Jonathan Edwards: Assault caution MP stays out of Plaid Cymru

Jonathan Edwards was first elected in 2010

An MP cautioned for assault last year is to remain independent, despite his 12-month suspension from Plaid Cymru coming to an end.

Jonathan Edwards was suspended from Plaid in July 2020, two months after he was arrested at his home.

He has not applied to re-join the party, a process he would need to go through if he wanted to remain a member.

Mr Edwards said he was focused on representing his constituents.

The Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP was arrested by police in May 2020 on suspicion of assault.

Mr Edwards referred himself to the party's disciplinary committee, and Plaid removed the whip from him, effectively stripping him of his party status in Parliament and forcing him to sit as an independent MP.

After he accepted a police caution in June, he was suspended from the party entirely for 12 months.

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BBC Wales has been told he has not made a final decision about his future.

A spokesperson on behalf of the MP said he was "completely focused on the task of representing the constituents of Carmarthen East and Dinefwr to the best of his abilities, as he has done for the last 11 years".

Plaid Cymru said the party had "not received a request by Mr Edwards to re-join the party".

Plaid had suspended Jonathan Edwards for a year

The party's disciplinary panel at the time of the suspension said the incident was a "serious matter".

It said that "any lifting of the suspension after 12 months is dependent upon Mr Edwards appearing before the panel to demonstrate that he has undertaken a period of self-reflection and learning to address his actions".

Mr Edwards said at the time of the caution that he was "deeply sorry. It is by far the biggest regret of my life".

A statement on behalf of his wife, Emma Edwards, said last year: "I have accepted my husband's apology.

"Throughout the decade we have been together he has been a loving and caring husband and father."