No independence vote in first term, Plaid says

There would be no independence referendum in the first term of a Plaid Cymru-led government, its leader has said.

Rhun ap Iorwerth told BBC Walescast his "number one priority" would be getting to grips with health, education and the economy.

He denied he was kicking the debate into the long grass.

A recent poll suggested that Plaid Cymru is in the lead with voters for the next Senedd election in May 2026 - previous polls have put Plaid, Labour and Reform neck and neck.

Under previous leader Adam Price, the party promised a vote within five years, a pledge dropped by Ap Iorwerth.

Ap Iorwerth said: "The number one priority is Wales, and getting to grips with all those issues that are important to people, on health and education, growing the economy. Getting to grips with child poverty.

"I'm convinced that the only way we will truly release our potential is redesigning the relationship between nations in these islands.

"My job is to convince people to engage with that discussion."

He said the commission on Wales' constitutional future had called independence a viable option and was "absolutely not" putting off the issue.

"I want to say from government, let's answer more of those questions about what it would mean," he said.

Pushed on whether he would hold a referendum if he was in charge, he added: "Of course not. In that first Senedd term, of course not."

Ap Iorwerth previously ruled out a timetable on holding a referendum.

In an interview shortly after he became leader in the summer of 2023, he said voters did not have to be "fully signed up to independence" to support the party.

Price made independence a key part of his 2021 Senedd campaign, promising to hold an independence referendum within five years - the first time at a Senedd election the party had made a clear pledge on the issue.

A recent Senedd voting intention poll by YouGov for ITV Wales/Cardiff University suggested Plaid Cymru was in the lead with voters, on 30%, Reform on 25%, Labour on 18% and the Conservatives on 13%.

Plaid Cymru has never won a Senedd election before - if the result reflected the poll, the party would come first, putting it in a good position to start negotiations on forming the next Welsh government.

As things stand it is unlikely any party would be able to form a government on their own.

Plaid Cymru is currently the only pro-independence party in the Senedd.

Under current arrangements, the Welsh government would likely find it very difficult to hold an independence referendum without agreement with Westminster.

Nerys Evans, a former assembly member who is hoping to be a Plaid Cymru candidate in 2026, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: "I don't think it's a surprise really to hear Rhun lay that out."

"The challenge for Plaid now, for the next couple of months, is to keep that momentum up really and to appeal to those disaffected Labour voters, and to show they can be a competent party in government."

"If we look to the SNP in Scotland, 2007 when they had that breakthrough, independence was not on the agenda.

"Obviously it is a long term ambition and aim for Plaid, as it is the SNP – showing they were competent at running the government first before even having that discussion about the viable options."

She added: "We need to have that open, mature discussion as part of what the settlement is across the UK, and hopefully this will emerge as an option that we can put in front of the people of Wales, but we're not there yet."