Welsh Tories Attack Plaid Cymru: Focus on Public Services, Not Independence

The leader of the Welsh Conservative Party, Darren Millar, launched a sharp attack on the government of First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth, accusing it of being too busy campaigning for Welsh independence instead of solving domestic problems. In his speech at the party conference in Birmingham on Sunday, Millar stressed that the focus should be on fixing public services that are increasingly deteriorating.

The attack came after ap Iorwerth, at the Plaid Cymru conference, called for a "new deal" for Wales from the UK government and declared that the journey toward independence "cannot be reversed". The statement triggered a fierce reaction from the unionist camp, which sees it as a threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom.

Millar, who returned to the Welsh parliament with only seven members out of a total of 96 seats—down nine from the previous period—called Plaid's rhetoric a diversion. He accused ap Iorwerth of deceiving voters by saying that last May's Senedd election was not about independence. "Either he did not read his own memo or he deliberately misled the people," he said, as quoted by the BBC.

In his speech, Millar highlighted the ever-lengthening NHS waiting lists and Welsh businesses that he said "continue to struggle" since Plaid came to power. He also condemned a recent meeting between the leaders of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland as a "separatist summit". According to him, ap Iorwerth's move to approach the SNP and Sinn Fein—parties that support secession—has given a platform to a narrative that threatens the union.

"The plan to build a slate curtain between Wales and England will do more harm than good to children and future generations," Millar said.

He even mentioned that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gleefully discussed the prospect of independence referendums in various parts of the UK on Russian television. "My message to Rhun ap Iorwerth today is: just get on with the day job," he said.

Millar described the United Kingdom as "more than just a political agreement", a shared heritage that built industry, abolished the slave trade, liberated Europe, and shaped the modern world. "We are a family of nations that share. For centuries, the people of Wales, England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have lived, worked, and traded together," he said. He rejected the notion that British history should be regretted, and instead urged that this heritage inspire the next generation.

Meanwhile, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Mims Davies, in a panel discussion on the union at the same conference, said the Plaid government was unable to fund its flagship childcare policy. "Families have been lied to," Davies said. She argued that life in Wales is too hard and that no one is truly standing up for the Welsh people.

The tension comes amid the Conservatives' weakening position in Wales, partly due to the rising popularity of the Reform Party. Nevertheless, the Conservative Party may still be invited into a coalition to pass the Welsh government's budget next year. Davies previously said that Plaid must consider tax cuts if it wants her party's support.

With Plaid's minority government needing support for the budget, and the Conservatives seeking relevance, the big question is: will the independence debate continue to serve as a shield to cover up weak domestic policy, or will it instead backfire on Plaid in the eyes of an increasingly pragmatic Welsh electorate?