Hay Festival: Lord Elis-Thomas undecided on future

Lord Elis-Thomas said Prince Charles had been a 'good friend' to the assembly

Lord Elis-Thomas says he is undecided about his future after standing down as the Welsh assembly's presiding officer.

The peer, who was Plaid Cymru's leader 20 years ago, has been nominated by his local party in Dwyfor Meirionnydd to run again for the top job.

But speaking at the Hay Festival in Powys, Lord Elis-Thomas said his decision depended entirely on what his party wanted him to do.

Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones has announced his plan to step down.

Mr Jones says he will go in the first half of the assembly's five-year term after Plaid's poor election results on 5 May.

Lord Elis-Thomas was interviewed by TV presenter Trevor Fishlock at the literary festival, and was asked what would he like to do before he retired.

The Plaid Cymru peer said: "I have not decided yet. What I decide to do depends entirely on what my party would like me to do."

He is one of the four AMs whose names have been linked as possible leaders of Plaid Cymru.

Lord Elis-Thomas spent 12 years as presiding officer, but stood down earlier this month.

He was succeeded by his deputy, the Labour AM Rosemary Butler.

He was asked what he would miss about about the role.

"Obviously, I'll miss greeting the Queen and the Prince of Wales," he said, which led to laughter among some in the festival audience.

"Seriously, he (Prince Charles) has been a very good friend (to the National Assembly), and I'm not surprised after his indoctrination at Aberystwyth University."

The prince spent a term studying at the university in 1969.

Lord Elis-Thomas was also asked about the national assembly's deveopment since its inception in 1999. He said: "Don't be surprised that we've come so far so quickly because we had been going nowhere for so long."

He was previously party leader between 1984 and 1991 and has been Dwyfor Meirionnydd AM since 1999.

Other potential party leaders include the Ceredigion AM Elin Jones, north Wales AM Llyr Huws Gruffydd, and Mid and West Wales AM Simon Thomas.