Adam Price facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adam Price
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Official portrait, 2021
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| Leader of Plaid Cymru | |
| In office 28 September 2018 – 16 May 2023 |
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| President | The Lord Wigley |
| Deputy | Rhun ap Iorwerth Siân Gwenllian |
| Preceded by | Leanne Wood |
| Succeeded by | Llyr Gruffydd (acting) |
| Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr |
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| Assumed office 5 May 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Rhodri Glyn Thomas |
| Member of Parliament for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr |
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| In office 7 June 2001 – 12 April 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Alan Williams |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Edwards |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 September 1968 Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales |
| Political party | Plaid Cymru |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Cardiff University (BA) Harvard University (MPA) |
Adam Robert Price (born 23 September 1968) is a Welsh politician. He was the leader of Plaid Cymru, a political party in Wales, from September 2018 to May 2023. He has been a Member of the Senedd (MS) for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since 2016. Before that, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for the same area in the UK Parliament from 2001 to 2010.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Adam Price was born in Carmarthen, Wales, and grew up in Tycroes. His father worked as a miner. His parents spoke Welsh and were active in politics, even starting a local branch of the Plaid Cymru party. Adam learned Welsh as a teenager from his brother.
He went to school at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman. Later, he studied at Cardiff University, earning a degree in European Community studies in 1991. He also spent some time studying at Saarland University. After finishing his studies, Price worked as a researcher at Cardiff University. From 1998, he was the managing director of an economic development company called Newidiem.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Adam Price first tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1992 but was not successful. However, in 2001, he was elected as the MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr. He held this position until 2010.
Speaking Up in Parliament
As an MP, Adam Price was known for speaking out on important issues. In 2002, he brought attention to a letter written by the Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair. This letter supported a steel company that had previously donated money to the Labour Party. This caused some discussion because the company did not employ many people in the UK.
In 2004, Price wanted to start a process to question Tony Blair's actions regarding the Iraq War. This idea had support from other parties, but it did not succeed. In 2005, Price was asked to leave the House of Commons chamber. This happened after he said the Prime Minister had "misled" Parliament and refused to take back his comment. In 2006, he led a debate in Parliament about an inquiry into the Iraq War.
Focus on Wales and Broadcasting
In 2007, Adam Price pointed out that BBC news broadcasts did not focus enough on Wales. He felt that the news did not properly cover Welsh issues or the Welsh Assembly. He even suggested that people might stop paying their television licence fees if the coverage didn't improve. Other politicians agreed, calling for more control over broadcasting to be given to the Welsh Assembly.
Later in 2007, a committee looked into how some Plaid Cymru MPs, including Price, advertised during the Welsh Assembly elections. The committee found that they had used parliamentary funds for advertising that seemed to help their party's election campaign. The MPs had to repay the money.
Adam Price also wrote a regular column in a Welsh language magazine called Golwg. He was against the war in Afghanistan and asked for a plan to withdraw troops. In 2010, he decided not to run for MP again. He planned to study in the United States on a Fulbright scholarship before returning to Welsh politics.
Business and Charity Work
In September 2010, Adam Price began studying at Harvard University in the United States. He earned a Master's degree in Public Administration. After two years, he returned to Wales and helped start a financial software company called Ideoba. However, the company later closed down. He then worked for Nesta, a charity focused on innovation.
Between 2014, Price presented a three-part TV series called Streic (Strike). This documentary was about the 1984–85 Welsh miners' strike and was shown on S4C, a Welsh language television channel.
Return to Politics
After stepping down from the UK Parliament in 2010, Adam Price announced in 2013 that he wanted to return to politics. He was elected to the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament) in 2016, representing Carmarthen East and Dinefwr.
In 2018, Price suggested that Plaid Cymru should have two leaders, one male and one female. When the party's leader, Leanne Wood, did not agree, Price decided to challenge her for the leadership.
Leader of Plaid Cymru (2018–2023)
In the 2018 Plaid Cymru leadership election, Adam Price was chosen as the new leader of Plaid Cymru. He won with almost half of the votes from party members. After becoming leader, he announced a new team of spokespeople for the party. He also brought in Angus Robertson, a former deputy leader of the Scottish National Party, to help review Plaid Cymru's campaign plans. Price supported holding another public vote on the UK's membership in the European Union.
In 2019, Price spoke about the importance of cooperation among the Celtic nations like Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. He suggested ideas such as a Celtic Development Bank to fund joint projects in energy and transport. He also proposed that Wales and Ireland work together to promote their native languages.
For the 2019 general election, Plaid Cymru's plans included:
- A second vote on Brexit, with the party campaigning to remain in the European Union.
- Investing in environmentally friendly industries to create "green jobs."
- More funding for education and police.
- Changes to drug laws.
- Giving more powers to the Welsh government over taxes.
- Allowing the Welsh government to have a say before the UK goes to war.
The party also worked with the Green Party and Liberal Democrats in some areas to increase their chances of winning seats. Plaid Cymru kept the same number of seats in that election.
In 2020, Price promised that if his party won a majority in the 2021 Senedd election, they would hold a public vote on Welsh independence. Other promises for that election included:
- Free school meals for all primary school children.
- Lower local taxes.
- More affordable homes.
- More health professionals and eco-friendly jobs.
He said his government would create a "fairer, greener future" for Wales. In that election, Plaid Cymru gained one extra seat.
In November 2021, Adam Price and the leader of Welsh Labour, Mark Drakeford, agreed to work together on many policies. Their plans included free social care, expanding services for children, and rules on second homes. This was the third time Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru had agreed to work together since the Welsh Parliament was created.
In May 2023, Adam Price announced that he would step down as leader of Plaid Cymru. He said he no longer had the full support of his colleagues. Llyr Gruffydd became the interim leader of the party.
Personal Life
Adam Price has two children. He has also been featured in the Rainbow List of important Welsh figures.
See Also
- List of Members of the Senedd
- List of Plaid Cymru MPs
