A political party devoted to the cause of Welsh nationalism. Founded in 1925 as Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (Party of Wales), it seeks to ensure independent recognition for Wales in matters relating to its culture, language, and economy. It became active in the 1960s and 1970s, but its hope that Wales would be able to have a separate representative assembly was rejected by a referendum in Wales in 1979. In 1997 a further referendum led to the establishment of a representative assembly with limited powers. In the resulting elections for the Welsh Assembly in 1999 Plaid Cymru won 17 seats (out of 60), some in the Labour party’s heartland in South Wales. Its representation decreased in the elections that followed, though it was the minor party in a coalition with Labour in 2007 to 2011. It retained its three MPs in the 2015 UK general election. In 2016 it gained one seat (its leader, Liane Wood, captured the iconic Labour seat of Rhonnda), and overtook the Conservatives as the largest opposition party.