Plaid Cymru

Welsh nationalist political party established in 1925. Its aim is separation from and independence of the UK, in order to safeguard the culture, language, and economic life of Wales. In 2001 it had about 15,000 members. In 1966 the first Plaid Cymru member of Parliament was elected. Four Plaid Cymru MPs were returned in both the 1997 and 2001 general elections. At Westminster, the Plaid Cymru MP's form a single parliamentary grouping with the Scottish National Party, following a formal pact signed in 1986. The party has 17 seats in the Welsh Assembly, and two members in the European Parliament (2001).

Plaid Cymru has contested parliamentary elections in Wales since 1929, but did not gain representation in Westminster until it won the Carmarthen by-election in 1966. This seat was lost in 1970, but in the two general elections of February and October 1974 Plaid Cymru won two and three seats respectively. The Labour Party's 1997 devolution proposals for Wales were criticized by Plaid Cymru as being too cautious. Nevertheless, the party supported the ‘Yes’ vote in the subsequent referendum.