Price’s door is ‘open’ to other parties’ MPs
PLAID CYMRU leader Adam Price has offered his party as a haven for those who want to help deliver a “sensible, pro-Wales, pro-European future” for Wales.
He said many were becoming “disaffected with the increasingly polarised Westminster parties”.
Mr Price’s comments follow indications that a number of Labour MPs, and some Conservatives, may quit their respective parties.
Pontypridd MP and former Labour leadership contender Owen Smith told the BBC that he “and a lot of others” were considering leaving the party, primarily over its stance on Brexit.
A number of Conservative politicians have also indicated they could quit their party over the handling of the EU withdrawal negotiations. Aberconwy Conservative MP Guto Bebb resigned from his Ministerial post in July 2018 over Brexit and a number of other Tory MPs have hinted that they could go further and resign from the Conservative Party altogether if the Prime Minister delivers a “no-deal” Brexit.
Speculation has been growing that up to 20 Labour and six Conservative MPs could split off and form a new party. Mr Price said there was no need to do that in Wales as “a sensible, proEuropean movement that puts our people first” already exists in Wales.
He said: “As the two old Westminster political parties become increasingly divided, we can see that they are no longer fit for purpose.
“Politicians from both sides of the divide are coming to the realisation that the two-party system cannot represent the views of a majority of sensible people, who simply want the best for their future.
“For those Welsh politicians who believe in a pro-European future that delivers for the people, then we have a ready-made solution – join Plaid Cymru. There is no need to re-invent the wheel. Don’t let old rivalries divide us further. A New Wales does not need a new political party. No logo or name should get in the way of standing up for what you believe in.
“That is why my door is always open to those who want to realise a better future for our country.”
Within days of the referendum in 2016, Mr Price was advocating a further referendum, saying: “[People] deserve to know the exact terms under which we would leave the EU and then to make an informed choice between going or staying.”
He predicted the EU would take a hard position towards the UK, saying: “They’re worried about contagion – that if the UK is allowed to depart on generous terms, other EU members might be tempted to follow.
“They are very likely to say that if we want access to the single market we will have to allow free movement of people and pay a substantial fee.
“The alternative will be that we don’t have access to the single market and spend five to seven years negotiating trade deals with the rest of the world.”