Scottish indyref push could lead to Welsh vote, says Plaid's Adam Price

A Welsh independence march is taking place on Saturday

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has claimed Wales could have a "path" to an independence vote if Scotland can hold one without Westminster's permission.

The Scottish government is asking the Supreme Court to rule on plans for a referendum in 2023.

Mr Price said UK government plans to repeal a Senedd law on trade unions strengthens the case for a Welsh vote.

But First Minister Mark Drakeford says a pro-independence party would need to win a majority of votes first.

The Welsh Conservatives said independence was "convincingly defeated at the ballot box" at the last Senedd election, when Plaid Cymru came third, while Lib Dems warned leaving the UK would "hurt the poorest in Welsh society the hardest".

On Tuesday Nicola Sturgeon proposed 19 October 2023 as the date for a second referendum on independence.

But with the UK government reluctant to hold a second vote, her Scottish government is asking the Supreme Court to rule on whether ministers in Edinburgh can hold a vote without the approval of the UK government first.

The last referendum in 2014 took place following an agreement between the SNP government of the time, and former prime minister David Cameron.

Plaid Cymru's Adam Price says a Scottish move to hold an independence referendum could lay a "path" for Wales to have its own vote

Plaid Cymru promised a Welsh independence referendum at the Senedd election.

Speaking on BBC Radio Cymru's Dros Frecwast programme, Adam Price said: "If the Supreme Court decides in favour, we in Wales will have a route to go directly to the people of Wales in order to have a mandate for securing our own right to self-determination as a nation."

He said the UK government's proposal to repeal a Senedd law that bans agency workers filling in for strike action in the NHS and other Welsh public services strengthens the case for such a vote.

Mr Price accused the UK government of showing "contempt" for devolution, and called on independence supporters to ensure Wrexham's march for independence on Saturday is "the biggest ever".

On Tuesday he challenged Mark Drakeford, during First Minister's Questions, to "request the power for a referendum on the future of our democracy".

Mr Drakeford told Plaid Cymru's leader: "If a party that stands for that at an election wins a majority of votes in Wales, then of course that referendum should happen."

But he added that the case Mr Price was making was "fatally weakened" by the fact that no political party promising such a referendum had won the majority of votes.

• UK ministers to scrap trade union rules in Wales

• Sturgeon proposes 19 October 2023 for referendum

• Is there a mandate for a Scottish independence referendum?

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies said: "Even in the unlikely situation that the Supreme Court decides that the Scottish Parliament can have a legitimate referendum - even though it completely ignores the one from eight years ago - it does not mean the legal principles would automatically apply in Wales.

"And even if they, did Adam Price is very welcome to put that to the people of Wales where he will continue to demonstrate how out of touch he and his Party is with the Welsh people.

"Independence was convincingly defeated at the ballot box only last year - good luck to him in his world of denial."

On the trade union legislation, Mr Davies said the UK Conservative government is "acting to protect public access to services".

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds said she that while agreed with the "outrage" over "Westminster's latest power grab, an independence referendum would only bring more division to an already divided country and take away focus from more pressing political issues".

"Independence, like Brexit would hurt the poorest in Welsh society the hardest," she added.