Adam Price says he no longer had the support of his party
By David Deans
BBC Wales political reporter
Adam Price has quit as Plaid Cymru leader after a report found misogyny, harassment and bullying in the party.
A new leader will be in place in the summer, the party has said in a statement released late on Wednesday evening.
It follows months of difficulties in Plaid including allegations of a toxic working culture and a sexual assault.
In his resignation letter, the leader said he no longer had the “united support” of his colleagues.
He said he wanted to resign in the wake of the report on party culture, but was initially persuaded not to quit.
“You have my personal assurance that I will continue to serve my country, my constituents and our party with determination and enthusiasm”, he said in a letter to party chairman, Marc Jones.
The announcement was made following a meeting of the party’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC) on Wednesday evening.
One source from the meeting said some members raised the possibility of Adam Price remaining in post.
But it was considered untenable given the seriousness of the findings of the report, written by former assembly member Nerys Evans.
The party’s Senedd group will meet on Thursday morning to agree arrangements for an interim leader.
Plaid Cymru is the third largest party in the Welsh Parliament, with 12 Members of the Senedd and three MPs in Westminster.
The pro-independence party is in a co-operation agreement with the Welsh Labour government.
Adam Price apologised last week but said the damning report points to a “collective failure” across the party
Party chairman Marc Jones thanked Mr Price “for his drive and vision over the past four and a half years”.
Mr Price was elected party leader in 2018, when he ousted Leanne Wood.
Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies, said: “I have no doubt Adam Price’s departure is a moment of personal sadness for him.
“Following the recent report into the culture within their party, it became clear Plaid Cymru politicians no longer had confidence in his leadership, so his departure became inevitable.”
For the converted, the die-hard believers, it wasn’t meant to be like this.
Adam Price was touted by many in Plaid Cymru as a “once in a generation” politician who could overcome the party’s many electoral barriers.
When he challenged his predecessor for the leadership in 2018, he said only he could “create the momentum” Plaid needed to become Wales’ main party of government and install him as first minister.
And yet, there was no great advance at the following Senedd election – Plaid remains in third place behind the Welsh Conservatives.
Supporters will say it was an election like no other, one focused almost entirely on the public’s broadly favourable opinion of the Welsh Labour government’s handling of the pandemic.
It is clear, though, that some of the sheen had faded and in terms of public support, the party remains no further forward under Adam Price’s leadership.
As it nears its 100th birthday celebrations, Plaid Cymru will seek its 11th leader with many of the perennial questions about its purpose, its lack of reach beyond the heartlands and its relationship with Welsh Labour likely to be raised.
But it is the drip, drip of negative stories over the last year, culminating in a damning report that found a toxic culture within the party that meant Adam Price’s position was no longer tenable.
Addressing those major issues will be his successor’s primary focus.
