logo
Welsh indyref ‘absolutely could happen in our lifetime', Plaid Cymru leader says

Welsh indyref ‘absolutely could happen in our lifetime', Plaid Cymru leader says

Independent09-05-2025

A referendum on Welsh independence could 'absolutely' be held within 'our lifetime', Plaid Cymru's leader has said.
Rhun ap Iorwerth did not shy away from suggesting his party may be the leading political force in Wales following a poll which predicts Plaid will have the largest vote share in the 2026 Senedd elections.
Plaid is projected to be the largest party in the Senedd following the outcome of the election, with around 30% of votes and 35 seats in the Siambr, according to a YouGov poll published on Tuesday.
Nigel Farage's Reform UK would be the second largest party, with 25% of votes, according to the poll.
The Plaid leader ruled out holding a referendum on Wales leaving the UK in the first term of a Plaid-led Welsh government, when speaking to the BBC's Walescast this week.
He has previously declined to put a timeline on a referendum, after Plaid's last leader Adam Price promised such a vote within five years.
But Mr ap Iorwerth told the PA news agency a referendum could form part of a Plaid government's platform for the future, once it has built trust with the Welsh electorate.
'The key thing is it's up to the people of Wales. And I've many times said that I would have independence tomorrow, but it's not what I think that matters,' Mr ap Iorwerth told PA.
'It's what the people of Wales believe, and I absolutely think we can have that referendum and set us off on a different direction as a country within our lifetime,' he added.
Should Plaid pursue such a referendum in future, it would be likely to need support from other parties in Cardiff Bay and at Westminster, which is unlikely to be forthcoming.
Plaid would focus on 'deep problems within the NHS in Wales', as well as education, economic stagnation and poverty, should it be the party that leads the next Welsh government, Mr ap Iorwerth said.
The next Senedd election will see Welsh voters use a new proportional system to choose their representatives.
Some 49 seats will be required for an outright majority, with the Senedd being expanded to 96 members.
The previous system had an 'in-built bias towards Labour', the Plaid leader said.
Mr ap Iorwerth added: 'That changes with the new electoral system that we have in Wales, and it's a genuine case that wherever people are in Wales, the votes that they cast will contribute towards who can be leading that government next year, Plaid Cymru is putting itself forward as the party to lead that government.
'And if people want that, they can have it with me as first minister, the first non-Labour first minister, setting a different direction for governments in Wales.'
Parties in Wales are likely to have to co-operate following the poll, the Plaid leader admitted, but he continued to rule out a 'formal relationship' with Mr Farage's Reform UK.
Mr ap Iorwerth added: 'We have two conservative parties in Wales now: the Conservative Party, and the Tories on steroids that Reform are: the pro-Thatcher, the pro-Liz Truss, the pro-Trump political party that works against the interests of workers, that works against the interests of businesses in Wales.
'I just don't think that's the politics that is in the interests of Wales.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Government ‘putting its money where its mouth is' with £200m for Acorn scheme
Government ‘putting its money where its mouth is' with £200m for Acorn scheme

The Herald Scotland

time38 minutes ago

  • The Herald Scotland

Government ‘putting its money where its mouth is' with £200m for Acorn scheme

The scheme, which proposes storing emissions from across Scotland under the North Sea, had previously been overlooked for support despite repeated calls from the Scottish Government and others for it to be backed. With the UK Government also pledging to support the Viking Carbon capture and Storage (CCS) project in the Humber, Mr Miliband insisted the two schemes would help 'support industrial renewal' with 'thousands of highly skilled jobs'. According to the sector, Acorn could support about 15,000 jobs at its peak, with up to 20,000 jobs at the Viking project. And as it develops, it is planned that the Acorn site will link up with the former oil refinery at Grangemouth via more than 200 miles of pipelines. An existing 175 miles of gas pipes will be repurposed for this, with 35 miles of new pipeline also being built, alllowing CO2 from the Grangemouth site to be transported to Acorn's storage facilities under the North Sea – a move which is seen by many as being key in securing a future for the facility, where some 400 workers were recently made redundant. Speaking as he visited the Aberdeenshire site, Mr Miliband said: 'This Government is putting its money where its mouth is and backing the trailblazing Acorn and Viking CCS projects. (PA Graphics) 'This will support industrial renewal in Scotland and the Humber with thousands of highly-skilled jobs at good wages to build Britain's clean energy future.' The Energy Secretary added: 'Carbon capture will make working people in Britain's hard-working communities better off, breathing new life into their towns and cities and reindustrialising the country through our Plan for Change.' Mr Miliband visited the site the day after Rachel Reeves promised funding for Acorn in her spending review – although the Chancellor did not put a figure on how much support would be given in her statement to MPs. Tim Stedman, chief executive of Storegga, the lead developer of Acorn, said: 'We warmly welcome the UK Government's support for the Acorn project and the commitment to development funding that will enable the critical work needed to reach Final Investment Decision (FID).' He added that the 'milestone' was 'key not only for Acorn but for establishing Scotland's essential CCS infrastructure needed to grow and scale the UK's wider carbon capture and storage industry'. Labour will make Scotland home to the green jobs of the future. — Scottish Labour (@ScottishLabour) June 11, 2025 Mr Stedman continued: 'We look forward to working with Government in the months ahead to understand the details of today's commitment, and to ensure the policy, regulatory and funding frameworks are in place to build and grow a world-leading UK CCS sector.' Meanwhile Graeme Davies, the executive vice president at Harbour Energy, which is leading the Viking project, said the commitment from Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review 'sends a strong signal' that the project was 'an infrastructure-led economic growth priority' for the Parliament. He added: 'We will work with Government on the critical steps needed to progress Viking CCS towards a final investment decision'.

Exclusive: Huntly councillor becomes SIXTH Aberdeenshire Tory to join Reform
Exclusive: Huntly councillor becomes SIXTH Aberdeenshire Tory to join Reform

Press and Journal

time39 minutes ago

  • Press and Journal

Exclusive: Huntly councillor becomes SIXTH Aberdeenshire Tory to join Reform

A Huntly councillor has become the SIXTH Tory in Aberdeenshire to join Reform as momentum continues to build for Nigel Farage's party. Lauren Knight became the latest Conservative in the north-east to make the switch just hours after leader Russell Findlay branded defectors 'opportunists'. Ms Knight said she believes the Conservative Party has 'left her' and she 'feels let down by so many broken promises'. 'I am honoured to have joined Reform UK', she exclusively told The Press and Journal. Ms Knight, who represents the Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford ward, previously battled Aberdeenshire Council over a deferral for her premature son starting school. Her son, Henry, was born three months early and spent five months fighting to survive in the neonatal unit while he was unable to breathe by himself. Ms Knight, who lives in Forgue, said: 'As the mother of a child with additional support needs, I have experienced firsthand the challenges families face when navigating a system that too often overlooks the most vulnerable.' Speaking to the P&J, the Aberdeenshire mum said local cuts to additional support needs services passed by the ruling Tory-led administration influenced her defection. Ms Knight felt she was unable to speak out against her own party on the topic. 'It wasn't an environment where you could have a voice,' she said. Ms Knight said she was 'sad' to leave behind some Tory colleagues, but said many of her allies were the councillors who had already left the party. She told the P&J: ' I realised of the people I aligned with and was friends with have all decided to move to Reform.' Her defection to Reform represents another blow for the Tories in a region where they are losing multiple councillors. Former Aberdeenshire council chief Mark Findlater and Mearns councillor Laurie Carnie became the first to join Reform in Scotland last year. Ellon councillor John Crawley and Dominic Lonchay, who represents East Garioch, later followed them over to Mr Farage's party. Robbie Withey, another councillor in Ms Knight's Huntly ward, continues to sit as an independent but has joined Reform. John Cox, a former SNP councillor, has also signed up to Reform UK – but also still sits as an independent. And Aberdeen councillor Duncan Massey announced his defection from the Tories last week when Mr Farage visited the city. The defection comes one day after Scottish Tory chief Mr Findlay exclusively told the P&J he 'despairs' at councillors leaving his party for Reform and believes they will later regret it. 'Some of them you know personally and you know their politics – you're left to conclude they're doing so because it's complete opportunism,' he said on our weekly politics podcast, The Stooshie. He added: 'A lot of our members are very angry at those who defect. 'Those who defect are only in the post they're in because of the fact they were wearing a Tory blue rosette. 'I just feel disappointed. I suspect what we'll see is some regret.' Reform councillor Thomas Kerr welcomed Ms Knight to the party. 'Lauren Knight brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to Reform UK,' he said. A Scottish Tory spokesperson said: 'Under Russell Findlay, we're reconnecting with common sense conservative values of enterprise, self-reliance, fiscal responsibility and the rule of law. 'Every poll shows that Reform will only help the SNP. 'As we saw in last year's general election, they handed several seats to the SNP which would have otherwise gone to a pro-UK party. 'Reform are likely to stand pro-independence candidates in the 2026 election and Nigel Farage has even said he's not worried about the SNP getting another five years in power.'

UK ‘ready to go' on implementing US trade deal, says Business Secretary
UK ‘ready to go' on implementing US trade deal, says Business Secretary

The Independent

time42 minutes ago

  • The Independent

UK ‘ready to go' on implementing US trade deal, says Business Secretary

The UK is 'ready to go' on implementing its trade deal with the US, the Business Secretary has said. The deal, announced last month by Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, will see British tariffs on steel and automotive exports to the US slashed in exchange for greater access to the UK for some American goods. But the deal has still not been implemented, with both Washington and London yet to take the necessary steps to reduce tariffs. Speaking at a lunch for Westminster journalists on Thursday, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the UK was ready to implement the deal, suggesting the White House was responsible for the hold-up. He said: 'We are ready to go on our side. 'In terms of the steps I need to take, I will inform the House with a written ministerial statement and lay the statutory instruments for the reciprocal part of that deal, which is obviously about beef and ethanol for us on this side. 'So we're ready to go, and as soon as the president and the White House on their side are able to, we will implement that part of the deal.' The Business Secretary added he was 'very hopeful' that the agreement would come into effect 'very soon', but acknowledged negotiations had not 'always been easy'. Mr Reynolds's comments follow his meeting with US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday to discuss implementing the deal. The meeting, which the Prime Minister also dropped in on, was the latest in a series of engagements aimed at securing a reduction in the tariffs Mr Trump imposed on the UK and the rest of the world on April 2. Along with 10% tariffs on all British goods, the president imposed 25% levies on cars and steel. He later increased the tariff on steel to 50%, but gave the UK a reprieve, keeping Britain's rate at 25% until at least July 9. Under the broad terms of last month's agreement, the US will implement quotas that will effectively eliminate the tariff on British steel and reduce the tariff on UK vehicles to 10%.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store