Leanne Wood has been elected the new leader of Plaid Cymru.
The result of the leadership contest between Ms Wood, Lord Elis-Thomas and Elin Jones was announced this afternoon in Cardiff.
Ms Wood, who is the AM for South Wales Central, will now take over from Ieuan Wyn Jones who stands down after over a decade in charge of the party.
She said: “This campaign has not been about individuals. It has been about a vision – a programme, a set of connected politics. Our task now is to build on the work of all of those who have gone before us. We may be small, as a party and as a country, but we can stand tall if we stand together and we stand up for our principles.
“The election is over, now the real work begins. I may not be the leader of the official opposition, but I intend to lead the Official Proposition. The proposition that another Wales is possible. Our positive, ambitious alternative vision can only come from the party of Wales.
“So here’s my message today to the people of Wales: we are your party. The People’s Party, of Wales, for Wales. Join us. Help us to re-build your community. Help us to re-build our economy. Together we’ll build a new Wales that will be fair, a new Wales that will flourish and a new Wales that will be free.”
In the first round of voting, Ms Wood won 2,879 votes to Ms Jones’s 1,884 and Lord Elis-Thomas with 1,278.
In the second and decisive round, Ms Wood beat Ms Jones by 3,326 votes to 2,494.
This is good news, Leanne Wood was the best candidate by far. I admire her for her integrity in giving voice to what Plaid Cymru is for, an independent Wales.
My dream leader a female, Welsh Republican, Socialist from the Rhondda, but will she appeal to the commuter on the Valley Lines?.
If one thing is to be said about Leanne Wood it is that she is a genuine socialist who tells it how it is. Although i'm a Labour supporter I have admiration for a lot of what she stands for. There needs to be a broad coalition of support against the ruthless right – wing Tory/Lib Dem coalition and I hope that Plaid's new leader will continue to oppose the UK governments reckless policies that are wreaking havoc on our communities.