Ex-Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price eyes Welsh assembly seat

Adam Price stood down as an MP in 2010 and then worked as a research fellow at Harvard

Former Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price has confirmed he wants to return to front-line politics in the Welsh assembly.

He has put his name forward to stand in his old parliamentary seat of Carmarthen East and Dinefwr at the next assembly election in 2016.

The current Plaid AM, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, is stepping down.

Former Plaid AM Nerys Evans is also seeking the nomination to be the party's candidate.

Cefin Campbell and Darren Price, both Plaid councillors, are also understood to have put their names forward.

Mr Price, 44, stood down as the constituency's MP at the 2010 general election. Since then he has been a research fellow at Harvard University in the US, and has since returned to Wales, where he has been advising Plaid leader Leanne Wood.

He has for many years been spoken of as a potential future party leader.

He said: "I think it's important that there is a choice. I think there will be a range of experienced candidates.

"The members will have a real choice that represents the strength of the party in the constituency."

He said the party was going through a process of renewal following a disappointing result at the last assembly election in 2011.

"I am very hopeful for the best result for the party in 2016," he said.

"The point at the end of the day is to win seats, that leads to forming a government, that leads to transforming Wales.

"I think there's a new generation, a group of people many of whom are younger than me who are determined to make a difference.

"That's what's convinced me, because I can see the party is serious about forming a government."