The Time for transformation for Sir Gâr and for Wales
Adam Price
The past month has been an extraordinary journey of conversation with Plaid Cymru’s membership throughout Carmarthenshire.
As I’ve travelled across our county—from the Teifi Valley to Llanelli, from the Gwendraeth through the Aman to the Tywi—I’ve been listening, sharing ideas, and crafting a vision that reflects not just my ambitions for our communities, but the collective wisdom of the people who know them best.
For the first time since devolution began, the path to a Plaid Cymru government is clear. The reformed electoral system we fought for has fundamentally changed Wales’ political landscape. Recent polls confirm what we saw on doorsteps last year: people are ready for change. Real change.
Carmarthenshire stands at the strategic heart of this national opportunity. Our county will be decisive—not just in contributing seats to a potential government, but also in demonstrating that Plaid Cymru is ready to lead Wales with confidence and clarity.
Delivering When Others Said It Couldn’t Be Done
Throughout my public service career, I’ve learned that politics is ultimately judged by results, not rhetoric. This spring, after fifty years of broken promises from successive governments, the Welsh Government is finally appointing a company to oversee and drive forward the Llandeilo Bypass – ensuring it’s built to a high standard, on time and on budget. The Amman Valley railway, once dismissed as nostalgic fantasy, is now in the latest draft of the Regional Transport Plan.
When we proposed universal free school meals, Labour ministers branded the idea too expensive, too complicated, too ambitious. Today, not a single primary school pupil in Carmarthenshire sits hungry while their peers eat.
These achievements weren’t accidental. They happened because we refused to accept “impossible” as an answer and used every available mechanism—from budget negotiations to targeted campaigning—to deliver. In total, I’ve secured nearly £100 million in specific commitments for Carmarthenshire, even from opposition benches.
Electoral Strength When It Matters Most
The mathematics of the new electoral system is clear: with approximately 36% of the vote across Carmarthenshire at the last election, we need just a few additional percentage points this time to guarantee a third Senedd seat, regardless of how other parties perform. Every point above forty per cent opens the door to a fourth.
Where will those crucial votes come from? Over four terms representing Carmarthenshire, I’ve never lost an election here—not because I’m special, but because we’ve built something special together: a relationship based on trust, hard work, and shared values across communities.
The “electoral bonus” I’ve consistently demonstrated—where my constituency vote outperforms the regional list—can be the decisive factor in transforming a good result into a historic one. Our party organisation, built over decades and forged in the former Labour heartland of the old anthracite coalfield, stands ready to deliver again across the entire county.
Five Concrete Commitments
My conversations with members have crystallised five key campaign pledges designed to be at the heart of our county-wide campaign in 2026:
- Healthcare Where and When You Need It: A new modern hospital for Carmarthen and a restored 24-hour Minor Injuries Unit in Llanelli. No resident should face excessive waiting times or unreasonable travel for urgent care.
- A Rail Renaissance for Sir Gâr: Reopening St Clears Station and the Amman Valley railway to create a sustainable transport network connecting our towns and villages, reducing isolation while cutting carbon emissions.
- Protecting Our Precious Landscape: 100% undergrounding of new power lines across Carmarthenshire, safeguarding the stunning beauty of the Tywi and Teifi valleys from corporate interests.
- Transforming Llanelli: A New Innovation District strategically linking Trostre, Pentre Awel and Cross Hands to catalyse green jobs, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences businesses.
- Education for All: Saving the Ammanford Campus of Coleg Sir Gâr, restoring local accountability, strengthening lifelong learning, and creating new opportunities for young people in both languages.
These commitments are costed, with a clear timetable for delivery ready to be adopted by an incoming Plaid Cymru administration elected next May. Alongside our national ‘retail policies’—the tangible, immediate changes to people’s lives that will be at the heart of our national manifesto and our programme of government—they will be visible proof in communities the length and breadth of Carmarthenshire of the difference electing a Plaid Cymru Government makes.
The Historic Opportunity Before Us
This selection isn’t about choosing between individuals with different strengths. It’s about assembling the strongest possible team that positions our party best to maximise the unprecedented opportunity of the reformed Senedd. With three seats secured in Carmarthenshire, Plaid Cymru will become the undisputed voice of our county, potentially determining which party leads the next Welsh Government.
The path we choose in Carmarthenshire will resonate far beyond our borders. Our campaign approach here could become the template for Plaid Cymru’s national strategy—proving we can connect both with our traditional base and with communities that have felt forgotten by decades of Labour neglect.
I’m humbled by the encouragement and support I’ve received throughout this campaign. The members of Plaid Cymru understand that politics at its best isn’t about personalities or positions—it’s about possibility. And together, we have the possibility to make history.
The time for preparation is over. The time for transformation is now.
Let’s do it together. Gyda’n gilydd, yn unedig.
Dros Gymru a Sir Gâr.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
We have some fantastic candidates in Carmarthenshire. We have to go all out for four seats and have every chance of doing so. Vital to get the message out to trust your vote with Plaid – don’t split the progressive vote and let Reform in.
“Throughout my public service career, I’ve learned that politics is ultimately judged by results, not rhetoric” ! Smiley face!
There must be two Adams, perhaps an entire brigade! Because the Price I most recall was Mr Booster “onwards” personified, “We (Plaid) will from the next Welsh government, then referendum, independence etc. More wind than Neil K in a four mast sailboat. And then inevitably comes the grey dawn.
To be fair, he did say “learned”!
Bring all that you have written in this piece, and shout it loud in Monmouthshire. We’ve got a lot of the incomers under the impression that Reform offer something useful, Plaid have always been too quiet here, and I feel you should have a far greater presence.
If these commitments are indeed costed, perhaps we could have some numbers on the first two in particular? PS does the first mean that Withybush would close? PPS what happened to the Llandeilo by pass?