Aberystwyth rally: First minister tells independence march there is "no turning back"

Thousands of campaigners filled the streets of Aberystwyth on Saturday for a pro-independence march that drew a significant political headline: the attendance of Wales' first minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth, at a Yes Cymru event for the first time since taking office. Campaign organisers put the crowd at between 8,000 and 9,000 people, making it one of the largest demonstrations of its kind staged in Wales in recent years.

Speaking at a rally in Castle Gardens after the march, the first minister told supporters that Wales is "on a journey, and there's no turning back" — a formulation that drew loud applause from a crowd that had gathered with red and yellow Yes Cymru flags alongside the national bunting. Ap Iorwerth, a Plaid Cymru member of the Senedd representing Bangor Conwy Môn, set out what he described as the next objective for the country: "equality with Scotland, as a minimum".

The speech came less than a week after Prime Minister Andy Burnham ruled out transferring the power to hold an independence referendum to the Welsh government. Addressing that announcement, the first minister said the campaign's cause is not one the UK government is prepared to recognise, arguing that "the right to self-determination is not a right that the UK government is willing to acknowledge". The remarks underline the gap between the first minister's stated ambition and the constitutional reality facing his administration in Cardiff.

His appearance was notable in itself. Although independence marches have drawn thousands to cities and towns including Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhyl and Barry since 2019, this was the first Yes Cymru demonstration the first minister has joined since Plaid Cymru entered government following the Senedd elections in May. Banner-waving supporters were explicit about the symbolism, with placards calling for a referendum in 2032.

Defending his decision to speak, the first minister framed the march as consistent with the work of his government rather than a diversion from it. "We are standing up for Wales, pursuing the investment and greater powers we need from Westminster now, so we can make a real difference to people's lives as the next step in our constitutional journey," he said. The argument is that devolution and independence are sequential rather than competing projects, with the case for sovereignty strengthened by successes on the way there.

Other figures on the platform included Yes Cymru chairman Rob Hughes and Elwyn Vaughan, the Plaid Cymru MS for Gwynedd Maldwyn, who also addressed the crowd in Aberystwyth. The gathering brought together organisers, activists and families, with the castle ruins and trees of the town's harbour-side setting providing the backdrop for the speeches.

Opposition parties were quick to criticise the first minister's presence. Joe Martin, a Reform Cymru member of the Senedd, said it 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 that the appearance was "not where their priorities and their attention should be", arguing that public opinion in Wales is decisively against independence rather than overwhelmingly in favour.

That jibe came in the wake of a closely fought vote in the Senedd this week, when a Reform motion declaring that Wales should remain part of the United Kingdom was narrowly rejected. The vote was initially tied, with 45 members backing the motion and 45 opposing it, and was decided only when the Presiding Officer, Huw Irranca-Davies, cast a vote against the proposal in line with parliamentary convention. The one-vote margin underlines how finely balanced constitutional questions have become in the new Senedd.

For the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies took a more direct line, insisting the first minister would "better off behind his desk in Cathays sorting the problems that he said he would sort out". He pointed to rising waiting times and disappointing national curriculum test results, which he said showed Wales had fallen further behind other parts of the UK — framing the march as a distraction from measurable declines in public services.

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

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson responded to the criticism by pointing to the administration's day-to-day record, saying the government was focused on "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".

The clash of narratives — a constitutional march versus a backlog of public services — encapsulates the central tension facing Wales' new government. The first minister has attempted to hold both positions at once, promising to pursue greater powers and investment from Westminster in the short term while insisting the destination is a more complete form of self-government. Whether a crowd of that size on a Saturday afternoon in west Wales translates into sustained parliamentary support for that project remains the open question.