The leading Reform candidate for the upcoming Senedd elections claims Plaid Cymru will not protect women and girls in Wales.

As the Senedd election fast approaches, serious concerns have been raised after Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth struggled to defend his party’s gender identity policy in a national TV interview, appearing unable to clearly explain or justify it.

Laura Anne Jones, Reform UK’s lead candidate for Sir Fynwy Torfaen, and long standing campaigner for basic women and girls rights, said:“It has been nearly a year since the Supreme Court made it clear that “sex” in law means “biological sex”, yet women and girls across Wales are still being left in limbo. That is unacceptable and it is putting people at risk.”

“Time and time again I have asked the Welsh Government to provide clarity. Yet Labour and Plaid Cymru are set on biological males being allowed to compete in girls sports, being allowed in women-only hospital wards and being allowed into women-only domestic abuse refuges. It’s not ok.

“Women and girls in Wales deserve to be safe, have dignity and to have fairness in sports.

“Plaid Cymru cannot even defend their own policy, let alone explain it. When their leader is put on the spot, he dodges the question. That tells you everything. They do not know what a woman is, and they do not care about the impact this is having on women and girls across Wales.

Mr Ap Iorwerth dismissed it as “not a central issue in this campaign.”