'Sir Keir is snubbing me,' Plaid Cymru leader claims

Calls for a gathering with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer person been snubbed by No 10, the person of Plaid Cymru has told Sky News.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, who has served arsenic person of the Welsh nationalist enactment since June 2023, is looking apt to go Wales's archetypal curate adjacent May, but erstwhile helium asked to conscionable with Sir Keir aft his predetermination past year, helium says helium was turned down.

Speaking with Sky News' governmental analogous Liz Bates, Mr ap Iorwerth said helium had "never" had a speech with the premier curate but it was "not due to the fact that I haven't tried".

He added: "When I contacted the premier curate to inquire for a meeting, aft his predetermination past year, I was turned down and it was passed connected to the Secretary of State for Wales.

"People tin work into that what they want.

"I've spoken precise openly astir wanting to person a constructive narration with the UK premier minister."

The erstwhile writer said successful his reporting days helium had not interviewed Sir Keir and now, successful politics, their "paths had ne'er crossed" but helium said helium felt it was "important".

"I person surely asked if we could meet. And that is surely thing that I would inactive emotion to happen," helium said.

Mr ap Iorwerth said a speech would beryllium cardinal due to the fact that if helium became Welsh archetypal minister, determination would beryllium "serious negotiations connected superior issues astir backing for Wales - connected investing successful infrastructure successful Wales, connected the aboriginal of however we're capable to power and usage our earthy resources successful Wales".

"So I privation to person that constructive relationship," helium said.

In an evident motion to existent Labour archetypal curate Eluned Morgan, Mr ap Iorwerth said Sir Keir would beryllium successful "no doubt" that his loyalty "would ever beryllium to the radical of Wales".

He said: "I won't beryllium pulling my punches successful bid to prevention the Labour Party embarrassment.

"I'll beryllium truly laying retired what's successful the involvement of Wales. And that's, I think, a fundamentally antithetic relationship. But it has to be, and I privation it to be, a constructive one."

The adjacent Senedd predetermination is May 2026, erstwhile voters successful Wales volition elite 96 members for the archetypal clip - an summation of much than 50% from the existent 60.

Welsh authorities has traditionally been dominated by Labour.

Labour's grip connected Wales sliding?

Welsh Labour MPs person been the largest radical sent to Westminster successful each wide predetermination since 1922 - and the enactment has been successful authorities successful the state for much than a 4th of a century.

But if the polls are accurate, Labour's long-standing grip connected authorities successful Wales is fading.

Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are moving astir cervix and neck, portion Labour trails significantly.