Liz Saville Roberts: ‘For our economy, for jobs, for opportunities, we must rejoin the European Union’
Plaid Cymru Westminster leader says party ‘not afraid to be bold’ about EU membership
Plaid Cymru Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts MP will use her speech to the party's annual conference on Saturday to argue that the UK must rejoin the European Union, as public opinion in Wales continues to shift decisively against Brexit and towards restoring closer ties with Europe.
The most recent Wales-specific polling undertaken by YouGov found that 61% of people in Wales believe Britain was wrong to leave the European Union, while a majority also support rejoining the EU. At the same time, 65% of Welsh voters believe Brexit has been more of a failure than a success, reflecting growing concern about its impact on jobs, trade and economic growth in Wales.
Five months after Plaid Cymru entered government following its historic victory in the May 2026 Senedd election, the party gathers in Llandudno amid a confident and optimistic mood, with ministers beginning to implement their programme for government and opinion polls continuing to place Plaid Cymru at the forefront of Welsh politics.
Addressing delegates, Liz Saville Roberts will argue that the economic damage wrought by Brexit continues to be felt across Wales through higher trading costs, reduced investment and additional barriers facing Welsh businesses seeking to export to European markets. She will set out a vision of an outward-looking and confident Wales, working alongside international partners and making the case that rejoining the European Union is essential for long-term prosperity, jobs and opportunity.
She will reject what she describes as a false choice between "London rule and Brussels rule", arguing instead that the real choice facing Wales is between isolation and influence.
Alluding to the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham’s recent intervention ahead of the UK-EU summit, Ms Saville Roberts will say that “while others edge cautiously towards conclusions we already understand”, her party is “not afraid to be bold” in outlining its clear desire for the UK to rejoin the EU.
Liz Saville Roberts MP is expected to say:
“I know the role I want Wales to play in the world. Outward-looking, confident, working with partners.
“Because nothing over the last ten years has changed a simple truth: countries achieve more together than they do alone.
“And let us deal with the old argument thrown at us by our critics. The choice is not between London rule and Brussels rule. The choice is between isolation and influence.Between standing outside the room and sitting around the table.
“The nations of Europe do not gather as subjects. They gather as equals. Independent nations working together, advancing their interests together.
“And there is an economic reality here too. Every year we remain outside the European Union, Welsh businesses face barriers their competitors in the EU do not. Supply chains become more complicated.
Trade becomes more expensive, and investment goes elsewhere.
“Even now, Britain finds itself under pressure to follow European trade rules from the outside simply to maintain access to European markets. Taking the consequences without having a say in the decisions. Life is already hard enough for working people without adding extra barriers to trade, growth and investment.
“Wales cannot afford that, nor should it have to.
“So, we mustn’t whisper in euphemisms. While others edge cautiously towards conclusions we already understand, we in Plaid Cymru are not afraid to be bold. We know that leadership means having the confidence to say clearly what you believe.
“For our economy, for jobs, for opportunities, we must rejoin the European Union.”