Rhun ap Iorwerth: who is new leader of Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru replacing Adam Price?

Rhun ap Iorwerth has been confirmed as the new leader of the Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru.

He replaces Adam Price who announced he would step down last month after a review found a culture of harassment, bullying and misogyny in the party’s ranks.

Who is Rhun ap Iorwerth?

Born in the Rhondda in South Wales, Rhun ap Iorwerth grew up on the island of Anglesey. He moved to Cardiff for university, studying politics and Welsh.

A fluent Welsh speaker, he joined the BBC in 1994 as a journalist and worked as a reporter, correspondent and presenter both in Wales and Westminster for nearly 20 years. He left the corporation in 2013 to stand for the Welsh Parliament - the Senedd - in a by-election in Anglesey, which he won for Plaid Cymru.

The 50-year-old became the party’s deputy leader in 2018, and announced last month he would stand to succeed Adam Price. No other candidates put themselves forward and he was confirmed as the new leader on Friday lunchtime (16 June).

What are his priorities?

In a speech in Cardiff Bay, Rhun ap Iorwerth described his ambitions for Plaid Cymru.

He said these included “an absolute determination to make poverty history”, supporting thriving communities, with wealth and opportunities redistributed “in every sense”, and building a stronger and fairer economy.

But he acknowledged “to be the champions that Wales needs, we have to be fit as a party and ready to face the challenges ahead” - in the wake of the report on harassment and bullying.

ap Iorwerth said he would be “uncompromising in making this a welcoming party where everyone feels safe, supported and empowered to play their part”.

What did the report find?

Plaid Cymru’s National Executive Committee ordered the review in December 2022 following press reports about a “toxic culture” in the party.

An anonymous survey of staff and the party’s elected members highlighted “cases of sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination”. The review found these cases were not isolated and most weren’t reported. Some staff said they didn’t feel comfortable even taking part in the survey for fear of being identified.

The report - published on 3 May - concluded women had been “especially” let down and that “too many instances of bad behaviour” by elected members had been tolerated so workers saw “little point” in raising concerns.

It also concluded staff morale was “low” and the feeling of working as a team had “disappeared”.

Some 82 recommendations were made to “detoxify” Plaid Cymru - including mandatory harassment training, new minimum codes of conduct on personal behaviour and a review of the party’s governance.

At the time, leader Adam Price and the party’s chairman Marc Jones issued a joint statement admitting “individuals have been let down”.

Price initially planned to stay on, but later said he no longer had the “united support” of his colleagues.

What’s been the reaction to the new leader?

Following Rhun ap Iorwerth’s appointment, Plaid Cymru’s Interim Leader Llyr Gruffydd said he would be a “strong hand at the wheel”.

But Adam Price’s predecessor Leanne Wood publicly said the next leader should be a woman - claiming a female would be better placed to deal with issues of misogyny.

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies also questioned the appointment, saying: “Although the reason the change of leadership came about was because of the previous Plaid leadership’s inability to tackle issues within their party - as Rhun was the deputy leader in that team, what’s changed?”

What is Plaid Cymru?

Plaid Cymru is the third biggest party in Wales in terms of representation in the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd. It has 13 representatives in Cardiff - and four MPs at Westminster.

With a membership of just over 10,000, the party sits on the left of the political spectrum and is committed to Welsh independence.