Plaid Cymru
Encyclopedia
(ˈplaɪd ˈkəmrɨ, The Party of Wales; often referred to simply as ) is a political party
in Wales
. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh
state
within the European Union
.
was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966. has 1 of 4 Welsh seats in the European Parliament
, 3 of 40 Welsh seats in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
, 11 of 60 seats in the National Assembly for Wales
, and 205 of 1,264 principal local authority councillors.
In September 2008, a senior assembly member spelled out her party's continuing support for an independent Wales. The Welsh Minister for Rural Affairs Elin Jones
kicked off PC's annual conference by pledging to uphold the goal of making Wales a European Union member state. She told the delegates in Aberystwyth
that the party would continue its commitment to independence under the coalition with Labour.
and Liberal
parties of the early 20th century had accommodated demands for Welsh Home Rule, no political party existed for the purposes of establishing a Welsh Government. Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (National Party of Wales) was formed on 5 August 1925, by Moses Gruffydd; Fred Jones; and Lewis Valentine
, members of , and H.R. Jones; Saunders Lewis
; and David John Williams of Y Mudiad Cymreig . Initially, home rule for Wales was not an explicit aim of the new movement; keeping Wales Welsh-speaking
took primacy, with the aim of making Welsh the only official language of Wales.
Nevertheless, at the General Election of 1929 the party contested its first Parliamentary constituency in Caernarfonshire
, polling 609 votes, or 1.6% of the vote for that seat. The party would contest few such elections in its early years, a product partly of its early ambivalence towards participating in Westminster politics. Indeed the candidate Lewis Valentine
, the party’s first President, offered himself in Caernarfonshire on a platform of demonstrating Welsh people's rejection of English dominion.
had been added to that of preserving Welsh language and culture. However, this move, and the party's early attempts to develop an economic critique, did not lead to the broadening of its appeal beyond that of an intellectual and socially conservative
Welsh language pressure group. The alleged sympathetic views of the party's leading members (including President Saunders Lewis) towards Europe's totalitarian regimes
compromised its early appeal further.
In 1936 Lewis, David John Williams and Lewis Valentine attacked and set fire to the newly constructed RAF Penyberth
air base on the Llŷn Peninsula
in Gwynedd
in protest at its siting in the Welsh-speaking heartland. The leaders’ treatment, including the trial judge's dismissal of the use of Welsh and their subsequent imprisonment in Wormwood Scrubs
, led to 'The Three' becoming a cause célèbre
. This heightened the profile of the party dramatically and its membership had doubled to nearly 2,000 by 1939.
prompted concerns within the UK Government that it might be used by Germany to insert spies or carry out other covert operations. In fact, the party adopted a neutral standpoint and urged (with only limited success) conscientious objection
to war service.
In 1943 Saunders Lewis
contested the University of Wales Parliamentary seat at a by-election, gaining 1,330 votes, or 22%. At the 1945 General Election
, with party membership at around 2,500 Plaid Cymru contested 7 seats, as many as it had in the preceding 20 years, including constituencies in south Wales for the first time. At this time Gwynfor Evans
was elected President.
, to 3.1% in 1955
and 5.2% in 1959
. At this latter General Election, the party contested a majority of Welsh seats for the first time. Proposals to drown the village of Capel Celyn
in the Tryweryn valley in Gwynedd in 1957 to supply the city of Liverpool
with water played a part in Plaid Cymru's growth. The fact that the Parliamentary bill authorising the drowning went through without support from any Welsh MPs showed that the MPs' votes in Westminster were not enough to avert such bills from passing.
(The fate of the language) in which he predicted the extinction of the Welsh language unless action was taken. This led to the formation of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) the same year.
Labour’s return to power in 1964 and the creation of the post of Secretary of State for Wales
appeared to represent a continuation of the incremental evolution of a distinctive Welsh polity, following the Conservative Party
government's appointment of a Minister of Welsh Affairs in the mid 1950s and the establishment of Cardiff
as Wales’s capital in 1955.
However, in 1966, less than four months after coming third in the constituency of Carmarthen
, Gwynfor Evans sensationally captured the seat from Labour at a by-election. This was followed by two further by-elections in Rhondda West
in 1967
and Caerphilly
in 1968 in which the party achieved massive swings of 30% and 40% respectively, coming within a whisker of victory. The results were caused partly by an anti-Labour backlash. Expectations in coal mining communities that the Wilson
government would halt the long-term decline in their industry had been dashed by a significant downward revision of coal production estimates. However — in Carmarthen particularly — Plaid Cymru also successfully depicted Labour's policies as a threat to the viability of small Welsh communities.
Plaid Cymru contested every seat in Wales for the first time and its vote share surged from 4.5% in 1966 to 11.5%. Gwynfor Evans lost Carmarthen to Labour, but regained the seat in October 1974
, by which time the party had gained a further two MPs, representing the constituencies of Caernarfon
and Merionethshire
.
Plaid Cymru’s emergence (along with the Scottish National Party
) prompted the Wilson
government to establish the Kilbrandon Commission
on the constitution. The subsequent proposals for a Welsh Assembly were, however, heavily defeated in a referendum
in 1979. Despite Plaid Cymru's ambivalence toward home rule (as opposed to outright independence) the referendum
result led many in the party to question its direction.
At the 1979 General Election
the party’s vote share declined from 10.8% to 8.1% and Carmarthen was again lost to Labour.
succeeded Gwynfor Evans as President in succession in 1981, inheriting a party whose morale was at an all-time low. In 1981 the party adopted "community socialism" as a constitutional aim. While the party embarked on a wide-ranging review of its priorities and goals, Gwynfor Evans fought a successful campaign (including the threat of a hunger strike) to oblige the Conservative Government to fulfill its promise to establish S4C
, a Welsh-language television station. In 1984 Dafydd Elis-Thomas
was elected President, defeating Dafydd Iwan
, a move that saw the party shift to the left. Ieuan Wyn Jones
(now Plaid Cymru leader) captured Ynys Môn
from the Conservatives in 1987
. In 1989 Dafydd Wigley once again assumed the Presidency of the party.
, the party added a fourth MP, Cynog Dafis
, when he gained Ceredigion and Pembroke North from the Liberal Democrats. Dafis was endorsed by the local branch of the Green Party
. The party’s vote share recovered to 9.9% by the 1997 General Election
.
In 1997 following the election of a Labour government committed to devolution for Wales a further referendum was narrowly won, establishing the National Assembly for Wales
. Plaid Cymru became the main opposition to the ruling Labour Party, with 17 seats to Labour's 28. In doing so, it appeared to have broken out of its rural Welsh-speaking heartland, and captured traditionally strong Labour areas in industrial south Wales
.
Plaid Cymru gained seats in traditional Labour areas such as in the Rhondda, Islwyn
and Llanelli, achieving by far its highest share of the vote in any Wales-wide election. While Plaid Cymru regarded itself as the natural beneficiary of devolution, others attributed its performance in large part to the travails of the Labour Party, whose nomination for Assembly First Secretary, Ron Davies, was forced to stand down in an alleged sex scandal
. The ensuing leadership battle, won by Alun Michael
, did much to damage Labour, and thus aided Plaid Cymru, whose leader was the more popular and higher profile Dafydd Wigley
. The Labour Party's UK national leadership was seen to interfere in the contest and deny the popular Rhodri Morgan
victory. Less than two months later, in elections to the European parliamnent, Labour support slumped further, and Plaid Cymru came within 2.5% of achieving the largest share of the vote in Wales. Under the new system of proportional representation
, the party also gained two MEPs.
Plaid Cymru then developed political problems of its own. Dafydd Wigley resigned, citing health problems but amid rumours of a plot against him. His successor, Ieuan Wyn Jones
, struggled to impose his authority, particularly over controversial remarks made by a senior councillor, Seimon Glyn. At the same time, Labour leader and First Minister Alun Michael was replaced by Rhodri Morgan.
In the 2001 General Election
, Plaid Cymru lost Wyn Jones's former seat of Ynys Môn
to Albert Owen
, but gained Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
, where Adam Price
was elected. Notwithstanding these mixed results, the party recorded its highest ever vote share in a General Election, 14.3%
saw the party's representation drop from 17 to 12, with the gains of the 1999 election falling again to Labour and the party's share of the vote declining to 21%. Plaid Cymru narrowly remained the second-largest party in the National Assembly ahead of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Forward Wales.
On 15 September 2003 folk-singer
and county councilor Dafydd Iwan
was elected Plaid Cymru's new President. Ieuan Wyn Jones, who had resigned from his dual role as President and Assembly group leader following the losses in the 2003 Assembly election, was re-elected in the latter role. Elfyn Llwyd
remained the Plaid Cymru leader in the Westminster Parliament. Under Iwan's Presidency the party formally adopted a policy of independence for Wales in Europe.
The 2004 local election saw the party lose control of the two south Wales councils it gained in 1999, Rhondda Cynon Taff
and Caerphilly
, while retaining its stronghold of Gwynedd in the north west. However, the results led the party to claim a greater number of ethnic minority councilors than all the other political parties in Wales combined, along with gains in authorities such as Cardiff and Swansea
, where Plaid Cymru representation had been minimal. In the European Parliamentary elections of the same year, the party's vote share fell to 17.4%, and the reduction in the number of Welsh MEPs saw its representation reduced to one.
In the General Election
of 5 May 2005, Plaid Cymru lost the Ceredigion
seat to the Liberal Democrats, the result was a disappointment to Plaid, who had hoped to gain Ynys Môn
. Overall therefore, the party's Parliamentary representation fell to three seats, the lowest level for Plaid Cymru since 1992. The party's share of the vote fell to 12.6%.
In 2006, the party voted constitutional changes to formally designate the party's leader in the assembly as its overall leader, with Ieuan Wyn Jones
being restored to the full leadership and Dafydd Iwan
becoming head of the voluntary wing of the party. 2006 also saw the party unveil a radical change of image, opting to use "Plaid" as the party's name, although "Plaid Cymru — The Party of Wales" would remain the official title. The party's colours were changed to yellow from the traditional green and red, while the party logo was changed from the 'triban' (three peaks) used since 1933 to a yellow Welsh poppy
(Meconopsis cambrica).
of 3 May 2007, Plaid Cymru increased its number of seats from 12 to 15, regaining Llanelli, gaining one additional list seat and winning the newly created constituency of Aberconwy. The 2007 election also saw Plaid Cymru's Mohammad Asghar
become the first ethnic minority candidate elected to the Welsh Assembly. The Party's share of the vote increased to 22.4%.
After weeks of negotiations involving all four parties in the Assembly, Plaid Cymru and Labour agreed to form a coalition government
. Their agreed "One Wales
" programme included a commitment for both parties to campaign for a 'Yes' vote in a referendum on full law-making powers for the Assembly, to be held at a time of the Welsh Assembly Government's choosing. Ieuan Wyn Jones was subsequently confirmed as Deputy First Minister of Wales and Minister for the Economy and Transport
. Rhodri Glyn Thomas
was appointed Heritage Minister. He later stood down, and Alun Ffred Jones
took over. Ceredigion AM Elin Jones
appointed to the Rural Affairs brief in the new 10 member Cabinet. Jocelyn Davies
became Deputy Minister for Housing, and later, Regeneration.
In the 2010 general election, Plaid returned three MPs to Westminster. They took part in the Yes for Wales
cross-party campaign for the March 2011 referendum.
Plaid slipped from 2nd place to third, being overtaken by the Conservative Party and losing its deputy leader Helen Mary Jones
. The party has since begun an inquiry into the reasons for their failure to capitalise on their time in government. In May 2011, Ieuan Wyn Jones announced that he will stand down as leader within the first half of the Assembly term.
Nomations for the leadership election will be open from 3 January to 26 January 2012, and the new leader will be elected on 15 March 2012, a week before the party's spring conference.
Plaid retains close links with the Scottish National Party
, with both parties' MPs co-operating closely with one another. They work as a single group within Westminster
, and were involved in joint campaigning during the 2005 General Election
campaign. Both Plaid and the SNP are part of the European Free Alliance
party in the European Parliament
, a nationalist and regionalist bloc of parties. The EFA works with the European Green Party
in order to form a joint group in the European Parliament: the The Greens–European Free Alliance.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh
Welsh independence
Welsh independence is a political ideal advocated by some people in Wales that would see Wales secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state. This ideology is promoted mainly by the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru.-History:...
state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
within the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966. has 1 of 4 Welsh seats in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, 3 of 40 Welsh seats in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, 11 of 60 seats in the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
, and 205 of 1,264 principal local authority councillors.
Platform
- To promote the constitutional advancement of Wales with a view to attaining Full National StatusMember State of the European UnionA member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...
for Wales within the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. - To ensure economic prosperity, social justiceSocial justiceSocial justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
and the health of the natural environment, based on decentralist socialismSocialismSocialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. - To build a national community based on equal citizenship, respect for different traditions and cultures and the equal worth of all individuals, whatever their race, nationality, gender, colour, creed, sexuality, age, ability or social background.
- To create a bilingual societyMultilingualismMultilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
by promoting the revival of the Welsh languageWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. - To promote Wales's contribution to the global community and to attain membership of the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
In September 2008, a senior assembly member spelled out her party's continuing support for an independent Wales. The Welsh Minister for Rural Affairs Elin Jones
Elin Jones
Elin Jones AM , is a Welsh politician, born in Lampeter, Wales, who has represented Ceredigion for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 1999.-Background:...
kicked off PC's annual conference by pledging to uphold the goal of making Wales a European Union member state. She told the delegates in Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
that the party would continue its commitment to independence under the coalition with Labour.
Beginnings
While both the LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
parties of the early 20th century had accommodated demands for Welsh Home Rule, no political party existed for the purposes of establishing a Welsh Government. Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (National Party of Wales) was formed on 5 August 1925, by Moses Gruffydd; Fred Jones; and Lewis Valentine
Lewis Valentine
Lewis Edward Valentine was a Welsh politician, Baptist pastor, author, editor, and Welsh-language activist.-Early life:Valentine was born in Llanddulas, Conwy, the son of Samuel Valentine, a limestone quarryman, and his wife Mary...
, members of , and H.R. Jones; Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis was a Welsh poet, dramatist, historian, literary critic, and political activist. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist and a founder of the Welsh National Party...
; and David John Williams of Y Mudiad Cymreig . Initially, home rule for Wales was not an explicit aim of the new movement; keeping Wales Welsh-speaking
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
took primacy, with the aim of making Welsh the only official language of Wales.
Nevertheless, at the General Election of 1929 the party contested its first Parliamentary constituency in Caernarfonshire
Caernarvonshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Caernarvonshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885 and from 1918 until 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post...
, polling 609 votes, or 1.6% of the vote for that seat. The party would contest few such elections in its early years, a product partly of its early ambivalence towards participating in Westminster politics. Indeed the candidate Lewis Valentine
Lewis Valentine
Lewis Edward Valentine was a Welsh politician, Baptist pastor, author, editor, and Welsh-language activist.-Early life:Valentine was born in Llanddulas, Conwy, the son of Samuel Valentine, a limestone quarryman, and his wife Mary...
, the party’s first President, offered himself in Caernarfonshire on a platform of demonstrating Welsh people's rejection of English dominion.
1930s
By 1932 the aims of self-government and Welsh representation at the League of NationsLeague of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
had been added to that of preserving Welsh language and culture. However, this move, and the party's early attempts to develop an economic critique, did not lead to the broadening of its appeal beyond that of an intellectual and socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
Welsh language pressure group. The alleged sympathetic views of the party's leading members (including President Saunders Lewis) towards Europe's totalitarian regimes
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
compromised its early appeal further.
In 1936 Lewis, David John Williams and Lewis Valentine attacked and set fire to the newly constructed RAF Penyberth
Penyberth
Penyberth was a farmhouse at Penrhos, on the Llŷn Peninsula near Pwllheli, Gwynedd, which had been the home to generations of patrons of poets, but destroyed in 1936 in order to build a training camp and aerodrome for the RAF....
air base on the Llŷn Peninsula
Llŷn Peninsula
The Llŷn Peninsula extends into the Irish Sea from north west Wales, south west of the Isle of Anglesey. It is part of the modern county and historic region of Gwynedd. The name is thought to be of Irish origin, and to have the same root Laigin in Irish as the word Leinster...
in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
in protest at its siting in the Welsh-speaking heartland. The leaders’ treatment, including the trial judge's dismissal of the use of Welsh and their subsequent imprisonment in Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs is a Category B men's prison, located in the Wormwood Scrubs area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, in inner west London, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service....
, led to 'The Three' becoming a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
. This heightened the profile of the party dramatically and its membership had doubled to nearly 2,000 by 1939.
1940s
Penyberth, and Plaid Cymru’s neutral stance during the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
prompted concerns within the UK Government that it might be used by Germany to insert spies or carry out other covert operations. In fact, the party adopted a neutral standpoint and urged (with only limited success) conscientious objection
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
to war service.
In 1943 Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis was a Welsh poet, dramatist, historian, literary critic, and political activist. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist and a founder of the Welsh National Party...
contested the University of Wales Parliamentary seat at a by-election, gaining 1,330 votes, or 22%. At the 1945 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, with party membership at around 2,500 Plaid Cymru contested 7 seats, as many as it had in the preceding 20 years, including constituencies in south Wales for the first time. At this time Gwynfor Evans
Gwynfor Evans
Dr Richard Gwynfor Evans , was a Welsh politician, lawyer and author. President of Plaid Cymru for thirty six years, he was the first Member of Parliament to represent Plaid Cymru at Westminster ....
was elected President.
1950s
Gwynfor Evans’s Presidency coincided with the maturation of Plaid Cymru (as it began to refer to itself at this time) into a more recognisable political party. Its share of the vote increased from 0.7% in the 1951 General ElectionUnited Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
, to 3.1% in 1955
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
and 5.2% in 1959
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
. At this latter General Election, the party contested a majority of Welsh seats for the first time. Proposals to drown the village of Capel Celyn
Capel Celyn
Capel Celyn was a rural community to the north west of Bala in Gwynedd, north Wales, in the Afon Tryweryn valley. The village and other parts of the valley were flooded to create a reservoir, Llyn Celyn, in order to supply Liverpool and The Wirral with water for industry...
in the Tryweryn valley in Gwynedd in 1957 to supply the city of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
with water played a part in Plaid Cymru's growth. The fact that the Parliamentary bill authorising the drowning went through without support from any Welsh MPs showed that the MPs' votes in Westminster were not enough to avert such bills from passing.
1960s
Support for the party declined slightly in the early 1960s, particularly as support for the Liberal Party began to stabilise from its long-term decline. In 1962 Saunders Lewis gave a radio talk entitled Tynged yr IaithTynged yr Iaith
"Tynged yr Iaith" was a radio lecture delivered in Welsh by Saunders Lewis on February 13, 1962. Reaction to it brought about a major change in the politics of Wales...
(The fate of the language) in which he predicted the extinction of the Welsh language unless action was taken. This led to the formation of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) the same year.
Labour’s return to power in 1964 and the creation of the post of Secretary of State for Wales
Secretary of State for Wales
The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
appeared to represent a continuation of the incremental evolution of a distinctive Welsh polity, following the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government's appointment of a Minister of Welsh Affairs in the mid 1950s and the establishment of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
as Wales’s capital in 1955.
However, in 1966, less than four months after coming third in the constituency of Carmarthen
Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)
Carmarthen was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1542 and 1997...
, Gwynfor Evans sensationally captured the seat from Labour at a by-election. This was followed by two further by-elections in Rhondda West
Rhondda West (UK Parliament constituency)
Rhondda West was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rhondda district of Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system...
in 1967
Rhondda West by-election, 1967
The Rhondda West by-election, 1967 was a parliamentary by-election held in 1967 for the British House of Commons constituency of Rhondda West in Wales....
and Caerphilly
Caerphilly (UK Parliament constituency)
Caerphilly is a county constituency centred on the town of Caerphilly in South Wales. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.The constituency has always elected Labour MPs.- Boundaries...
in 1968 in which the party achieved massive swings of 30% and 40% respectively, coming within a whisker of victory. The results were caused partly by an anti-Labour backlash. Expectations in coal mining communities that the Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
government would halt the long-term decline in their industry had been dashed by a significant downward revision of coal production estimates. However — in Carmarthen particularly — Plaid Cymru also successfully depicted Labour's policies as a threat to the viability of small Welsh communities.
1970s
In the 1970 General ElectionUnited Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
Plaid Cymru contested every seat in Wales for the first time and its vote share surged from 4.5% in 1966 to 11.5%. Gwynfor Evans lost Carmarthen to Labour, but regained the seat in October 1974
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
, by which time the party had gained a further two MPs, representing the constituencies of Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
and Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
.
Plaid Cymru’s emergence (along with the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
) prompted the Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
government to establish the Kilbrandon Commission
Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom)
The Royal Commission on the Constitution, also referred to as the Kilbrandon Commission or Kilbrandon Report, was a long-running royal commission set up by Harold Wilson's Labour government to examine the structures of the constitution of the United Kingdom and the British Islands and the...
on the constitution. The subsequent proposals for a Welsh Assembly were, however, heavily defeated in a referendum
Wales referendum, 1979
In a referendum on St David's Day 1979, the people of Wales voted against proposals by the Labour government of the United Kingdom to establish a Welsh Assembly....
in 1979. Despite Plaid Cymru's ambivalence toward home rule (as opposed to outright independence) the referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
result led many in the party to question its direction.
At the 1979 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
the party’s vote share declined from 10.8% to 8.1% and Carmarthen was again lost to Labour.
1980s
Caernarfon MP, Dafydd WigleyDafydd Wigley
Dafydd Wigley, Baron Wigley is a Welsh politician. He served as Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Caernarfon from 1974 until 2001 and as an Assembly Member for Caernarfon from 1999 until 2003. He was leader of the Plaid Cymru party from 1991 to 2000...
succeeded Gwynfor Evans as President in succession in 1981, inheriting a party whose morale was at an all-time low. In 1981 the party adopted "community socialism" as a constitutional aim. While the party embarked on a wide-ranging review of its priorities and goals, Gwynfor Evans fought a successful campaign (including the threat of a hunger strike) to oblige the Conservative Government to fulfill its promise to establish S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
, a Welsh-language television station. In 1984 Dafydd Elis-Thomas
Dafydd Elis-Thomas
Dafydd Elis Elis-Thomas, Baron Elis-Thomas, PC, AM, is a Welsh politician and was the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales until 2011...
was elected President, defeating Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan , is a Welsh folk singer and politician. He was the president of Plaid Cymru .Dafydd Iwan Jones was born in Brynaman in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and is the elder brother of politician Alun Ffred Jones. He spent most of his youth in Bala in Gwynedd before attending the University of...
, a move that saw the party shift to the left. Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...
(now Plaid Cymru leader) captured Ynys Môn
Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)
Ynys Môn is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
from the Conservatives in 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
. In 1989 Dafydd Wigley once again assumed the Presidency of the party.
1990s
In the 1992 General ElectionUnited Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, the party added a fourth MP, Cynog Dafis
Cynog Dafis
Cynog Glyndwr Dafis is a Welsh politician and member of the Plaid Cymru party. He was a school teacher and researcher before entering politics.-Education:...
, when he gained Ceredigion and Pembroke North from the Liberal Democrats. Dafis was endorsed by the local branch of the Green Party
Wales Green Party
The Wales Green Party is a semi-autonomous political party within the Green Party of England and Wales . It covers Wales, and is the only regional party with autonomous status within the GPEW....
. The party’s vote share recovered to 9.9% by the 1997 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
In 1997 following the election of a Labour government committed to devolution for Wales a further referendum was narrowly won, establishing the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
. Plaid Cymru became the main opposition to the ruling Labour Party, with 17 seats to Labour's 28. In doing so, it appeared to have broken out of its rural Welsh-speaking heartland, and captured traditionally strong Labour areas in industrial south Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.
First Welsh Assembly, 1999–2003
In the 1999 electionWelsh Assembly election, 1999
The first National Assembly for Wales elections were held on 6 May 1999. The overall turnout of voters was 46.3%. Although the Welsh Labour Party were the biggest party, they did not gain enough seats to form a majority government and instead entered into coalition with the Liberal Democrats...
Plaid Cymru gained seats in traditional Labour areas such as in the Rhondda, Islwyn
Islwyn (National Assembly for Wales constituency)
Islwyn is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the South Wales East electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to eight...
and Llanelli, achieving by far its highest share of the vote in any Wales-wide election. While Plaid Cymru regarded itself as the natural beneficiary of devolution, others attributed its performance in large part to the travails of the Labour Party, whose nomination for Assembly First Secretary, Ron Davies, was forced to stand down in an alleged sex scandal
Sex scandal
A sex scandal is a scandal involving allegations or information about possibly-immoral sexual activities being made public. Sex scandals are often associated with movie stars, politicians, famous athletes or others in the public eye, and become scandals largely because of the prominence of the...
. The ensuing leadership battle, won by Alun Michael
Alun Michael
Alun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
, did much to damage Labour, and thus aided Plaid Cymru, whose leader was the more popular and higher profile Dafydd Wigley
Dafydd Wigley
Dafydd Wigley, Baron Wigley is a Welsh politician. He served as Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Caernarfon from 1974 until 2001 and as an Assembly Member for Caernarfon from 1999 until 2003. He was leader of the Plaid Cymru party from 1991 to 2000...
. The Labour Party's UK national leadership was seen to interfere in the contest and deny the popular Rhodri Morgan
Rhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
victory. Less than two months later, in elections to the European parliamnent, Labour support slumped further, and Plaid Cymru came within 2.5% of achieving the largest share of the vote in Wales. Under the new system of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, the party also gained two MEPs.
Plaid Cymru then developed political problems of its own. Dafydd Wigley resigned, citing health problems but amid rumours of a plot against him. His successor, Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...
, struggled to impose his authority, particularly over controversial remarks made by a senior councillor, Seimon Glyn. At the same time, Labour leader and First Minister Alun Michael was replaced by Rhodri Morgan.
In the 2001 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, Plaid Cymru lost Wyn Jones's former seat of Ynys Môn
Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)
Ynys Môn is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
to Albert Owen
Albert Owen
Albert Owen is a Welsh Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn. He took the seat in the 2001 election from Plaid Cymru with a margin of exactly eight hundred votes and retained the seat with an increased majority of approximately twelve hundred votes in the 2005 election. In...
, but gained Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (UK Parliament constituency)
Carmathen East and Dinefwr is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It was created in 1997 mostly from the former seat of Carmarthen...
, where Adam Price
Adam Price
Adam Price is a politician in Wales, and former Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr. He was elected to Parliament in the 2001 general election and re-elected in 2005 but stood down at the 2010 election...
was elected. Notwithstanding these mixed results, the party recorded its highest ever vote share in a General Election, 14.3%
Second Welsh Assembly, 2003–07
The Assembly elections of May 2003Welsh Assembly election, 2003
The National Assembly for Wales election, 2003 was the second general election to the National Assembly for Wales. It was held on 1 May 2003.The election was characterised by a resurgence for the Labour Party, whilst Plaid Cymru saw a reduction in support and the number of Assembly Members they...
saw the party's representation drop from 17 to 12, with the gains of the 1999 election falling again to Labour and the party's share of the vote declining to 21%. Plaid Cymru narrowly remained the second-largest party in the National Assembly ahead of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Forward Wales.
On 15 September 2003 folk-singer
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and county councilor Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan , is a Welsh folk singer and politician. He was the president of Plaid Cymru .Dafydd Iwan Jones was born in Brynaman in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and is the elder brother of politician Alun Ffred Jones. He spent most of his youth in Bala in Gwynedd before attending the University of...
was elected Plaid Cymru's new President. Ieuan Wyn Jones, who had resigned from his dual role as President and Assembly group leader following the losses in the 2003 Assembly election, was re-elected in the latter role. Elfyn Llwyd
Elfyn Llwyd
Elfyn Llwyd, PC is a Welsh barrister and politician. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, representing Meirionnydd Nant Conwy in the House of Commons from 1992 to 2010 and Dwyfor Meirionnydd since 2010...
remained the Plaid Cymru leader in the Westminster Parliament. Under Iwan's Presidency the party formally adopted a policy of independence for Wales in Europe.
The 2004 local election saw the party lose control of the two south Wales councils it gained in 1999, Rhondda Cynon Taff
Rhondda Cynon Taff
Rhondda Cynon Taf, or RCT, is a county borough in the South Wales Valleys of Wales. It consists of 3 valleys: the Rhondda Valley, Cynon Valley and Taff-Ely Valley...
and Caerphilly
Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively...
, while retaining its stronghold of Gwynedd in the north west. However, the results led the party to claim a greater number of ethnic minority councilors than all the other political parties in Wales combined, along with gains in authorities such as Cardiff and Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, where Plaid Cymru representation had been minimal. In the European Parliamentary elections of the same year, the party's vote share fell to 17.4%, and the reduction in the number of Welsh MEPs saw its representation reduced to one.
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
of 5 May 2005, Plaid Cymru lost the Ceredigion
Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)
Ceredigion, formerly Cardiganshire, is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1536, the boundaries have remained remarkably unchanged for nearly five centuries...
seat to the Liberal Democrats, the result was a disappointment to Plaid, who had hoped to gain Ynys Môn
Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)
Ynys Môn is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. Overall therefore, the party's Parliamentary representation fell to three seats, the lowest level for Plaid Cymru since 1992. The party's share of the vote fell to 12.6%.
In 2006, the party voted constitutional changes to formally designate the party's leader in the assembly as its overall leader, with Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...
being restored to the full leadership and Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan , is a Welsh folk singer and politician. He was the president of Plaid Cymru .Dafydd Iwan Jones was born in Brynaman in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and is the elder brother of politician Alun Ffred Jones. He spent most of his youth in Bala in Gwynedd before attending the University of...
becoming head of the voluntary wing of the party. 2006 also saw the party unveil a radical change of image, opting to use "Plaid" as the party's name, although "Plaid Cymru — The Party of Wales" would remain the official title. The party's colours were changed to yellow from the traditional green and red, while the party logo was changed from the 'triban' (three peaks) used since 1933 to a yellow Welsh poppy
Welsh poppy
The Welsh poppy is a perennial plant of the family Papaveraceae. Its habitat is damp, shady places on rocky ground, and it is native to south-western England, Wales, Ireland and Western Europe. In its most western locations, it is increasingly found on more open ground with less cover.It has...
(Meconopsis cambrica).
Third Welsh Assembly, 2007–11
In the Welsh Assembly electionNational Assembly for Wales election, 2007
The 2007 National Assembly election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the National Assembly for Wales. It was the third general election. On the same day local elections in England and Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament election took place...
of 3 May 2007, Plaid Cymru increased its number of seats from 12 to 15, regaining Llanelli, gaining one additional list seat and winning the newly created constituency of Aberconwy. The 2007 election also saw Plaid Cymru's Mohammad Asghar
Mohammad Asghar
Mohammad Asghar , known as Oscar, is an Asian politician, who has been a member of the Conservative party, the Labour party, and Plaid Cymru. He came to prominence after being elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2007 as a member of Plaid Cymru on the list for South Wales East...
become the first ethnic minority candidate elected to the Welsh Assembly. The Party's share of the vote increased to 22.4%.
After weeks of negotiations involving all four parties in the Assembly, Plaid Cymru and Labour agreed to form a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
. Their agreed "One Wales
One Wales
One Wales is the coalition agreement for the National Assembly for Wales between Labour and Plaid Cymru agreed to by Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales and leader of Welsh Labour, and Ieuan Wyn Jones, leader of Plaid Cymru, on 27 June 2007. It was negotiated in the wake of the preceding...
" programme included a commitment for both parties to campaign for a 'Yes' vote in a referendum on full law-making powers for the Assembly, to be held at a time of the Welsh Assembly Government's choosing. Ieuan Wyn Jones was subsequently confirmed as Deputy First Minister of Wales and Minister for the Economy and Transport
Minister for the Economy and Transport
The Minister for the Economy and Transport was a member of the Cabinet in the Welsh Assembly Government. The Minister had responsibility for the Department for the Economy and Transport, which combined two devolved functions of the Welsh Government: Business and Economy, and Transport...
. Rhodri Glyn Thomas
Rhodri Glyn Thomas
Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM is a Welsh politician. He has been the Plaid Cymru National Assembly for Wales Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since 1999.-Education:...
was appointed Heritage Minister. He later stood down, and Alun Ffred Jones
Alun Ffred Jones
Alun Ffred Jones is a Welsh politician and member of Plaid Cymru. Jones was the National Assembly for Wales Member for Caernarfon 2003–07 and for the newly created Arfon constituency since the National Assembly for Wales election, 2007....
took over. Ceredigion AM Elin Jones
Elin Jones
Elin Jones AM , is a Welsh politician, born in Lampeter, Wales, who has represented Ceredigion for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 1999.-Background:...
appointed to the Rural Affairs brief in the new 10 member Cabinet. Jocelyn Davies
Jocelyn Davies
Jocelyn Davies is a Plaid Cymru politician and a member of the National Assembly of Wales, list member for South Wales East since 1999. She was Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration...
became Deputy Minister for Housing, and later, Regeneration.
In the 2010 general election, Plaid returned three MPs to Westminster. They took part in the Yes for Wales
Yes for Wales
Yes for Wales! is the name of a cross-party pro-devolution group launched on 4 January 2011 which co-ordinated the successful campaign for a 'Yes' vote in the Welsh devolution referendum, 2011 to extend the law-making powers of the National Assembly for Wales.The group was chaired by Roger Lewis,...
cross-party campaign for the March 2011 referendum.
Fourth Assembly, 2011–
In the 2011 Assembly electionNational Assembly for Wales election, 2011
The National Assembly for Wales election 2011 was the most recent election for the National Assembly. The poll was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 and decided the incumbency for all the assembly's seats...
Plaid slipped from 2nd place to third, being overtaken by the Conservative Party and losing its deputy leader Helen Mary Jones
Helen Mary Jones
Helen Mary Jones is a Plaid Cymru politician, who was a member of the National Assembly for Wales from 1999 to 2011.-Background:...
. The party has since begun an inquiry into the reasons for their failure to capitalise on their time in government. In May 2011, Ieuan Wyn Jones announced that he will stand down as leader within the first half of the Assembly term.
Nomations for the leadership election will be open from 3 January to 26 January 2012, and the new leader will be elected on 15 March 2012, a week before the party's spring conference.
Party leadership
| Name and Portrait | Party Office | Constituency (if any) |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ieuan Wyn Jones Ieuan Wyn Jones Ieuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency... |
Party Leader since 2006 and Welsh Assembly Group Leader |
AM for Ynys Môn | |
| 2 |  Dafydd Wigley Dafydd Wigley Dafydd Wigley, Baron Wigley is a Welsh politician. He served as Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Caernarfon from 1974 until 2001 and as an Assembly Member for Caernarfon from 1999 until 2003. He was leader of the Plaid Cymru party from 1991 to 2000... |
Honorary Title of honor An honorary title or title of honor is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits.Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority, but the person bestowed does not have to carry any duties, possibly except for... Party President President A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership... From 2001 |
Former Party President | |
| 3 |  Jill Evans MEP Jillian Evans Jillian Evans is Plaid Cymru Member of the European Parliament for Wales and First Vice President of The Greens–European Free Alliance group - the fourth largest in the European Parliament... |
President President A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership... From 2010 |
MEP for Wales Wales (European Parliament constituency) Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 4 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :... |
Member of the European Parliament |
| 4 |  Elfyn Llwyd Elfyn Llwyd Elfyn Llwyd, PC is a Welsh barrister and politician. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, representing Meirionnydd Nant Conwy in the House of Commons from 1992 to 2010 and Dwyfor Meirionnydd since 2010... |
UK Parliament Group Leader |
MP Member of Parliament A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... Dwyfor Meirionnydd Dwyfor Meirionnydd (UK Parliament constituency) Dwyfor Meirionnydd is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The seat was created by the Welsh Boundary Commission for the 2010 general election, and replaced the old north Wales seat of Meirionnydd Nant Conwy... |
|
| 5 | Rhuanedd Richards | Chief Executive | Appointed June 2011 |
UK Parliament
- Jonathan EdwardsJonathan Edwards (Welsh politician)David Jonathan Edwards is a Welsh Plaid Cymru politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since May 2010. Edwards held the seat for Plaid Cymru, replacing previous MP Adam Price who stood down.-External links:* official constituency...
, MP for Carmarthen East and DinefwrCarmarthen East and Dinefwr (UK Parliament constituency)Carmathen East and Dinefwr is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It was created in 1997 mostly from the former seat of Carmarthen... - Elfyn LlwydElfyn LlwydElfyn Llwyd, PC is a Welsh barrister and politician. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, representing Meirionnydd Nant Conwy in the House of Commons from 1992 to 2010 and Dwyfor Meirionnydd since 2010...
, MP for Dwyfor MeirionnyddDwyfor Meirionnydd (UK Parliament constituency)Dwyfor Meirionnydd is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The seat was created by the Welsh Boundary Commission for the 2010 general election, and replaced the old north Wales seat of Meirionnydd Nant Conwy... - Hywel WilliamsHywel WilliamsHywel Williams is a Welsh politician and Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Arfon. He previously represented Caernarfon.-Biography:He was educated at Ysgol Glan y Môr, Pwllheli and the University of Wales, Cardiff....
, MP for ArfonArfon (UK Parliament constituency)Arfon is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Although the constituency is relatively large by geographical area, it is a predominantly urban rather than rural seat, with the majority of the population living in the two towns on which the constituency is...
European Parliament
- Jillian EvansJillian EvansJillian Evans is Plaid Cymru Member of the European Parliament for Wales and First Vice President of The Greens–European Free Alliance group - the fourth largest in the European Parliament...
, MEP for WalesWales (European Parliament constituency)Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 4 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
Welsh Assembly
- Jocelyn DaviesJocelyn DaviesJocelyn Davies is a Plaid Cymru politician and a member of the National Assembly of Wales, list member for South Wales East since 1999. She was Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration...
, AM for South Wales East electoral region - Dafydd Elis-ThomasDafydd Elis-ThomasDafydd Elis Elis-Thomas, Baron Elis-Thomas, PC, AM, is a Welsh politician and was the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales until 2011...
, AM for Dwyfor MeirionnyddDwyfor Meirionnydd (Assembly constituency)Dwyfor Meirionnydd is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales, created for the 2007 Assembly election. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election... - Llyr Huws GruffyddLlyr Huws GruffyddLlyr Huws Gruffydd, sometimes known as Llyr Hughes Griffiths, is a Welsh Plaid Cymru politician, and a Member of the Welsh Assembly for the North Wales region.-Background:...
, AM for North Wales electoral region - Bethan JenkinsBethan JenkinsBethan Jenkins AM , is a Welsh politician, born in Aberdare, Wales, who has represented the South Wales West Region for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 2007.-Background:...
, AM for South Wales West electoral region - Alun Ffred JonesAlun Ffred JonesAlun Ffred Jones is a Welsh politician and member of Plaid Cymru. Jones was the National Assembly for Wales Member for Caernarfon 2003–07 and for the newly created Arfon constituency since the National Assembly for Wales election, 2007....
, AM for Arfon - Elin JonesElin JonesElin Jones AM , is a Welsh politician, born in Lampeter, Wales, who has represented Ceredigion for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 1999.-Background:...
, AM for Ceredigion - Ieuan Wyn JonesIeuan Wyn JonesIeuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...
, AM for Ynys Môn - Rhodri Glyn ThomasRhodri Glyn ThomasRhodri Glyn Thomas AM is a Welsh politician. He has been the Plaid Cymru National Assembly for Wales Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since 1999.-Education:...
, AM for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr - Simon Thomas, AM for Mid and West Wales electoral region
- Lindsay WhittleLindsay WhittleLindsay Whittle is a Welsh politician, a member of Plaid Cymru and an Assembly Member for the South Wales East electoral region in the National Assembly for Wales.-Political career:...
, AM for South Wales East electoral region - Leanne WoodLeanne WoodLeanne Wood AM , is a Welsh politician, born in the Rhondda, Wales, who has represented the South Wales Central region for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 2003. Wood is known as a republican and socialist....
, AM for South Wales Central electoral region
Local Councillors
- 207 councillorCouncillorA councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s in local government elected in 2008United Kingdom local elections, 2008The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on 1 May 2008. These elections took place in 137 English Local Authorities and all Welsh Councils....
. They form the Plaid Cymru Councillors Association.
European Parliament Elections
| Year | Percentage of vote in Wales | Seats won |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 11.7% (83,399) | 0 (of 4) |
| 1984 | 12.2% (103,031) | 0 (of 4) |
| 1989 | 12.9% (115,062) | 0 (of 4) |
| 1994 | 17.1% (162,478) | 0 (of 5) |
| 1999 | 29.6% (185,235) | 2 (of 5) |
| 2004 | 17.1% (159,888) | 1 (of 4) |
| 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... |
18.5% (126,702) | 1 (of 4) |
UK General Elections
| Year | Percentage of vote in Wales | Seats won |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 United Kingdom general election, 1929 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... |
< 0.1% (609) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1931 United Kingdom general election, 1931 The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the... |
0.2% (2,050) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1935 United Kingdom general election, 1935 The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady... |
0.3% (2,534) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1945 United Kingdom general election, 1945 The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to... |
1.2% (16,017) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1950 United Kingdom general election, 1950 The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five... |
1.2% (17,580) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1951 United Kingdom general election, 1951 The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats... |
0.7% (10,920) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1955 United Kingdom general election, 1955 The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year... |
3.1% (45,119) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1959 United Kingdom general election, 1959 This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan... |
5.2% (77,571) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1964 United Kingdom general election, 1964 The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power... |
4.8% (69,507) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1966 United Kingdom general election, 1966 The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs... |
4.3% (61,071) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1970 United Kingdom general election, 1970 The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their... |
11.5% (175,016) | 0 (of 36) |
| 1974 (Feb) United Kingdom general election, February 1974 The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,... |
10.8% (171,374) | 2 (of 36) |
| 1974 (Oct) United Kingdom general election, October 1974 The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of... |
10.8% (166,321) | 3 (of 36) |
| 1979 United Kingdom general election, 1979 The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats... |
8.1% (132,544) | 2 (of 36) |
| 1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
7.8% (125,309) | 2 (of 38) |
| 1987 United Kingdom general election, 1987 The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd... |
7.3% (123,599) | 3 (of 38) |
| 1992 United Kingdom general election, 1992 The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil... * |
9% (156,796) | 4 (of 38) |
| 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
9.9% (161,030) | 4 (of 40) |
| 2001 United Kingdom general election, 2001 The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats... |
14.3% (195,893) | 4 (of 40) |
| 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
12.6% (174,838) | 3 (of 40) |
| 2010 | 11.3% (165,394) | 3 (of 40) |
- Six seats contested on a joint Plaid Cymru/Green PartyWales Green PartyThe Wales Green Party is a semi-autonomous political party within the Green Party of England and Wales . It covers Wales, and is the only regional party with autonomous status within the GPEW....
ticket
Welsh Assembly Elections
| Year | Percentage of vote (constituency) | Percentage of vote (regional) | Seats won (constituency) | Seats won (regional) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 28.4% (290,572) | 30.6% (312,048) | 9 (of 40) | 8 (of 20) |
| 2003 | 21.2% (180,185) | 19.7% (167,653) | 5 (of 40) | 7 (of 20) |
| 2007 National Assembly for Wales election, 2007 The 2007 National Assembly election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the National Assembly for Wales. It was the third general election. On the same day local elections in England and Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament election took place... |
22.4% (219,121) | 21.0% (204,757) | 7 (of 40) | 8 (of 20) |
| 2011 National Assembly for Wales election, 2011 The National Assembly for Wales election 2011 was the most recent election for the National Assembly. The poll was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 and decided the incumbency for all the assembly's seats... |
19.3% (182,907) | 17.9% (169,799) | 5 (of 40) | 6 (of 20) |
European Free Alliance
| Name and Portrait |
Party Office | Constituency (if any) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jill Evans Jillian Evans Jillian Evans is Plaid Cymru Member of the European Parliament for Wales and First Vice President of The Greens–European Free Alliance group - the fourth largest in the European Parliament... |
EU Parliament Group Leader |
Wales in the EU Wales (European Parliament constituency) Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 4 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :... |
Plaid retains close links with the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
, with both parties' MPs co-operating closely with one another. They work as a single group within Westminster
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, and were involved in joint campaigning during the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
campaign. Both Plaid and the SNP are part of the European Free Alliance
European Free Alliance
The European Free Alliance is a European political party. It consists of various national-level political parties in Europe which advocate either full political independence , or some form of devolution or self-governance for their country or region...
party in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, a nationalist and regionalist bloc of parties. The EFA works with the European Green Party
European Green Party
The European Green Party is the Green political party at European level. As such it is a federation of green parties in Europe.-History:...
in order to form a joint group in the European Parliament: the The Greens–European Free Alliance.
See also
- Politics of WalesPolitics of WalesPolitics in Wales forms a distinctive polity in the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with Wales as one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom....
- Lists of Plaid Cymru politicians
External links
- Plaid Cymru — official site