News

Plaid manifesto launch sparks political clash over Wales’s future

Published

1 month ago

April 9, 2026

Party promises action on childcare, health, education and energy as Labour and the Liberal Democrats question independence and costings

PLAID CYMRU has launched its Senedd election manifesto with a pledge to offer what it calls a new direction for Wales, setting out policies on childcare, the NHS, schools, the economy and energy while also reaffirming its long-term belief in Welsh independence.

The party says its programme is designed to tackle pressures facing families and public services, while giving Wales a more ambitious sense of purpose after years of Labour-led government. Among its main promises are expanded childcare support, action to improve standards in education, measures aimed at strengthening the economy, and a greater focus on energy security and public benefit from renewable developments.

Plaid is presenting the manifesto as both a plan for immediate government and a statement of longer-term national ambition. The party argues that Wales needs practical change now, but also a serious debate about how the country is governed and what powers it should hold in the future.

A central part of Plaid’s pitch is childcare. The party says it wants to widen support for families with younger children, arguing that this would help parents return to work, ease household pressure and improve early years outcomes. It is also promising a stronger focus on schools and living standards, while seeking to position itself as the party of change at a time when many voters are frustrated with the status quo.

On the NHS, Plaid says Wales needs urgent improvement and a fresh approach to delivery. On the economy, it is promising policies intended to support Welsh businesses and keep more wealth within Welsh communities. On energy, the party is seeking to link net zero ambitions with greater control over how renewable power is developed, who benefits from it, and how the returns are shared.

Plaid’s manifesto also makes clear that the party remains committed to independence as its long-term constitutional goal. It says Wales should be able to shape its own future more fully and sets out further steps towards that objective, even though the main emphasis of the launch has been on day-to-day issues affecting voters now.

That stance has brought immediate criticism from Welsh Labour and the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

Welsh Labour accused Plaid of not being straight with voters, arguing that while the party has sometimes tried to place less emphasis on independence during the campaign, the manifesto itself clearly points towards it. Labour also challenged Plaid’s presentation of the election battle and questioned whether some of its headline pledges, especially on childcare, could realistically be funded.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats also attacked Plaid’s constitutional position, saying the party was not being honest about the cost of its push for independence. They argued that public attention and resources should remain firmly focused on strained services such as the NHS and schools.

Laura Doel, national secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said: “It is encouraging to see Plaid Cymru recognising some of the key pressures on schools which hamper their ability to deliver for children and fuel unsustainable workload – what seems to be missing is a clear pledge to increase investment in schools.

“Challenges including support for additional learning needs (ALN) and issues like poverty and mental ill-health which affect children’s ability to attend school, and focus and behave in the classroom, are acknowledged – with welcome promises of ALN reform and better-coordinated support for schools from services like health and social care.

“However, at a time when many schools are struggling with budget deficits and really unpalatable choices between cutting staffing and resources, it is clear that achieving meaningful change will require significant new funding and a commitment to ensure education receives its full share of additional investment under the Barnett Formula.

“Promises like surveying the condition of the school estate, which we know is in a really poor state of disrepair, and auditing disparities in per-pupil funding, are all well and good. But they will need to be followed through with new funding to make a real difference for schools and their pupils.”

Plaid, however, is likely to argue that its critics are trying to reduce a much broader policy platform to a single constitutional question. The party’s message is that its manifesto is not simply about independence, but about using Welsh government more boldly and more effectively to improve everyday life.

The political divide is therefore becoming clear. Plaid wants voters to see its manifesto as a serious programme for change, combining support for families and public services with a wider national vision. Labour and the Liberal Democrats, by contrast, are trying to persuade voters that Plaid’s plans come with unanswered questions over honesty, affordability and priorities.

With the Senedd election approaching, Plaid’s launch has opened one of the first major arguments of the campaign — not only about independence, but about who has the clearest and most convincing plan for Wales.

News

Rhun ap Iorwerth becomes Wales’ new First Minister

Published

13 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PLAID CYMRU TAKES POWER AFTER HISTORIC SENEDD VOTE

PLAID CYMRU leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has become Wales’ new First Minister following a historic vote in the Senedd today, marking one of the biggest political changes since devolution.

Ap Iorwerth secured 44 votes in the chamber, defeating Reform UK Wales leader Dan Thomas, who received 34. There were nine abstentions.

The result confirms Plaid Cymru’s move into government after the party emerged from the Senedd election as the largest group in the expanded 96-member parliament.

It is the first time Plaid Cymru has held the top job in Welsh politics, ending Labour’s long dominance of the Welsh Government since the start of devolution in 1999.

The vote followed days of intense political manoeuvring after an election which transformed the balance of power in Cardiff Bay.

Plaid Cymru won the largest number of seats but fell short of an overall majority, meaning ap Iorwerth will now lead a minority administration.

Reform UK’s Dan Thomas also put himself forward for the role of First Minister after his party’s major breakthrough at the election.

However, ap Iorwerth won the Senedd vote with support from outside his own party, while Labour members abstained.

The result leaves Reform UK as the main opposition party in the Senedd, with Labour reduced to a much smaller role after more than two decades in control of Welsh Government.

Ap Iorwerth, a former BBC journalist and broadcaster, has represented Ynys Môn in the Senedd since 2013 and became Plaid Cymru leader in 2023.

He now faces the task of forming a government and setting out his cabinet, with pressure expected immediately on health, the economy, farming, housing, transport and public services.

The change comes after the first Senedd election held under the new voting system, with 96 Members elected across larger multi-member constituencies.

For Wales, the vote marks a political turning point.

For Plaid Cymru, it is the moment the party has sought for a century: the chance to lead the Welsh Government.

Welsh Labour interim leader has congratulated Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth on his appointment as First Minister.

Speaking following the vote in this afternoon’s first meeting of the Seventh Senedd, in which Welsh Labour abstained, Mr Skates said: “I look forward to being an effective opposition, scrutinising and holding Rhun and his colleagues to account where necessary to improve legislation. I hope as a Minister I demonstrated to Plaid members how collaboration and challenge are mutually beneficial and we will be focused laser-like on serving the people of Wales. No games, no nonsense, just a determination to make the lives of those we serve better

“Be assured that we will not let the party of government off the hook at any time – as they, quite rightly, did not with us.”

Community

Accessible boat trips launched for Pembrokeshire residents

Published

13 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Tom Sinclair

FREE accessible boat trips are being launched along the Pembrokeshire coastline as part of a new 12-month programme.

Blue Horizons CIC Surf Club has announced that its first trips will take place on Friday, May 22, with four sailings planned during the day.

The project has been made possible with support from the Port of Milford Haven and Dale Sailing Company Ltd.

Blue Horizons said the trips have been shaped alongside people with additional needs to create a more supportive and inclusive experience.

The organisation said accessibility was about more than simply getting onto a boat, but also about making sure people felt comfortable, supported and understood throughout the journey.

Its team members are DBS checked to work with children and vulnerable adults, first aid trained, experienced in supporting people with additional needs, and equipped with specialist adaptive and accessible equipment.

The trips will be free for Pembrokeshire residents.

A spokesperson for Blue Horizons said: “We know that everyone experiences the world differently. If the boat feels too fast, we slow things down. If someone needs a break or wants to turn around early, that’s absolutely fine.

“There’s no pressure and no judgement — because the people on the boat trip understand those challenges themselves.

“The coastline belongs to everyone and we can’t wait to welcome more people onto the water over the next year.”

Anyone interested can register here: https://forms.gle/WQjgsXSqhntS4zat7

News

Researchers appeal for hidden Brexit ‘boxcounts’ to map how communities voted

Published

13 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Tom Sinclair

TEN YEARS after the UK voted to leave the European Union, researchers at Aberystwyth University are launching an ambitious project to build the most detailed map yet of how communities voted in the referendum.

The team is appealing to campaigners, party activists and referendum observers to search old files, emails and campaign folders for informal tallies known as “boxcounts”.

These were unofficial figures recorded when ballot boxes were opened on referendum night, before the formal count began.

Official results from the 2016 referendum were published only at local authority level, giving a broad picture of Leave and Remain support across the UK.

But researchers say those figures do not show the more detailed patterns within towns, villages, suburbs and neighbourhoods.

The project, led by Professor Michael Woods at Aberystwyth University’s Centre for Welsh Politics and Society, aims to uncover those hidden local voting patterns.

Professor Woods said: “The EU referendum was the defining event in recent British politics and has shaped our political landscape for the last decade.

“We often talk about ‘Leave areas’ and ‘Remain areas’, but we don’t really know how communities voted beneath the level of local authorities.

“By bringing together boxcounts from across the UK, we can build a much more detailed picture of where support for Brexit was strongest, where it was weakest, and how these patterns relate to different types of places.

“As boxcounts from the referendum are unofficial no one has collected them together, but they will still be saved on people’s computers or archived in old campaign folders. We’re urging anyone who recorded or collated them to dig them out and send them to us.”

The team says it has developed a process to check the material and correct for potential bias, as well as safeguards to ensure privacy requirements are met.

Anyone with boxcounts from the 2016 referendum can find details on how to submit them via the Rural Spatial Justice Substack.

The study is part of the wider Rural Discontent, Spatial Justice and Disruptive Politics project, funded by the UK Frontier Research Guarantee, which is examining links between rural discontent and disruptive politics around the world.