Plaid Cymru’s leader has ruled out holding a referendum on independence in the next five years if he is made Welsh First Minister.

Rhun ap Iorwerth will face off against current First Minister Eluned Morgan as she seeks to defend the Senedd, which has been held by Welsh Labour for 26 years.

The elections, to take place before May next year, will be held for the first time under a new reformed voting system, and will have an increase of seats from 60 to 96.

Ahead of a speech at the party’s annual conference, Mr ap Iorwerth told BBC Radio 4 his plans for the future of Wales.

He said: “This isn’t an independence election coming up in May next year. There won’t be a referendum now … not in the next five years at all.”

Opinion polling from YouGov last year indicated that 61 per cent of Welsh residents would be in total opposition to independence.

Despite ruling out the referendum, Mr ap Iorwerth said he would be in favour of free movement of EU residents, and is supportive of seeing the United Kingdom within the single market.

He said: “We’re very supportive and very eager to see us getting back into the single market, into the customs union. We know that movement of people is something that is a part of that.

Rhun ap Iorwerth has ruled out holding a referendum on independence in the next five years if he were to become the First Minister of Wales

“I think it’s a yes because we know how much we miss the movement of people both ways into and from the European Union, and the way that it’s affected so many sectors.”

Continuing to give his take on the state of the Welsh economy, Mr ap Iorwerth warned that after having one party in power for 26 years, the Senedd has become stale.

“Our economy under Labour has been underperforming,” he said.

Mr ap Iorwerth then laid out how he would use the tools of devolution to improve Wales for the better.

First Minister Eluned Morgan will seek to defend the Senedd in the elections next May

“I believe that Plaid Cymru can do that and we’re asking to build an alliance of the people ahead of the election next year to give us that change and make it a positive one.”

Ahead of the announcement today, Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens criticised Plaid Cymru’s plans for independence.

The Labour Party claimed that independence would result in working-age adults in Wales paying more than £11,000 extra each year.

“If Plaid want to be taken seriously, they need to confirm whether they’re going to tax Welsh families into poverty, or cut public services to the bone,” Ms Stevens said.

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens has previously criticised Plaid Cymru’s plans for independence

In a speech during a fringe event at the Labour Party Conference, Mrs Morgan said that either Reform or Plaid Cymru coming into power would undo their work since devolution.

A Senedd candidate at the Labour conference told GB News: “It’s about even between Reform and Plaid. We’ve got a real uphill battle on our hands.”

Latest polling from ITV Cymru places Plaid Cymru in pole position at 30 per cent, Reform hot on their heels at 29 per cent, and current power holders Labour in a distant third on 14 per cent.