Plaid Cymru must do better, says leader after toxic culture claims

Everyone in Plaid Cymru must feel safe, leader Adam Price has said, following claims of a toxic culture within the party and misconduct allegations.

He admitted the recent months and years "haven't come without their challenges" and the party must do better.

Speaking on first day of Plaid's spring conference in the Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, he vowed to do "everything possible to get this right".

Mr Price will ask members to endorse his political strategy on Saturday.

He said: "We are challenged to be the change we want to be in society. And it is clear that we have to do better, much better than we have.

"If we are to become a kinder, fairer independent nation - a Cymru for all where no-one is left behind - we must shine a beacon as a party for all where everyone feels safe, welcomed and valued."

In November, it emerged an allegation of sexual assault had been made against a senior member of staff.

It was separate to a serious allegation about the conduct of Member of the Senedd Rhys ab Owen, who was suspended from the Plaid Cymru group, but not the party, after the Standards Commissioner Douglas Bain opened an investigation last year.

A working group led by former Senedd politician Nerys Evans is looking at the issue of culture within the party.

Mr Price's wide-ranging speech described the United Kingdom as a "failing state".

"Nurses and teachers at food banks. Kids dying from breathing mould in their bedrooms. People dying in their thousands on hospitals trollies."

He said only independence would "inoculate us from Westminster's iniquities".

He accused Welsh government ministers of "absolving themselves of the responsibilities they have" over pay for NHS workers and teachers.

Mr Price said Wales found itself "in the grip of an economic emergency", but accused Labour of planning for "austerity lite, or at least light on detail".

"The closer they get to office, the higher they rise in the opinion polls, the more cautious and conservative they become," he said.

Party members will vote this weekend on a political strategy that will put independence at the core of the party's mission and endorse entering coalitions, even if as junior partner.

Ahead of the special closed session on Saturday, Mr Price said: "It takes a movement to move a nation. That's the spirit in which the political strategy we will debate tomorrow has been crafted.

"For the avoidance of doubt, this party and this leader have not given up on the goal of leading our country."

Adam Price will hope that the ongoing work to deal with the allegations of a toxic culture can draw a line under these issues because this is the second party conference speech in which he's had to reference such difficulties.

Tomorrow is the big day when he'll hope members will back the new political strategy which doubles down on the collaborative approach that he took in agreeing the existing co-operation agreement with the Welsh government.

He told conference he hadn't given up on being first minister and independence still remains the big goal, but getting there requires working with other parties - though he's ruled out coalition with the Welsh Conservatives.

The party will give its verdict at a special conference tomorrow.

Mr Price told BBC Wales the strategy sets out independence as the "main aim - that comes first".

"To reach independence Plaid Cymru needs to be in government - hopefully leading the government - but certainly to be part of government because that's how we can build the bridge towards an independent Wales.

"And in order for Plaid Cymru to be in government we need to grow our support across Wales."

However, Mr Price said there were "no circumstances" where Plaid would enter a coalition with the Conservative Party as it had become "a very reactionary right wing party".