Welsh First Minister Run ap Iorwerth said there is no turning back on the country's path to independence. He was speaking to a rally in the student town of Aberystwyth, which organisers said was attended by between 8,000 and 9,000 people.
“The next step“ for Wales must be “equality with Scotland – as a minimum”, Iorwerth said. He added that the Welsh government is pushing Westminster for investment and wider powers to enable change in people's lives.
We are standing up for Wales and fighting for the investment and wider powers we need from Westminster now so we can make a real difference in people's lives as the next step in our constitutional development.First time a First Minister has led a march
Yorwerth's participation is the first time a Welsh First Minister has attended a pro-independence march. Since 2019, thousands of people have joined similar events in Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhyl and Barry.
Run ap Yorwerth was elected First Minister in May 2026. He is the leader of the nationalist Plaid Cymru party, which has the most MPs in the Welsh Parliament for the first time since the last election.
However, opposition parties have said that the First Minister should be working on the day-to-day problems of Wales, rather than participating in marches. Thus, the political dispute over independence has also been transferred to the Welsh Parliament.
Parliament rejects “Reformers“ proposal
This week, the Welsh Parliament narrowly rejected a “Reformers“ proposal that Wales should remain part of the United Kingdom. The debate took place against the backdrop of growing calls for a new distribution of powers between London and the constituent parts of the kingdom.
On September 14, the first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland signed a memorandum of understanding in Cardiff. It insists that the central government in London allow referendums on independence. On the same day, Wales and Scotland also signed an agreement on future cooperation.
For now, Iorvert's statement does not set a deadline for a referendum. It places emphasis on obtaining broader powers and on continuing the constitutional path, which, in its opinion, can no longer be reversed.
Sources: BNR, BBC, Guardian