Welsh Tory leader accused of echoing Kremlin propagandist in Senedd independence row

Emily Price 

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives has been accused of repeating the lines of a Kremlin propagandist in order to pursue a unionist agenda during a row in the Senedd over Welsh independence.

Darren Millar quizzed Rhun ap Iorwerth during First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday (September 29) on Plaid Cymru’s pursuit of Welsh independence.

Millar asked how Ap Iowerth felt about recruiting Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to Plaid’s campaign to “break up the United Kingdom”.

The Tory leader told the Chamber the Russian politician had been “gleefully speaking” about the future of the UK following a meeting between nationalist leaders from Plaid Cymru, Sinn Féin and the SNP two weeks ago.

Millar said the meeting had been “all over Russian TV.”

He asked the First Minister if he was pleased to have Putin’s Russia “cheerleading” Plaid’s support for Welsh independence.

Ap Iorwerth said Wales’ constitutional future was a matter for the people of Wales, adding that it wasn’t for the Kremlin to “endorse, oppose or exploit”.

The First Minister said the leader of the Conservative group in the Senedd and the Labour Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Kinnock were “on the same page”.

He called for the pair to “reflect on the wisdom of quoting a Kremlin propagandist” in order to pursue a unionist agenda.

Millar pointed out that ahead of the May 7 Senedd election, Plaid Cymru had denied claims by rival parties that it would focus on Wales leaving the United Kingdom if it led the next Welsh Government .

The Tory leader accused the First Minister of deliberately misleading the people of Wales.

Over the weekend, Ap Iorwerth told a crowd gathered for a march organised by pro-independence group Yes Cymru that there was “no turning back” on the journey to independence for Wales.

Yes Cymru claimed over 8000 people had taken part in the march, but Millar disputed the figure telling the Senedd it should be taken with a “large dose of Halen Môn salt” adding that he wasn’t really sure the number was “true”.

The First Minister laughed as he said it shouldn’t be a surprise that the leader of Plaid Cymru believes in independence for Wales.

Ap Iorwerth said: “I happen to have a higher level of ambition and belief in my nation than the leader of the Conservatives, who is in cahoots with the leader of Labour and the leader of Reform.

“We have in Plaid Cymru a government that persuaded the people of Wales that we need to step up a gear.

“But this term in government isn’t about putting forward a referendum on independence.

“It’s not. But is it about making the case for what Wales could be? And the people of Wales responded in saying, ‘You know what? No, we’re not quite with you yet’, right? ‘There’s been a massive increase in support for independence, but we’re not with you yet.’

“I get that completely. ‘But we like your belief in Wales and we believe that if you believe in Wales that much, you will do everything with the tools that you have now to improve standards on health, to raise education standards, to create jobs in every part of Wales.’

“That is precisely what this government has started doing from day one, and I invite him to pay closer attention to that bread-and-butter work that we are doing in this government.”

Speaking after the exchange, Darren Millar said: “It is extraordinary that Plaid Cymru have now won the backing of Vladimir Putin’s government for their dangerous plan to break up the United Kingdom.

“Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke gleefully about the First Minister’s meeting with Sinn Fein and the SNP, which is clearly seen internationally as a step towards diminishing our role in the world.

“Instead of constitutional navel-gazing, the public expect ministers to be focussed on addressing the crisis in the Welsh NHS, growing the economy and improving school standards.

“Before the election, Plaid Cymru supported legislation to ban politicians lying, yet went on to deliberately play down Welsh independence as a priority for the new government.

“It’s been claimed that several thousand attended this independence rally at the weekend, but such figures are dwarfed by the 709,000 people stuck on an NHS waiting list and the 1million people who can’t access an NHS dentist.

“It’s essential that Plaid Cymru ditch this obsession with constitutional change and focus on actually improving the lives of the people of Wales.”

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