As they celebrate their 100th birthday, Plaid Cymru are the most favourably viewed party in WalesPlaid Cymru: 46% favourable (+10 net)Greens: 38% (-1)Lib Dems: 38% (-3)Reform UK: 30% (-28)Labour: 30% (-30)Conservatives: 19% (-51)yougov.co.uk/politics/art…
How do Welsh people see Plaid Cymru?Moderate 32% vs 20% extremeClear sense of purpose 33% vs 25% unclear what they stand forTrustworthy 28% vs 26% untrustworthyCompetent 27% vs 26% incompetentTrying to do right thing 29% vs 34% serving own interestsIn touch 24% vs 34% out of touch
Welsh people are more likely to see Plaid Cymru as a party for Welsh speakers than all people in WalesSpecialist party for Welsh-language speakers: 35%General party for all people in Wales: 26%yougov.co.uk/politics/art…
Which Welsh people think Plaid Cymru care for people like them?All Welsh people: 31%Speak Welsh fluently: 60%Do not speak Welsh: 21%Born in Wales: 36%Born in rest of UK: 20%16-24 year olds: 46%25-49 year olds: 32%50-64 year olds: 30%65+ year olds: 24%yougov.co.uk/politics/art…
Which party in Wales would be best at handling major issues?Plaid CymruWelsh language: 61%(+55 lead)Standing up for Wales: 52%(+41)GreensEnvironment: 34%(+23)Reform UKImmigration: 30%(+18)Tax: 16%(+2)LabourNHS: 19%(+3)Economy: 17%(+1)Education: 16%(+2)Public transport: 16%(+2)
52% of Welsh people, including 60% of Labour voters, see Plaid Cymru as the best party to stand up for WalesPlaid Cymru: 52%Reform UK: 11%Labour: 5%Conservative: 4%Lib Dems: 2%Greens: 1%Other: 1%None of them: 13%yougov.co.uk/politics/art…
Like the Welsh rugby union team the fortunes of Welsh Labour are going sub-optimally and it is possible that at next year’s Senedd election Labour finish third which would be quite revelation in a part of Britain where the old joke was that they didn’t count Labour votes but weighed them.
Back in the first devolved elections in 1999 in combined vote shares Plaid Cymru did better than the SNP but the SNP took power at Holyrood over 18 years ago, that is down to Scotland having oil and Alex Salmond being one of the most talented politicians in the UK.
If Labour are going to retain power next year then they need play to their strengths which the polls show they lead on the NHS and economy.
I am not Welsh (something for which the Welsh will be thankful for) but I am not sure how being on the side of Welsh speakers will play.
But at next year I wouldn’t be surprised to see secessionist First Ministers in all three of the devolved parliaments.