WHAT does Plaid Cymru stand for?

Ask the proverbial man, woman or dog on the street and you’d get one answer - an independent Wales.

And I can say from experience that outside Wales Plaid is seen by most as The Independent Wales Party. Ask what the party’s policy on, say, housing is and be prepared for blank states.

But how far is it actually the case that Plaid is dedicated to Welsh independence?

In the years I’ve been following and covering Welsh politics I can honestly say I can count the number of times I’ve heard a Plaid Cymru politician or campaigner mention independence - outside of party conferences, that is - on one hand.

Indeed, there are plenty within the party who I know privately aren’t that bothered about Wales becoming an independent nation, but were attracted to Plaid as a broadly left-wing alternative to the Labour establishment.

But the battle for the leadership of the party has thrust the issue back to the front of the party’s agenda.

Both Adam Price and Rhun ap Iorwerth have been clear about their ambitious to lead an independent Wales if they win the role - perhaps a concession on both their parts that Plaid has taken its eye off the prize in recent years.

And this will certainly appeal to the segment of the party’s grassroots which has been frustrated with the lack of drive towards the goal of independence in recent years.

For her part, Leanne Wood has said focus must be on winning power in Wales before campaigning for independence. And at this year’s spring conference the party unveiled a commitment to hold a referendum in 2030 after two terms in power in Cardiff Bay.

In a pragmatic sense there’s a lot to be said for this approach and, as Ms Wood herself has said, it’s a strategy which worked out well for the SNP - until voters actually went to the polls, that is.

But, although I confess Scottish politics is a bit of a blind spot for me - despite at least half my DNA coming from north of the wall - it seems to me the SNP is far, far stronger in its drive towards independence than Plaid has been.

But then maybe this is the same outside perception I mentioned earlier.

So it seems Plaid Cymru’s leadership election will set the tone for the party going forward in a very real way.

If either Adam Price or Rhun ap Iorwerth win we’re likely to see far more focus on independence, while if Ms Wood holds onto control that will be put to one side while the party works to force Labour out of government in 2021.

Then again, everything all three candidates have been saying must be considered in the light of electioneering - while I do believe all three have the integrity to at least try and follow-through with their promises, it won’t be the first time a politician has said one thing and quietly forgotten about it once they’re in power.

Ultimately, while there’s something to be said for both approaches, it seems to me that Welsh independence is what sets Plaid apart. Losing focus on this risks the party losing what makes it different from Labour.

But then again, as Leanne Wood has said, there’s no point campaigning for independence if you’re not in power to make it happen.

We’ll have a better idea of what’s going to happen at the end of next month.

- The horrible, messy aftermath of the death of Carl Sargeant continues to paint Welsh politics in a less-than-stellar light.

Losing a family member in such tragic circumstances is horrible enough, but now his widow Bernie has found herself forced to launch a legal challenge to the procedures of the independent inquiry into Carwyn Jones’ actions immediately leading up to and following her husband’s death.

The crux of her concerns is that the family’s lawyers are not being allowed to question witnesses, and the family themselves are not being allowed to sit in on hearings.

Yes, there are issues of confidentiality at stake here, and anything which may discourage victims of any kind of harassment to come forward should be avoided.

But the family of Carl Sargeant must be at the forefront of proceedings.

The political implications aside, they have lost a husband and father and deserve complete transparency and, ultimately, answers to what led him to his death.

And it is this any inquiry should focus on.

Anything less would be an insult to Carl Sargeant’s memory.