Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Independence Talks with Sir Keir Starmer
Wales' First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has verified that he engaged in discussions concerning Welsh independence from the United Kingdom during a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last week.
Senedd Priorities and Constitutional Ambitions
In his inaugural appearance before the Senedd since his swearing-in, ap Iorwerth articulated his ambition to spearhead a "national conversation" regarding Wales' potential for independent statehood. He used his initial address to the Welsh Parliament to advocate for increased devolved powers and augmented funding for Welsh institutions, concurrently outlining priorities such as reducing healthcare waiting lists and addressing child poverty.
Reform's Welsh leader, Dan Thomas, criticised ap Iorwerth, alleging he was "distracted by constitutional issues." Plaid Cymru has indicated it will not pursue an independence referendum within the current governmental term but plans to establish a national commission dedicated to building a case for Wales as an independent nation-state.
Post-Election Dialogue and Prime Ministerial Response
Ap Iorwerth's conversation with Sir Keir occurred days following his victory in the Senedd election, which saw the Labour party's representation significantly diminish. Following the call, the Welsh government suggested the Prime Minister was "open to a conversation" about granting the Senedd further powers. However, other sources privy to the discussion reportedly expressed surprise that ap Iorwerth had raised the topic of independence.
When questioned by Mr Thomas in the Senedd, ap Iorwerth affirmed that he had initiated the independence discussion. He stated, "I have a level of ambition for my nation, where I said that I want to lead a national conversation creating that confidence in our ability, undoubtedly, to be an independent nation like so many countries like ours." He further clarified, "we deal with the issues that we deal with now, and we set a journey that the people of Wales will ultimately have to decide on the trajectory and the pace of."
