Welsh nationalist leader quits after review finds harassment, bullying in party

The leader of Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru has stepped down, saying he no longer had enough support from colleagues after a report found a culture of sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination in the party.

The leader of Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru has stepped down, saying he no longer had enough support from colleagues after a report found a culture of sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination in the party. In his resignation letter, Adam Price said he "felt morally bound to step down as leader of the party" after initially receiving the report last month, but was advised by some colleagues that this could be an "unhelpful distraction".

Price, who had been leader since 2018, said "it was now clear I no longer have the united support of my colleagues that would be necessary to follow this course to fruition". The review by a former member of the National Assembly for Wales said Plaid Cymru "failed to implement a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment" and staff and elected members reported "cases of sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination".

Price said the report's findings contrasted with the "independent Wales we together champion". Plaid Cymru is the third largest party in the devolved Welsh Parliament, the Senedd, which has lawmaking powers in Wales.

The announcement from the leader of Wales' pro-independence party follows the resignation of Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon in February who was the head of Scotland's pro-independence Scottish National Party. Plaid Cymru's National Executive Committee said its Senedd Group would invite nominations for an interim leader on Thursday which will be subject to ratification by the party’s National Council on Saturday.

A timetable will be published outlining the process of electing a permanent leader "at the earliest possible opportunity," the party said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)