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Wales Online

National

Ffion Lewis

Adam Price's future as Plaid Cymru leader in doubt

Adam Price Plaid Cymru Plaid Michael Mosley Senedd (Organization) National Lottery Volvo

Adam Price's future as leader of Plaid Cymru is in doubt amid reports he is to resign and after a senior member of the Senedd was unable to say whether the MS will still be in post next week. Mr Price's position as leader of the party has been brought into question after a damning new report into the party's leadership and procedures was released last week.

The party's National Executive Committee and leader Adam Price jointly commissioned the former Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Nerys Evan to look into the party's culture. The report found that, among other issues, Plaid Cymru failed to implement a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment.

The report is damning of the party leadership and makes 82 recommendations – all of which the party leadership have accepted and taken on board. In summary, the report alleged misogyny, harassment and bullying in the party.

Despite the report, in an interview last week Mr Price refused to resign. He apologised and said he wants to fix the issues. You can read the full interview here.

However, it appears his position as leader of the party is becoming increasingly vulnerable, with a senior Welsh politician unable to say whether he thinks Mr Price will be in post next week. Llyr Gruffydd, MS for the north Wales region and Senedd Plaid group chair, refused to say if Mr Price had the support of the party group when interviewed by ITV's Sharp End programme.

It is understood that Senedd members held talks to discuss the findings. Speaking to ITV, Mr Gruffydd said: "I'm not going to enter into gossip of that sort.

"You cannot pin this on one solitary single person - this is a much wider corporate issue that Plaid Cymru is grappling with." When asked if Mr Price will be leader by next week, Mr Gruffydd said: "I don't have a crystal ball, but what I do know is that our priority is making sure we respond in the most positive way possible to the accusations made in that report."

This comes as Nation.Cymru reports that Mr Price had agreed to step down as leader of Plaid Cymru. The website said that they understood that the leader wanted to step down as soon as possible but that other party members were seeking an organised handover.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on Wednesday morning, Nation Cymru's associate editor, Martin Shipton, said the Senedd group "were discussing not whether Adam Price should go but when he should go". He added: "It seems there wasn't an immediate resolution.

"Mr Price wanted to go immediately but there were others at the meeting that thought there should be a more orderly handover. A lot of pressure has been brought to bear on him." Mr Shipton said the current situation "can't go on", as the party is "submerged" by allegations.