Plaid MS Llyr Gruffydd aiming to become party’s lead candidate on North Wales regional list

A Plaid Cymru MS has confirmed he wants to be his party’s lead candidate for North Wales at next year’s Senedd election.

Mr Gruffydd, who currently serves as the party’s Shadow Minister for the Environment and Rural Affairs, will once again be standing on the regional list.

Under election procedures, each constituency elects one Member of the Senedd (MS) via the first past the post system at every election, and North Wales as a whole elects four additional members, to create a degree of proportional representation.

It is the “top up” list of candidates which Mr Gruffydd, who also chairs the Senedd’s Finance Committee, is standing to be part of.

Announcing his aim of topping his party’s list for the region, Mr Gruffydd said Wales was facing “unprecedented challenges” in the coming years, including the ongoing fight against Covid-19, Brexit and climate change.

He said Plaid Cymru and the people of North Wales would therefore need “strong and experienced” representatives in the Senedd.

He said: “Having worked closely with communities right across the north and having campaigned on issues ranging from jobs to health services, education and the environment, I believe I’m best placed to lead the team of Plaid Cymru candidates on the North Wales regional list.

“My track record is there to see. On health alone I successfully blocked plans to force our nurses to work additional hours without additional pay, I put a stop to proposals for privatising dialysis services, and exposed the Marbella Man scandal where a consultant was being paid £2,000 a day to advise the health board from his holiday home in Spain.

“As Plaid’s Shadow Minister for the Environment and Rural Affairs, I successfully put forward the motion and led the debate calling on the Senedd to declare a climate emergency – making it the first parliament in the world to do so.

“I recently became the first Plaid Cymru AM in nearly a decade to successfully steer new legislation through the Senedd.

“The new Public Services Ombudsman Act will give greater protection and access to justice to the most vulnerable people who are let down by public service providers in Wales.”

Mr Gruffydd said he believed North Wales was not receiving its fair share of jobs and investment.

He said this was why he decided to set up and chair the Senedd’s Cross Party Group for North Wales, which brings together all of the area’s MSs to focus on regional issues such as the economy, education, transport and health services.

He said: “During my time as a member of the Senedd I have built up a considerable presence across the north of Wales.

“I have led and supported numerous campaigns to protect services across the region and helped hundreds of constituents with casework in each of our six local authority areas.

“I have worked closely with Plaid Cymru councillors, branches and constituency committees in all of the nine constituencies across the north.

“I would relish the opportunity to lead Plaid Cymru’s list of regional candidates as we aim to form a Plaid Cymru government at the next Senedd election.”