Coalition better than opposition - Plaid Cymru leader

Adam Price's Plaid Cymru will aim to be at least a junior partner in government

Going into coalition is better than opposition, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said after his party backed getting into government as a means to achieve independence.

Party members endorsed the plan at party conference on Saturday.

The strategy suggests that after an election Plaid would aim to be at least a junior partner with a larger party in government.

But Mr Price says the party's goal remains leading Wales.

There have been debates for years in Plaid about how much the party should co-operate with Welsh Labour. Mr Price has ruled out any coalition with the Conservatives.

Plaid is currently in a co-operation agreement with Mark Drakeford's Welsh government.

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Adam Price said there were three main points to the strategy: "Independence is our primary purposes as a party; the importance of being in government as a means to achieve that, and thirdly in order to become a party of government, we've got to broaden the base of support in all parts of Wales."

Mr Price said "obviously" the party's goal remained leading a government in Wales.

"But when it's not possible in one step to become the leading party, then it's still better to be in government as a partner with others than the alternative, which is to have no influence at all in opposition."

Plaid Cymru's Spring conference took place in Llanelli

Plaid members agreed the strategy at a special conference in Llanelli which was closed to the media. It has not released the strategy publicly.

The conference follows a string of allegations of a toxic culture and misconduct within the party, with Mr Price telling delegates on Friday that the party must do better.

Earlier, the party's health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth called for Mark Drakeford to sack his Health Minister Eluned Morgan over the crisis at Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board.