Plaid Cymru's economy spokesman Luke Fletcher defeated in selection battle

Martin Shipton

Days after launching his party’s new economic strategy for Wales, Plaid Cymru’s economy spokesperson Luke Fletcher has lost a candidate selection contest that is likely to see him out of the Senedd after next year’s election.

Mr Fletcher was defeated by Vale of Glamorgan councillor Mark Hooper for the right to head the Plaid list in the new super-constituency of Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg, which covers Bridgend and the Vale.

Currently a regional MS for South Wales West, Mr Fletcher was first elected to the Senedd at the last election in 2021. Under the new electoral system, Wales has been split into 16 super-constituencies, each of which will elect six MSs on the basis of proportional representation. Party members decide what order their list candidates can be elected, and an internal vote has now decided that Cllr Hooper will get the top slot.

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Gender balance policy

Mr Fletcher was runner-up in the selection contest, but because of the party’s gender balance policy the second position on the list will go to Sarah Rees, the head of Oxfam Cymru. Mr Fletcher will take the third spot.

It is understood that Cllr Hooper had a clear victory over Mr Fletcher, while Mr Fletcher had “many more” votes than Ms Rees.

In a sense, Cllr Hooper’s victory is unsurprising, because Plaid has many more members in the Vale of Glamorgan than in Bridgend, where Mr Fletcher is based.

It is nevertheless embarrassing that Plaid’s economy spokesperson has in effect been deselected. The party has no realistic chance of winning three seats in Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg.

In a statement issued at the time he announced his candidacy for the new seat, Mr Fletcher made a point of stating: “[As] Plaid Cymru’s economy and energy spokesperson, I am leading the party’s economic strategy going into the 2026 election, which will be published in the next few weeks.”

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Campaigner

He also drew attention to his record as a campaigner, stating: “The last few years have been marked by the cost-of-living crisis. During this time, I have stood on picket lines and campaigned with posties, nurses, teachers, firefighters, and many others in their fight for fair pay and decent working conditions.

“I have stood side by side with steelworkers at Tata Steel in Port Talbot, calling for the site to be brought into public ownership to safeguard jobs and the future of the industry in Wales.

“I have fought for more support for learners from low-income backgrounds, and as a result have secured an increase in Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) payments for learners through continuous pressure on the government”.

Cllr Hooper has been described as “among the leading thinkers in the independence movement”. His statement seeking support from party members said that he “is well-known across Plaid Cymru and the wider independence movement and has focussed his campaign on the wealth of experience he would bring to the role.

“A qualified accountant, Mark has a strong CV that encompasses senior level experience at a FTSE business; he’s founded a new-start business; set up a co-operative, developed a partnership with a large trade union and recently worked in government as a special adviser as part of Plaid’s Co-operation Agreement.”

He concluded: “I’m looking forward to this internal campaign for selection, but the real battle starts when this poll closes and Plaid sets out our vision, in detail, for a better Wales. I want to play an active part in that battle of ideas and am therefore seeking members’ support to top the list in Bridgend and The Vale of Glamorgan.”

Fairness

An opinion piece written by her supporter Henry Price and published by Nation.Cymru said of Ms Rees: “As head of Oxfam Cymru, [she] has ensured that Welsh values—of fairness, peace, and internationalism—are represented at the heart of Welsh politics. Under her leadership, Oxfam Cymru ensured the Senedd stood firmly for a ceasefire in Gaza, reflecting Wales’ identity as a nation of peacebuilders.

“Rees has strong ties to the Pen-y-bont Morgannwg area. With family roots across the Vale of Glamorgan, she previously led a European-funded project in Bridgend that supported women furthest from employment, through a social enterprise she founded after being made redundant while on maternity leave in 2014.

“She was also sponsored by the Rotary Club of Llanilltyd Fawr to serve as a Global Ambassadorial Scholar in the Philippines, promoting Wales abroad and strengthening global ties. In this, she joins a list of Welsh alumni that includes former First Minister, now Baron, Carwyn Jones of Penybont.”

Altogether, Plaid Cymru has selected five candidates for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg, the other two being Marianne Cowpe and Becci Smart.

An official party statement is not expected before the selection has been ratified by Plaid’s national executive committee, but a Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “We’re proud to have such a strong team representing Plaid Cymru across Wales, all with a mix of experience and energy. Each and every candidate will be focussed on standing up for Wales over the next 12 months and fighting for a fresh start for our nation after 26 years of decline under Labour.”