Welsh first minister backs independence at Aberystwyth rally, warning there is 'no turning back'

Thousands of people marched through the streets of Aberystwyth on Saturday in a pro-independence rally that drew Wales' first minister to a stage for the first time since his party entered government. Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Plaid Cymru leader and MS for Bangor Conwy Môn, used the gathering in Ceredigion to insist that Wales' constitutional journey cannot be halted, telling supporters they are "on a journey, and there's no turning back".

The campaign group Yes Cymru, which organised the event, said it estimated the march attracted between 8,000 and 9,000 participants. A rally followed in Castle Gardens, where the first minister was joined by Yes Cymru chairman Rob Hughes and Elwyn Vaughan, the Plaid Cymru MS for Gwynedd Maldwyn, as campaigners waved red and yellow party flags alongside the red, white and green of the Welsh national flag.

It was a significant moment of symbolism. Independence demonstrations have become an annual fixture in Wales since 2019, with marches held in Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhyl and Barry among other towns and cities. But Saturday's event was the first such march to take place since Plaid Cymru entered government in Wales following the Senedd elections in May — and the first at which the first minister personally spoke.

The presence of ap Iorwerth drew immediate criticism from opposition parties. Joe Martin, a Reform Cymru member of the Senedd, said the attendance was "disappointing to see, especially so early in the term, given that Plaid Cymru campaigned on a platform where independence wasn't on the table for the Senedd term". He added: "It's not where their priorities and their attention should be." Speaking on BBC Wales' Politics Wales programme, Martin argued that only a "clear and overwhelming majority" of people in Wales favouring independence would change the calculus, and claimed the opposite is the case.

Beyond the rhetorical flourish, the first minister set out a specific test for what comes next, arguing that the "next step" for Wales had to be "equality with Scotland, as a minimum". That framing positions the goal as a parity of powers rather than full sovereignty, and it came as the first minister argued for a two-track approach: pressing Westminster for investment and greater powers now, in order to "make a real difference to people's lives" while the longer constitutional question is worked through.

That distinction matters because the route to a referendum is itself blocked. Ap Iorwerth referenced comments made by the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, the previous day, ruling out handing the Welsh government the powers needed to hold a referendum on independence. The first minister's response was blunt: "The right to self-determination is not a right that the UK government is willing to acknowledge."

The debate in the Senedd this week reflected the same divide. Members narrowly rejected a Reform motion declaring that Wales should remain part of the United Kingdom. The vote was initially tied, with 45 members backing the motion and 45 opposing it, requiring the Presiding Officer, Huw Irranca-Davies, to cast a deciding vote against the proposal in line with parliamentary convention — a result that gave Reform a symbolic win but highlighted how closely divided the chamber remains on the constitutional question.

Welsh Conservatives' Andrew RT Davies MS argued that the first minister's place was elsewhere, saying it "would be better for him to be behind his desk in Cathays sorting the problems he said he would sort out". He pointed to waiting times that have gone up and to recently published Pisa results showing Wales has fallen further behind other parts of the UK — an attempt to redirect attention from constitutional symbolism to the delivery of public services.

Welsh Labour declined to comment on the first minister's appearance.

Responding to criticism, a Plaid Cymru spokesperson said the party was pursuing its stated commitments in parallel with the constitutional campaign. "We are getting on with the priorities facing Wales right now - reducing NHS waiting times, improving literacy and numeracy, supporting jobs and businesses, and tackling the cost of living - while also standing up for Wales and being ambitious for our nation's future."

Analysis suggests the first minister's appearance was primarily a messaging exercise rather than a change of policy. He spoke of pursuing greater powers and investment from Westminster, not of legislating for independence — a stance consistent with Plaid Cymru's position during the election campaign, and one that leaves open the option of holding a referendum in a later parliament. Some marchers carried banners calling for a referendum in 2032, suggesting the movement is already looking beyond the current Senedd term.

The risk for the first minister is that attendance at a mass rally hardens expectations that his government cannot deliver on its own platform. Reform and the Conservatives have sought to frame the event as a distraction from rising waiting times and slipping educational standards, and the Plaid Cymru rebuttal shows the government is aware of that framing. Whether the speech in Aberystwyth is read as a rallying call or as a diversion will depend largely on what the administration does on NHS waits, schools and the wider cost-of-living agenda during the months ahead.

For now, the message from the rally was one of momentum. Ap Iorwerth, standing beneath the ruins of Aberystwyth castle, framed Wales as a country moving forward regardless of the obstacles placed in its path by a UK government he says is unwilling to recognise the right to self-determination.