Adam Price called for more diversity in the Senedd as he gave his final speech as Plaid Cymru leader. Mr Price spoke for the final time from the leader's lectern on Tuesday, May 16 after announcing his resignation last week.
Mr Price, who had led the party since 2018 and was previously dubbed the “prophetic son” of Welsh politics in Plaid’s own election literature, announced last Wednesday night he was quitting as leader days after a review found a culture of harassment, bullying and misogyny in the party.
Jointly commissioned by Mr Price and the party’s National Executive Committee, the report released earlier this month found “too many instances of bad behaviour by elected members” and spoke to Plaid members who said they felt "there is little point in raising concerns” due to a "lack of policies and procedures in place to deal specifically with sexual harassment.”
That report came after a WalesOnline investigation first exposed an increasingly toxic atmosphere, fears about raising issues and concerns that complaints were not being investigated properly under the leader. Mr Price said he felt "morally bound to step down" after the "unacceptable behaviour" revealed by the Plaid report.
Read more: What went wrong for Plaid Cymru and why it really matters for everyone in Wales
On Tuesday Mr Price stood in the Senedd during plenary and delivered his final speech as leader, during which he thanked his colleagues, opposition and family. In a nod to his impending return to the back benches, Mr Price asked First Minister Mark Drakeford about his government's commitments to plans for a Llandeilo bypass near Mr Price's Carmarthen East and Dinefwr constituency. He said he had "tried to keep the focus of [his] questions" on local issues but admitted this had often shifted towards national issues during his five years as leader.
Speaking to Mr Drakeford directly, Mr Price commended the first minister for his "commitment and personal sacrifice, particularly over recent challenging years." Mr Drakeford's wife Clare died suddenly in January this year, and he later told the Labour Party conference he would continue under the "intolerable burden of grief." Mr Price said the first minister's work was a "source of everlasting debt and gratitude from all of us."
Joking that his family, who were present on Tuesday as he delivered his speech, would be "looking forward to seeing a fair bit more of me over the next few years ahead", Mr Price drew laughs in by saying "First Minister's questions has always been more duty than pleasure to me. I think I may be speaking for us both there, despite the fact that you've become annoyingly good at this part of the job," he told Mr Drakeford. "Though I've often felt like a promising student being handed back a B minus with a look of theatrical disappointment, I've always treated this aspect of the role with the seriousness it deserves."
Mr Price also said Mr Drakeford's reign had "often felt like an extended audition to become, in the future Welsh republic, our version of Michael D Higgins," referring to Ireland's self-declared socialist president and again drawing laughs from the chamber. He compared himself and the first minister as "two socialists from Carmarthenshire" despite their political disagreements and said: "But for all our disagreements, there was always a common core", adding that "what unites most of us is ultimately more important and more enduring than anything that divides us."
Mr Price said he hoped to see more diversity in the Senedd chamber after he departed as Plaid leader. "It took a long while for this gay council-house boy from Tumble to have pride in himself. I never would have believed back then that I would get to sit in this chair.
"I want the youth of our country, women and men in equal number, every race, every creed, LGBTQ+ and disabled, the working class especially, to feel as if this place belongs to them, represents them, speaks for them, as much it does for anyone. I want them to see people like them occupying my chair, your chair, every chair."
Mr Drakeford responded saying he and Mr Price "disagree on many things" but that "finding solutions" was "exactly [his] experience" of working with Mr Price and wished him luck for the future. Llywydd of the Senedd Elin Jones also thanked Mr Price, jokingly added that "true to your word, you did test the patience of the Llywydd with the length of the contribution of your final statement."
Llŷr Gruffydd MS is now Plaid's acting leader and the party is now seeking an 11th leader in its near-100-year-history. Ynys Môn MS Rhun ap Iorwerth has said he's considering running for the leadership. You can read more about the contenders to replace Mr Price here.
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