Plaid Cymru is facing a backlash for allowing Jonathan Edwards MP to rejoin the party. The MP has been allowed to resume his party membership but will remain sitting as an independent MP. The Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP was arrested by Dyfed-Powys Police in Ammanford on May 20, 2020, and accepted a caution for assaulting his wife.
In a written statement, he later said he was "deeply sorry" for the "biggest regret of my life". He was suspended from the party by a disciplinary panel for 12 months and has been sitting as an independent MP since. Mr Edwards asked the same panel to look again and see if it felt he could be readmitted. The panel unanimously agreed that the suspension of Mr Edwards’ party membership should be lifted with immediate effect. However he is not yet sitting as a Plaid MP.
Many were stunned that a party disciplinary panel had allowed a man who admitted assaulting his wife to re-join Plaid Cymru. William Aled Jones wrote: "Very, very sad decision. Plaid should be ashamed".
