Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has stated that some areas in Wales need more immigration, rather than less. He acknowledged concerns over migration levels but added that public service pressures were caused by lack of funding from the UK government, not migrants. The comments come after a senior Conservative politician called for migration to the UK to be reduced from 685,000 in 2023 to between 100,000 and 150,000.
In the interview with BBC Wales, ap Iorwerth stressed the importance of recognising that depopulation was one of the largest issues facing the UK. He also noted that asylum seekers must be processed properly, but said the focus should be on bringing more people into sectors such as health and care. He pointed out that the Plaid Cymru manifesto did not go into detail about Welsh independence until page 42.
Ap Iorwerth was born in Tonteg, but grew up in north-west Wales. After leaving university, he reported on politics for BBC Wales before unexpectedly resigning in 2013 to stand for the Ynys Môn seat in Anglesey for Plaid Cymru. He became leader of the party in 2021 after a report detailing misogyny and harassment in the party led to the resignation of his predecessor.
Ap Iorwerth also supported the nationalisation of Tata Steel’s Port Talbot works, claiming that the UK was “paying out that kind of money” to protect thousands of jobs. He called on the government to recognise the value of protecting the UK steel industry and to avoid the current cliff-edge facing the sector. Ap Iorwerth emphasised the importance of replacing the “well out of date” Barnett formula, which governs the funding received by the Welsh government based on population, and suggested using windfall taxes or equalising capital gains tax
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