Plaid Cymru's new leader Llyr Gruffydd has said that the party has put its "hands up" and admitted it got things wrong.
In an interview with WalesOnline Mr Gruffydd said that the party were "not shying away" and "if it means taking it on the chin, then we probably deserve it". The 52-year-old has been a Senedd Member for 12 years and agreed to take over temporarily from former leader Adam Price who resigned last week following the publication of a damning report into the parties culture.
Mr Gruffydd has said he will not be running in the upcoming leadership contest to enable him to deliver on the recommendations in the Nery Evans report that found Plaid had failed to have a zero tolerance attitude to sexual harassment and made 82 recommendations. You can read the full interview with Mr Gruffydd here:
Read more: What went wrong for Plaid Cymru and why it really matters for everyone in Wales
WalesOnline: The leadership isn't something you have converted is it?
It's never been a personal ambition of mine to be the long term leader of the party. But the party finds itself looking for an acting leader. And obviously, I've been around a while, in the Senedd, I have the experience, I feel in terms of chairing committees here, knowing how things work, (or at least I thought I knew I am still learning very quickly now. So I did feel that there was a responsibility on me to step up for this interim role. I am more than happy to do so in the circumstances
Do you think you're kind of well positioned to do well in delivering in such a short space of time?
The clear advantage is that there is a more or less a defined timeline in terms of the summer. So that gives me that added impetus, I can move swiftly, but responsibly, in trying to implement the work that Nerys Evans has completed and the recommendations there.
But it adds, for me to that sense of urgency from a personal drive to see as much of this through as I can, in that short period that I have. You will have already heard me talk about reflecting, reforming and renewing as a party. We have done a lot of reflecting and a lot of soul searching about what's happened, much of that is captured in Nerys' report. The reform bit of it obviously stems from the recommendations. That has to be my focus now in making sure that we achieve as much of that as possible.
Was there a moment that you realised were going to have to step up? Did someone suggest it to you?
Yes, it became evident to me that my colleagues were looking to me to do this. And I looked around, and I thought maybe they're right, I am the one who's been here long enough, who maybe doesn't covert the leadership. Someone I like to think who people can talk to, I've been chair of the group. So in that respect, I've had some sort of oversight of political and organizational things here. And it just felt, this is the contribution I can make. Now's the time for me to step up and do it.
What do you think the mood is like at the moment among staff and Senedd Members?
The last week in particular has been challenging for many. It'll take time for things to settle down I'm sure. But I'm keen to engage as best as I can, with everybody here.
I've made it clear that there's an open door policy, as far as I'm concerned, that staff can come to me. I walk the corridors, my door is open, I always make myself available if anybody wants to talk about anything. And that's always been my style. Y
The issues raised in the report were not an issue with a single leader. You yourself has said that this was a party wide problem. It was a culture. What assurances can you give, given you've been very senior within the party during the time that this culture has been going on, that you're in a position to deal with it?
Some issues have been dealt with, we haven't been blanking stuff away, we haven't been intentionally ignoring stuff. But what this all highlighted to us is that the processes and the procedures that we had really weren't what they should have been.
So as much as we'd like to rewind the clock - we can't, and we have to start from day one. We are self reflecting. You know you always relive in your mind 'could have done something differently?'
Is there any part of you which is frustrated that, as a party, you've done quite an extensive report, you've published the vast bulk of that report, and other parties or actors that criticised you even though the have had other investigations into their own practice, and have not being as open with the findings. Do you feel that almost you'll be punished for your own transparency?
Well, what happens in other parties is for them to answer. We've been absolutely clear - it's hands up from us. We got it wrong. And we're not shying away and if it means taking it on the chin, then we probably deserve it, frankly.
I think it transmits to the rest of the party as well how serious we are about this. It's not a group of individuals in the Bay bubble producing a report and then it'll sit on a shelf because that's happened before, not just in Plaid but in other organizations in the past - that stops now. That's my message. The report makes it clear that we haven't lived up to our core values and beliefs. And that hurts, you know, that really hurts
Obviously your main priority is is it bringing in the recommendations of that report. But ultimately you are the leader of a political party, potentially a year out from a General Election less than a year off? How do you get Plaid to a position where it manages to grow?
Well, we have a political strategy that's been newly adopted. And that sets out many of the structural elements that need to be put in place to strengthen the party as a campaigning organization. We pride ourselves very often on the grassroots campaigning on a community level that we do, and that needs to become more widespread within the party.
So I want to help facilitate that and delivering the political strategy, Now, the cooperation agreement, of course, I think is important for us, because it demonstrates how Plaid Cymru can punch above its weight when we are given an opportunity to do that. And the stronger we are, the higher we can punch clearly.
So is that is that cooperative cooperation agreement part of your election campaign?
I think it demonstrates that we as a party can deliver even from opposition benches in. But also, I think it clearly signals what we represent, you know, the 5 million free school meals that have already been rolled out, despite others voting against it on numerous occasions in the Senedd in the past and shows that actually we can deliver.
But it also signals that where there is common ground, we will work with other parties because why wouldn't we? You know, people don't elect politicians to go away and quarrel, they elect politicians to go away and sort out problems and address challenges that communities across Wales are facing and heaven knows they're facing more now than they have in decades
Is independence still front and centre of your campaign?
Absolutely and I will be there front and center at the rally on Saturday in Swanea I hope. It's still a key plank of Plaid Cymru because that's a core component of why we're here.
READ MORE:
Rishi Sunak says the people of Wales are 'guinea pigs in Labour's socialist experiment'
- If you're sick of this endless coverage of the King and Royal Family then you're not the only one
Pressure on Mark Drakeford grows over his 'not true' statement to the Senedd
Partygate: The exchanges in Boris Johnson's trial that expose the man he is
The full list of donations and gifts made to every MP in Wales
