Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru (English: plyde KUM-ree; Welsh: [plaid ˈkəmrɨ̞]; lit. 'Party of Wales', officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, and often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left to left-wing Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, that supports Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. It campaigns on a platform of social democracy and civic nationalism. The party is a supporter of the European Union and is a member of the European Free Alliance (EFA). The party holds 4 of 32 Welsh seats in the UK House of Commons, 44 of 96 seats in the Senedd, and 200 of 1,234 principal local authority councillors. It is currently leading a minority government in Wales. Plaid was formed in 1925 under the name Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru ('the national party of Wales') and Gwynfor Evans won the first Westminster seat for the party at the 1966 Carmarthen by-election. In 1999 (in the first devolved Welsh Assembly election), Plaid Cymru gained considerable ground in traditionally Labour heartlands. These breakthroughs were part of the intentional aim to win more seats in the Welsh valleys and North East Wales. The party have mostly been in opposition in the Senedd. Although under the leadership of Ieuan Wyn Jones, the party was part of a coalition as a junior partner with Welsh Labour between 2007 and 2011. Wyn Jones became the deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport, alongside other Plaid MSs who also joined the cabinet. After losses in the 2011 Assembly elections and dropping down to being the third largest party, Wyn Jones stepped down. He was succeeded by Leanne Wood. In the 2016 Assembly elections Wood managed to win her constituency seat of Rhondda meaning the party gained one seat, and became the official opposition once again, although only for a...