Former Plaid leader faces fight for Senedd seat

Former Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price could face an uphill battle to be re-elected to the Senedd next year, potentially ending his political career.

BBC Wales understands former Assembly Member Nerys Evans plans to run for the new Sir Gaerfyrddin constituency at the 2026 election.

Price, Evans and fellow MS Cefin Campbell are seeking selection for the same seat.

Price led Plaid into the 2021 Senedd election with a promise to hold a referendum on Welsh independence within five years if he won.

He quit as leader in 2023 after a report found harassment, misogyny and bullying in the party.

The review and report, commissioned by Plaid in December 2022, was led by Evans.

Price had been billed as a "once in a generation" politician who had the ability to lead the party into power in the Senedd.

But Plaid finished third behind Labour and the Welsh Conservatives in 2021, with Price eventually co-signing a co-operation agreement with then Labour leader and First Minister Mark Drakeford.

For the next election Evans is planning to stand for the new seat of Sir Gaerfyrddin, which covers the county of Carmarthenshire.

It also includes much of Price's soon-to-be-abolished constituency of Carmarthen East and Dinefwr.

Plaid Cymru's selection process for the next election is more competitive than for Labour and the Conservatives, because, unlike either parties, Plaid is not giving its existing Members of the Senedd (MSs) preferential treatment.

The party is also aiming for gender balance in how it picks where candidates appear on party lists.

In Sir Gaerfyrddin this would mean that if a woman were to come top of a selection made by local party members, a woman would also come second on Plaid's list of up to eight candidates on the ballot paper.

Were a man to come top, a woman would have to be placed second.

Mid and West Wales MS Campbell is also expected to stand for the same party list. Were Campbell to come ahead of Price, it would mean the former leader would be looking at a third or fourth place on the list.

Plaid would expect to win two of the six Sir Gaerfyrddin seats, but three would be a challenge.

Evans was an assembly member from 2007 to 2011, and is currently a director of a Welsh public affairs agency.

At the next election the map of Wales' constituencies for the Senedd is being completely redrawn - with 16 seats electing six MSs each.

It will use a new voting system electing politicians from party lists, with the Senedd expanded from 60 to 96 members.

Speaking to BBC Wales, Price said: "I am really excited at the opportunity to elect three Plaid Cymru Senedd Members for Sir Gaerfyrddin.

"I have got a great working relationship with Cefin Campbell and really want to see him in the next Senedd.

"We have also got some great women candidates like Nerys Evans and Mari Arthur and there will be other great candidates as well."

He added: "We have a real opportunity to send the biggest ever Plaid Cymru team to the Senedd and really hope to have the opportunity to be part of that."