‘Plaid Cymru has had a sexual harassment problem for years – I observed it directly’

Martin Shipton

Plaid Cymru has had a sexual harassment problem for many years. In stating that, I’m not relying on the testimony of others.

I observed an outrageous example of it with my own eyes and ears as long ago as in 2007, when a male Plaid Cymru Assembly Member sexually harassed a female member of the party’s staff in a crowded venue that was open to the public.

I was appalled by the AM’s behaviour and knew immediately how hurtful and humiliating it was for the staff member concerned.

Those who engage in such conduct invariably try to play it down by making out it was mere “banter”.

That’s not, of course, how the victims view it. And they’re right not to do so.

I wasn’t prepared to let the incident pass and reported it to a senior Plaid Cymru official.

I was later told that the matter had been investigated and that the AM concerned had been issued with what amounted to a final warning.

I hope that happened, although I have to say that the disgraceful incident didn’t blight the politician’s career.

A few days ago we learned the result of an inquiry into sexual harassment and bullying within Plaid Cymru undertaken by former AM Nerys Evans, herself a former party staff member.

The inquiry was commissioned following a number of complaints made by current and former staff members who spoke of a toxic culture within the party where people were suffering but in some cases were afraid to speak out.

Toxic culture

One former member of staff had gone public on Twitter to allege that he had been sexually assaulted by a senior party official outside a gay nightclub in Cardiff.

Ms Evans’ report confirmed that a toxic culture existed and was strongly critical of the party’s current leadership for allowing it to fester.

Some have been openly critical of party leader Adam Price.

The incident I witnessed 16 years ago occurred long before Mr Price became leader and it would be wrong to lay all the blame at his door.

But it is clear both from Ms Evans’ report and from speaking to Plaid politicians and employees that there is much unhappiness and concern.

Last week former Labour Cabinet Minister Ken Skates went so far as to say that the Welsh Government should end its cooperation agreement with Plaid Cymru because Plaid had become a tainted brand as a result of the allegations.

Mr Skates is not by nature a tribalistic politician – in fact as a Minister he had a reputation for being prepared to work with other parties.

For him to advocate an end to the cooperation agreement is an indication of how damaging Plaid’s internal troubles have become.

Calls have inevitably been made for Adam Price to resign. For many years he has been seen by a lot of Plaid Cymru supporters as the party’s greatest hope, a charismatic and highly intelligent advocate for Welsh independence leading the nation forward to freedom.

I first met him in the run-up to his becoming an MP for his home patch of Carmarthen East & Dinefwr in 2001. He quickly became a force to be reckoned with at Westminster, exposing how Tony Blair’s government had favoured the Indian steel magnate and Labour donor Lakshmi Mittal at the expense of the Welsh steel industry.

Later Mr Price was at the forefront of the campaign to impeach Prime Minister Blair over what he convincingly argued was the illegal invasion of Iraq.

Unusually for a politician he took a voluntary career break for six years, excelling as a student at Harvard University before being elected to the then National Assembly in 2016.

Plaid was drifting under its then leader Leanne Wood and two years later he defeated her in a leadership election.

He announced that Wales could be independent within around 10 years and suggested he could lead a minority administration after the 2021 election.

Covid sunk those plans by entrenching Mark Drakeford in power but there was a realistic chance that Mr Price could become Deputy First Minister if, as had been expected, Welsh Labour lost ground and needed a coalition partner.

But Labour did better than expected, ironically winning back Rhondda from Ms Wood, and was able to govern alone.

The cooperation agreement came into being, but Plaid has no Ministers and now rather uncomfortably straddles the dividing line between government and opposition.

It gives me no pleasure at all to say that in view of the state that Plaid Cymru finds itself in, it is time for Adam Price to step down.

He has suggested that walking away from responsibility would not be the right thing to do, but the sad thing is that he is part of the problem, not the solution.

Plaid Cymru needs to put its debilitating internal crisis behind it and look to a new generation for a leader untainted by scandal to take it forward.