Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has outlined what he describes as a “radical vision” for governing Wales, signalling a determination to deliver “a different kind of government with a different level of ambition.”
In an interview with BBC Politics Wales to mark the start of the new Senedd term, ap Iorwerth said his party would tackle the “scandal” of child poverty and lead a “revolution in preventative health.” He suggested that disillusionment with Labour was driving voters towards Plaid, claiming Sir Keir Starmer’s party displayed “no determination to even try to be true to the values” its members expect.
Recent polls have placed Plaid alongside Reform UK as frontrunners for next May’s Senedd election. If Plaid were to form the next Welsh government, it would mark the first time in a century that Labour had not won in Wales. With eight months to go until what could be a historic election, ap Iorwerth is positioning himself as the only party capable of challenging Reform UK’s rise.
Speaking as part of a series of interviews with party leaders on Politics Wales, ap Iorwerth said the upcoming by-election in Caerphilly presented a potential win for Plaid, though he acknowledged the challenge of competing against “almost limitless resources of a UK party who want to use Caerphilly as a stepping stone towards UK ambitions.” He added, however, that finishing second to Reform UK might still reinforce Plaid’s position as the main alternative to Labour in the minds of voters.
Known as a pragmatic leader, ap Iorwerth has set aside the party’s ultimate goal of independence for the time being, focusing instead on practical governance. Asked how radical his plans would be, he rejected the notion of business as usual.
“I want a step change in government attitudes, looking at what answers can be put in place to deal with the problems in Wales,” he said. He outlined plans for a “revolution in preventative health,” tackling “Labour’s terrible legacy on waiting times” and reforming approaches to literacy and numeracy in schools.
Ap Iorwerth insisted that these proposals were far from minor adjustments, highlighting Plaid’s Welsh child payment scheme, which has drawn comparisons with a similar initiative in Scotland by the SNP.
“One of the things we’ve been asking Labour to do for years is genuinely address the problem, or the scandal, of child poverty,” he said.
“We are going to be introducing a direct payment scheme in order to bring children out of poverty. That’s radical politics, dealing with the issues that are causing such scars within our communities.”
A Welsh Labour spokesperson hit back, saying: “We believe that ending child poverty must be an absolute priority for all levels of government. But Plaid Cymru’s fantasy economics is not the answer. They try to block money for free school meals and childcare, yet want to spend money without saying where it would come from. As always with Plaid, the sums don’t add up.”
