.

“Wales has been held back for the past 22 years by the cosy consensus in the Bay and the last thing our country needs is another Labour-Plaid backroom deal,” he said.

“Another five years of the status quo would deliver the same old results and hold Wales back with all focus on the constitution, more powers and more politicians.

“The Welsh Conservatives will turn the page and build a better Wales with a sole focus on our economic recovery.”

‘Negotiations’

In the Financial Times article, Adam Price is quoted as saying that they are not planning to make a referendum on independence the price of a power-sharing deal with Labour.

“But Adam Price, party leader, did not make a plebiscite the price of a power-sharing deal with Labour,” the newspaper said.

It quotes Adam Price as saying that “you don’t hold negotiations in advance of the negotiations” but that he would only join a government that would set Wales “on a very different path”.

Plaid Cymru have in the past however said they would not accept a coalition deal in which they were junior partners, raising the possibility that their price for entering a deal with Labour may be high.