Wales deserves a new deal, says First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth, calling the UK a union that is not of equals
The First Minister of Wales, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has said his nation deserves a new deal from the United Kingdom. He has said Wales's relationship with the UK is not working because the union is not one of equals.
He is pushing for an agreement that would address what he describes as historic unfairness.
In a letter to the British prime minister, the Welsh first minister has formally requested the transfer of more power to Wales, so that it can control its policing, justice system, rail network and natural resources.
His centre-left Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, came to power in May, ending more than a century of Labour Party dominance in Wales.
Just four months into his term, he signed a pact with Scotland and Northern Ireland declaring their right to self-determination, and warning the British Parliament that its time is coming to an end.
He insists the agreement is not meant to tear down the UK, but to allow the Welsh government to decide its own future. He says Wales is on a journey towards independence, but he will not push for a referendum in this parliament.
