Rhun ap Iorwerth

Rhun ap Iorwerth was born in Tonteg, Rhondda Cynon Taf, to Edward Morus and Gwyneth (née Humphreys) Jones.^[6] Although ap Iorwerth's birth registration records his surname as 'Jones', he has stated that this was at the insistence of the registrar and that his parents' wishes were to record 'ap Iorwerth' as his surname.^[7][8] His name is Welsh for 'Rhun, the son of Iorwerth', a name commonly anglicised as Edward.^[9]

He was brought up in Meirionnydd and then Anglesey from age five.^[10] Both ap Iorwerth's parents were teachers and Welsh language campaigners.^[10] His father was a primary school headteacher who composed various songs and musicals for children and young people,^[6][11] including Cwm-Rhyd-y-Rhosyn, a collaboration with Dafydd Iwan.^[12] Ap Iorwerth has an older sister, Awen Iorwerth, an orthopaedic surgeon.^[13]

He attended Ysgol Rhyd-y-Main, Dolgellau, for a short period, before moving to Anglesey and attending Ysgol Gynradd Llandegfan (Llandegfan Primary School), followed by secondary education at Ysgol David Hughes, Menai Bridge.^[10] He then studied politics and Welsh at Cardiff University, and graduated in 1993.^[10][14] He joined his then girlfriend now wife in Parma, Italy, for a period when she was doing an Erasmus exchange.^[15] During this period they both worked in a bar.^[16]

In 1994, ap Iorwerth joined BBC Cymru Wales, and worked as a journalist at BBC Westminster. Returning to Wales after the 1997 devolution referendum, he became BBC Wales's Chief Political Correspondent in 2001, a post he held for five years, before moving into presenting roles. He has been presenter of The Politics Show Wales, Dragon's Eye, ampm, BBC Radio Wales's Good Morning Wales, BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf breakfast news programme, the weekly political discussion programme Dau o'r Bae, and S4C's main evening news programme Newyddion. He has also been a regular correspondent for BBC Network news, featuring on all BBC News channels. Outside news, he has presented numerous series for S4C, including its coverage of the National Eisteddfod, Y Rhufeiniaid ('The Romans'), and the arts series Pethe.^[17]

In January 2012, ap Iorwerth was announced as one of the patrons of the Cronfa Betsi Fund, the charitable arm of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.^[18] Rhun ap Iorwerth is a director of 2 companies, Rhun ap Iorwerth Cyf and Paradwys Cyf. Paradwys Cyf is listed as a house rental company, while the other is for his media duties.

On 20 June 2013, the former Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones resigned from the Welsh Assembly seat of Ynys Môn in order to take a post leading the new Menai Science Park,^[19][20] triggering a by-election in the constituency.^[21] In June 2013, BBC Cymru Wales announced that ap Iorwerth had stepped down from his role as a news presenter to pursue a Plaid Cymru nomination for the by-election.^[22]

The by-election provoked a local debate, in which Wylfa Nuclear Power Station became a key issue. The by-election was seen as key, and had Welsh Labour won then they would have had an outright majority in the Assembly with 31 out of the 60 seats. The election on 1 August 2013 saw ap Iorwerth gain 12,601 votes, over the second-placed candidate Labour's Tal Michael (3,435 votes), on a turnout of 42.45%.^[23][24]

In January 2014, he was appointed as Plaid Cymru's spokesperson on Economy and Enterprise,^[25][26] which also included Transport.^[27] Ap Iorwerth held his seat in 2016.^[28] Shortly after those elections, he was appointed as Shadow Minister for Health, as Plaid Cymru had become the second largest party.^[29] In October 2016 this ceased to be a shadow cabinet role, as Plaid ceased to be the second largest party.^[30] He unsuccessfully ran for the leadership of Plaid Cymru in 2018, losing to Adam Price. He was later appointed as joint deputy leader,^[31] and as Plaid Spokesperson for Economy and Finance.^[32][33] He also took responsibility for the Plaid Health portfolio in February 2020.^[34] In May 2021, he was reshuffled to just the Health and Social Care portfolio.^[35]

In July 2022, he announced his candidacy to become Plaid Cymru's prospective parliamentary candidate in Ynys Môn for the 2024 United Kingdom general election.^[36] In October 2023 he was replaced as candidate by Llinos Medi.^[37]

In March 2023, as Plaid Cymru's spokesperson on health and care, ap Iorwerth called for a public inquiry into Betsi Cadwaladr health board failures and repeatedly called to replace Betsi with smaller health boards.^[38]

In June 2026, 10 years since the Brexit referendum, ap Iorwerth said that the decision to leave the European Union was the 'greatest act of economic self-sabotage in modern history'.^[16] He said that he 'feels as European as ever' and wishes that the UK would re-join the single market and customs union.^[16]

He calls himself an environmentalist, internationalist and a republican.^[51][52][53] In 2026 ap Iorwerth said that he hoped Wales would become independent in the future but said that it would be up to 'the people of Wales' to decide when it would be ready.^[54]

Ap Iorwerth is a key supporter of the reopening of the Wylfa nuclear power station which is situated in his constituency of Bangor Conwy Môn.^[55] The position of his party is that there should be no new nuclear power plants and only the redevelopment of old ones.^[55]

Ap Iorwerth lives in Anglesey with his wife, Llinos Iorwerth, and has three children.^[6] He has also lived in both Cardiff and London.^[6]

In 2025, Rhun ap Iorwerth was inducted to the Gorsedd at a ceremony during the National Eisteddfod of Wales at Wrexham.^[56]

In his personal life ap Iorwerth likes to play the guitar and playing rugby for the Senedd rugby team.^[57][58]