Plaid Cymru to announce new leader after Adam Price resignation

The new leader is expected to be Anglesey MS Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Rhun ap Iorwerth MS (centre) with former Plaid leader Leanne Wood (PA) (PA Media)

The new leader of Plaid Cymru is to be officially announced at a press conference on Friday.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, who represents Ynys Mon (Anglesey) in the Senedd, is expected to be named as successor.

It follows the resignation of Adam Price last month after a report found a culture of sexual harassment, bullying and misogyny and made 82 recommendations to “detoxify” the party.

Llyr Gruffydd, who was unanimously voted in my members to be interim leader, said he would use his short time in office to begin introducing the recommendations of the review.

Mr ap Iorwerth, a former BBC journalist who was deputy leader under Mr Price, announced his candidacy in a video on Twitter saying the party finds itself at a “crossroads” and faces “serious challenges” but that Wales was on a “journey to independence”.

He added: “Now is the time to unite Plaid Cymru so we can lead the work of building a new future for Wales.”

Born in South Wales, Mr ap Iorwerth grew up on Anglesey and was educated at Ysgol David Hughes and later Cardiff University, where he graduated in Politics and Welsh.

He is a fluent Welsh speaker and is married with three children.

Nominations for leader are due to close on Friday morning before a meeting is held at St David’s Hotel in Cardiff Bay where the new head of the party is expected to deliver a speech.

Mr Price’s predecessor, Leanne Wood, has publicly said she believes the next leader should be a woman, claiming they would be better placed to deal with issues of misogyny.

However, early in the race two of Mr ap Iorwerth’s potential competitors, Sioned Williams and Sian Gwenllian, announced they would not be standing.