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Plaid Cymru has earned a reputation at Westminster as a party that punches above its weight.
Three MPs were returned at the general election, veterans Elfyn Llwyd and Hwyel Williams were joined by Jonathan Edwards, the new member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr.
Edwards spoke to ePolitix.com about his election and his priorities for this Parliament.
How did you find the campaign?
Of all the disciplines involved in politics, elections are by far my favourite. You're totally exposed to the electorate, and I really enjoy that engagement.
What about the night of the count?
I shared a count with the Llanelli seat, and once we lost that our mood deepened. I was very disappointed with the result, and I felt particularly flat. At a national level we thought we would do much better. The majority I inherited from Adam Price dropped by around 3000. There had been boundary changes - we lost our strongest ward - and Adam had a fantastically strong vote which transcended the political divide. Then there was a national swing against Plaid - the election became framed around these three massive media events – the debates - and we didn't have look in.
But when Adam won in 2001, when I ran his campaign, our majority was 1000 less than it is now, so in hindsight it's not bad.
How did you find your first day here?
I was hoping to take a week off after the election to set up my constituency office, but I got the call on Monday asking me to come down because the talks between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems were on the brink. I thought that Gordon Brown's decision to resign would be the major game changer in events. I came down on the train and thought there would be a real opportunity to a deal over confidence and supply with major concessions as well. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to radically reform and realign UK politics onto a progressive agenda and drag the Labour Party back to its roots.
What about the building?
I've worked down here many years ago so I'm used to place. I had to go on my induction, it was very efficient. The first place I saw was the members' cloakroom, and I was told that this was where I could hang my sword – you couldn't make it up. It's a bit of shock – every room is large, the ceilings are high, the architecture is grand. It can breed subsurvience in you, and you can become more establishment-minded. You see many Labour MPs come downing here from the valleys and ending up talking like they went to Eton, but Plaid Cymru come here as a platform rather than part of the institution. The Welsh Assembly is a massive contrast in terms of environment. It's very open. You feel like you're bigger than the buildings.
What are your priorities?
Looking after the interest of Wales is a major job. Cuts will be a third higher on average than the UK average and we're reliant on public investment so it's a double hit. Social justice drives my politics. For my last job I was head of policy for the Citizens Advice Bureau in Wales, so these policies are very close to my heart. Fuel poverty is a massive issue that we need to address. It needs action at all levels.
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