Former Plaid Cymru leader has died, aged 78

Former Plaid Cymru leader and Senedd Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas has died at the age of 78, his family has announced.

Dafydd Elis-Thomas led Plaid between 1984 and 1991 and served as MP for Meirionydd and then Meirionydd Nant Conwy between 1974 and 1992, when he was appointed to the House of Lords.

He was the first presiding officer, or speaker, of the new Welsh Assembly when it opened in 1999.

Lord Elis-Thomas was described as the "Senedd's founding father", and flags will fly at half-mast outside the Senedd building on Friday in tribute.

Known for being independent minded, Lord Elis-Thomas later clashed with the Plaid leadership and left the party in 2016, eventually serving as a minister – though not a party member – in Carwyn Jones and Mark Drakeford's Labour governments.

He retired from the Senedd and front-line politics in 2021.

In a statement, his family said he died "peacefully at his home" on Friday morning following a short illness.

"The family request privacy at this difficult time."

Tributes to Lord Elis-Thomas have come in from across the political spectrum in Wales.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said his death "will be a huge loss to Welsh politics and the civic life of Wales".

He described Lord Elis-Thomas as "one of the most influential figures of his generation" who made a "priceless contribution in laying the firm foundations of devolution".

"We remember Dafydd as a groundbreaking MP when he became the youngest Member of the 1974 UK Parliament before leading Plaid Cymru with passion and distinction.

"Dafydd was a personal friend to my family and I, and was an influential figure during my formative years," ap Iorwerth said, adding that Elis-Thomas' "love for our nation, its language and culture was unwavering".

Elin Jones, the current Senedd Presiding Officer, said it was "hard to imagine Welsh political life" without Lord Elis-Thomas, describing him as the "Senedd's founding father".

"Since the early 1970s he has been omnipresent, having served in the House of Commons, the House of Lords and our Senedd," she said.

"He was keen to establish a modern democracy from the start, learning from other Parliaments what to do, and what not to do.

"He became the keeper of the Welsh constitution but was always prepared to think outside the box."