Mark Drakeford should sack health minister - Plaid Cymru

The crisis at Wales' largest health board means First Minister Mark Drakeford should sack his health minister, Plaid Cymru has said.

Eluned Morgan has put Betsi Cadwaladr health board in special measures and asked its independent board to quit.

Plaid's Rhun ap Iorwerth accused Ms Morgan of humiliating the board.

Welsh Labour said: "This is pretty desperate stuff from Plaid Cymru. The health minister is doing an excellent job."

Mr ap Iorwerth, the Ynys Mon Member of the Senedd (MS), said Mr Drakeford is culpable if he fails to act.

The MS spoke before the second day of Plaid Cymru's spring conference in Llanelli where party members voted on a new political strategy, endorsing independence as their core purpose and backed coalitions, even as a junior partner in government.

Ms Morgan's decision to put Betsi Cadwaladr into special measures - the second time it has forced to come under government supervision - followed a damning audit report.

All 11 independent board members quit after Ms Morgan asked them to stand aside.

They wrote a letter to Mr Drakeford saying they had "no confidence" in the Welsh government's grasp of the situation and questioned the focus on them instead of the executive.

Ms Morgan lacked the powers to make the executive quit but said she read them the "riot act" and wanted further action.

She said it was not her "job to have a grasp on things" and the independent board could not shrug off responsibility.

Mr ap Iorwerth, Plaid's spokesman on health, spoke at conference on Saturday morning where he accused Ms Morgan of humiliating and essentially sacking the board members.

He said the minister "wanted to make a clear statement on who's to blame, didn't she? Because it clearly couldn't be her."

He added: "I'm afraid that with the evidence clear that we have a health minister who refuses to be held accountable, who is denying she even has to have a grasp of things, in a situation as serious as Betsi proves she has lost authority.

"The first minister has to do the right thing. We need new leadership on health and we need it now."

He later told BBC Wales that the first minister "has to consider how he wants his government to be viewed by the people of Wales" and "how he wants the people of Wales to view Welsh government's willingness to take responsibility when things go wrong".

"The first minister, if he refuses to take action against this minister now, is equally culpable of failing to act at the most serious of times."