CARMARTHENSHIRE MP Jonathan Edwards has said he will remain independent, despite his Plaid Cymru 12 month suspension coming to an end this week.

Jonathan Edwards was arrested at his home in May last year following an incident.

After accepting a police caution he had the party whip withdrawn and was subsequently given a 12-month suspension from the party.

Mr Edwards confirmed he has not applied to re-join the party and he is yet to make any final decision about his future.

He said: “It’s really easy to make hasty decisions about my career and I don’t want to rush into anything at the moment.

“I have missed being part of the Plaid group and my parliamentary colleagues are great friends, but being an independent MP gives you a lot of flexibility.

"I have really enjoyed working to my own timetable and it could be three years until the next general election, so I’m going to take that time to work through some things before making a final decision.”

Following his caution last year Mr Edwards said that he was "deeply sorry" and "it is by far the biggest regret of my life".

One year on and the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP said he remains completely focused on representing his constituents, who continue to be his "driving force".

"My priority as an MP is to remain committed to representing my constituents and I will continue my work in Parliament, that has never changed," he said.

“I have a huge love for Carmarthenshire but the Amman Valley in particular means everything to me.

“The people and sporting clubs have been overwhelmingly supportive over the past year and that means a lot - I've joined the Wildboar Centurions cricket club which has given me a new lease of life.

"As the MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr I will continue to work hard for the people, as I have done for the last 11 years, but for the time being I will be carrying out that work as an independent politician."