Plaid Cymru: Welsh Government in waiting?
With just ten weeks to go until what could prove to be a transformative moment in Welsh politics, the mood at Plaid Cymru’s Spring Conference was one of excitement and optimism. The conference – the largest in the party’s history – attracted a large turnout of supporters, including a significant number of younger members. There was a clear interest in what the party had to say ahead of the Senedd election.
Campaigning under the slogan “New Leadership for Wales,” Plaid Cymru sought to frame the upcoming election as a two-horse race. Party figures emphasised a choice between Plaid’s core values of hope, opportunity, fairness and respect and the alternative offered by Reform.
The atmosphere at the conference was noticeably different from the party’s October annual conference. This felt like a party increasingly confident in its prospects — less hopeful and more assertive, driven by the belief that they could form the next government and that Wales may be on the verge of significant political change.
At the same time, Plaid was keen to emphasise that it understands the scale of the responsibility ahead, using the conference to signal that they are ready to govern.
The 'First 100 Days'
On Saturday, party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth launched the party’s ‘The First 100 Days’ plan, outlining the party’s immediate priorities should it form the next Welsh Government. While a full manifesto is yet to be released, the plan represents the clearest indication so far of the party’s policy direction ahead of the Senedd election.
The plan includes commitments across a wide range of areas, including better government, resetting the relationship with Westminster, as well as policies on health, childcare, education, the economy, energy and sustainability, and housing. While the document is relatively light on immediate policy actions, many of the proposals focus on reviews, commissions and preparatory work aimed at assessing how a Plaid Cymru Welsh Government could deliver improvements in these areas.
On energy, the plan pledges to ‘prioritise the preparation of a new National Energy Strategy, including a Renewable Energy Sector Deal and new measures to promote community-owned renewables.’ This commitment is particularly notable following Plaid Cymru’s recent announcement that it would scrap the 2035 net zero target.
Despite that decision, renewable energy remained a key point of discussion at the conference. Party figures argued that while the political debate around net zero has become increasingly polarised, the policies underpinning the transition to cleaner energy remain widely supported. Speakers stressed that urgent action is needed to address environmental challenges facing Wales, including flooding.
A major focus was placed on community empowerment, particularly through expanding community-owned renewable energy projects. Party representatives argued that the wealth generated from Welsh natural resources should remain within local communities, rather than repeating the historic extractive practices where economic benefits flowed elsewhere.
Rhun ap Iorwerth. (Image credit: Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament)
In his keynote speech, Rhun ap Iorwerth stressed that this election represents an opportunity to change the status quo in Wales. While acknowledging that the result could mark an historic moment in Welsh politics, he was careful to emphasise that victory is far from guaranteed. He told delegates that the party will “win only through hard work and by building a partnership of trust with the people of Wales.”
His speech focused on highlighting where Welsh Government is falling short and outlining out how Plaid Cymru believes it could do better. Childcare, education, the NHS, and the relationship with Westminster were all referenced as key issues.
While the speech did not present a radical programme of change, it emphasised what ap Iorwerth described as a ‘back-to-basics’ approach. Highlighting failures across several sectors — particularly education and the NHS — he argued that a Plaid Cymru government would focus on improving day-to-day governance. As he put it, ‘we aim to be known as a team that runs a better government, or quite simply got the basics right.’
Notably, there was no reference to independence in ap Iorwerth’s speech, and discussion of the issue was limited across the conference more broadly. Plaid has said that independence is not the focus of this election campaign, which instead centres on demonstrating competence, responsibility and professionalism in government.
Ap Iorwerth also addressed the party’s main rival, warning that Reform UK ‘would set our country back decades’ and would seek to use Wales ‘as an electoral springboard.’ He dismissed the Labour Party as ‘out of touch with the people of Wales’ and argued that the election would present voters with a clear ‘choice between two contrasting futures … Plaid or Reform.’
In summary...
It is becoming increasingly likely that Plaid Cymru will form the next Welsh government following the Senedd election. The political debate is no longer considering whether this could happen, but rather on what form such a government might take — whether through a coalition, a minority administration, or a Plaid majority.
However, significant challenges lie ahead for the party which will have just four years to demonstrate meaningful progress before the next Welsh elections. During this time, Plaid will need to show that it is addressing key issues facing Wales whilst rebuilding trust amongst voters who have grown increasingly frustrated with Welsh Government. Their challenge will be to prove that they can govern responsibly and deliver the improvements people across Wales want to see in a shorter timeframe, and within a highly fractious broader national and international context.
Written by Meg Eley, Account Executive
Our very own Meg Eley was in attendance at the Plaid Spring Party Conference and is well versed in the current Plaid priorities and aspirations.
If you’re interested in discussing how the forthcoming Welsh Senedd elections could impact your planning project, get in touch with the team at [email protected].