News

Plaid leader says election win would be used to map ‘road to independence’

Published

1 month ago

January 13, 2026

Conservatives accuse party of trying to “tear Britain apart” as parties gear up for Senedd poll

PLAID CYMRU leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has said his party would use time in government after the 2026 Senedd election to set out what he described as a “road to independence” for Wales.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday (Jan 13), Mr ap Iorwerth said Plaid’s next manifesto would explain how the party would use office to “make the case” for Wales taking “more levers of power” into its own hands.

“Of course, the manifesto will spell out how we will want to use our time in government to make the case for how we can do things differently in Wales, how we can set a different trajectory for us by taking more levers of power into our hands,” he said.

“You can call that independence now, you can call it the road to independence, whatever.”

The comments come as parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the next Senedd election, due to take place on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

What Plaid is proposing

Plaid Cymru has long supported Welsh independence in principle, but the pace and mechanism of any constitutional change has been a recurring point of political contention.

In previous policy documents, Plaid has proposed producing a “Green Paper on the path to independence” and establishing a national commission to examine options for Wales’ political and economic future and involve citizens in that debate.

Mr ap Iorwerth’s latest remarks suggest the party intends to foreground that agenda in the run-up to 2026, framing independence as part of a broader argument for greater Welsh decision-making powers.

A Plaid Cymru news release issued the same day described the election as an opportunity to elect a Plaid-led government and referenced “bold plans” for Wales, delivered alongside the press conference.

Conservatives and Lib Dems hit back

The Welsh Conservatives responded by accusing Plaid of seeking to break up the United Kingdom.

Darren Millar MS, the party’s leader in the Senedd, said: “Plaid Cymru want to tear Britain apart. The people of Wales won’t let them.”

He added: “Plaid pretends to put Wales first, but in reality, they would bankrupt us to pay for their independence pipe dream.”

Mr Millar also criticised further devolution, describing it as a “salami slice strategy” towards independence.

Responding to Plaid Cymru’s press conference, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “Plaid Cymru’s plans for independence would do catastrophic damage to the Welsh economy and be thousands of times more damaging than Brexit, risking jobs, investment and public services across Wales.

Plaid may be trying to hide its support for independence, but it is the very reason the party exists. We have seen in Scotland with the SNP that once nationalists get into power, they waste money, time and political resources obsessing over independence instead of focusing on the day-to-day issues that actually affect people’s lives.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats are clear: we will not support any government, formally or informally, that spends a single pound on independence. Our priority is fixing the real issues people face: fixing the NHS and social care, growing the economy and tackling the cost-of-living crisis.”

The political backdrop

The exchange lands in an already volatile pre-election landscape, with polls and analysis over the past year suggesting a more fragmented contest than Wales has traditionally seen, and growing competition for voters across parties.

It also comes against the backdrop of Senedd reforms that will change how voters choose their representatives at the next election, including an expanded chamber.

What comes next

Plaid Cymru has not yet published its 2026 manifesto. The party says the document will set out how it would use government to advance its case for greater powers, which Mr ap Iorwerth described as a “road to independence”.

The Welsh Conservatives say they will campaign against any further constitutional drift and will argue that independence would weaken Wales economically.

With the election less than 16 months away, both parties are expected to sharpen their pitch to voters on the constitutional question—alongside the more immediate concerns of public services, living costs, and jobs—issues likely to dominate campaigning across Wales in the months ahead.

Local Government

Milford Haven Hakin by-election candidates confirmed

Published

37 minutes ago

February 19, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE LIST of candidates standing in the upcoming Pembrokeshire County Council by-election for the Milford Haven: Hakin ward has been published.

Nominations have now closed, and the official Statement of Persons Nominated has been released by the local authority.

Eight candidates will contest the seat. They are:

Derrick Abbott – Independent
Sam Booth – Wales Green Party
Lee James Bridges – Independent
Duncan Edwards – Independent
Nicola Catherine Harteveld – Welsh Labour
Brian Taylor – Welsh Conservative Party
Scott Thorley – Reform UK
Sam Warden – Welsh Liberal Democrats

The by-election will take place on Tuesday, March 17.

Residents wishing to vote must ensure they are registered by midnight on Friday, February 27. Applications can be made online via the UK Government website.

Applications for new postal votes, or changes to existing postal voting arrangements, must be received by 5:00pm on Monday, March 2. Applications to vote by proxy must be submitted by 5:00pm on Monday, March 9.

Poll cards will be sent to registered electors ahead of the election. The council has confirmed that registered 16 and 17-year-olds, along with qualifying foreign nationals, are eligible to vote in this election.

Photographic identification will not be required at polling stations.

The full Statement of Persons Nominated, including full party descriptions, is available on the Pembrokeshire County Council website.

Local Government

Independent Group reshuffle as council tax budget battle looms

Published

2 hours ago

February 19, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Leadership change confirmed weeks before key vote amid warning over school cuts

PEMBROKESHIRE County Council’s Independent Group has confirmed a change in its leadership arrangements following a meeting held on Tuesday (Feb 18), with the changes taking effect from March 23, 2026.

Cllr Anji Tinley will become Group Leader, while Cllr Elwyn Morse will serve as Deputy Group Leader and take on the role of Chair of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Cllr Michael John will remain Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and Cllr Huw Murphy will become Chair of the Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The changes reflect the forthcoming appointment of Cllr Delme Harries as Chair of Council at the Annual Meeting on May 15. Under council rules, the Chair of Council cannot simultaneously hold a scrutiny chair role.

The Independent Group also confirmed it will not support the Cabinet’s proposed budget, which includes a 4.6% council tax rise for 2026/27 and a 2% reduction — approximately £2 million — in individual school budgets.

Group members said they hoped councillors across the chamber could work together to agree a budget that avoids cuts to education, particularly in light of recent Estyn inspections that have placed three schools into special measures with safeguarding concerns identified.

However, the Group warned that if a budget is approved that imposes what it described as substantial school funding reductions, it will consider invoking constitutional powers to bring forward a motion to rescind the decision.

Crime

Man who threw corrosive liquid at guest and fled abroad jailed

Published

16 hours ago

February 18, 2026

Court Reporter

A BUSINESSMAN who threw a corrosive liquid into a guest’s face during a row at a spiritual retreat before fleeing the country has been jailed for 18 months.

Dean Mayze, aged 38, from Abercrave in Powys, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm following the attack at his Hafan-y-Coed retreat in December 2022.

Swansea Crown Court heard the assault happened after an argument with guest Keifer Price, who had complained about the condition of his accommodation, including a lack of heating and washing facilities.

During the confrontation, Mayze produced a blue container and threw its contents upwards into the victim’s face.

The liquid — described as smelling like ammonia — entered Mr Price’s eyes, nose and mouth, leaving him in severe pain and struggling to breathe.

Medical evidence confirmed injuries consistent with a chemical burn to both eyes. He suffered abrasions, a corneal defect and the loss of the outer corneal layer in one eye, requiring significant treatment to prevent permanent sight loss. He has since recovered without lasting injury.

Fled across Europe

Following the attack, Mayze fled the UK, triggering an international search.

The court heard he travelled across several European countries, including Ireland, France, Italy, Croatia and Greece, before eventually being arrested in Romania in 2025.

Despite being on the run, he remained in regular contact with police by text and email, at one point telling officers he would not be returning to Wales.

His partner initially claimed responsibility for the assault and later received a suspended prison sentence after admitting perverting the course of justice.

Previous conviction

The court was told Mayze has a previous conviction for wounding involving a corrosive substance in Kent in 2013.

Defence barrister Andrew Taylor said his client had experienced harsh conditions while detained in Romania, including contracting scabies without treatment, and described him as remorseful.

However, Judge Geraint Walters said it was “pure luck” the victim had not suffered permanent injuries, describing the attack as a “particularly wicked way of inflicting violence”.