PLAID Cymru has announced its new interim leader after Adam Price quit over a damning report which found misogyny, harassment and bullying in the party.

Llyr Gruffydd MS, who represents the North Wales region in the Welsh Parliament, was unanimously nominated by the Plaid Cymru Senedd Group on Thursday morning, according to the party.

His position will be confirmed by the party’s National Council on Saturday before a leadership contest gets under way to elect a permanent head by the summer.

Mr Price told members on Wednesday night that he was quitting as leader after a review discovered a “toxic” culture in the party.

Mr Gruffydd thanked Mr Price for his “commitment and dedication over the last four years”.

In a statement, he added: “Our focus is now on moving forward together to deliver on behalf of the people of Wales, and to foster a better culture within the party.

“I hope members will entrust me with the responsibility of leading that work until we elect a new leader.”

Plaid’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts said Mr Price was “becoming a distraction” after the publication of the report last week.

She said Mr Price had been a “game changer” for the independence movement in Wales but it was necessary for him to step down for the party to “move ahead”.

Ms Saville Roberts was a member of the working group behind the Prosiect Pawb review which said the party had “failed to implement a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment”.

It also discovered repeated instances of bad behaviour by elected members had been tolerated, leading to staff feeling there was “little point in raising concerns”.

Ms Saville Roberts defended attempts by the party’s senior members to keep Mr Price in place, denying they were an attempt to “cover up” allegations.

She said it had initially been felt that “collective leadership” was needed to bring about cultural change, but admitted opinions had shifted throughout the week that followed.

“A week is a long time in politics and in discussions with the Senedd members I think it became clear that Adam himself was becoming a distraction, and in spite of our real gratitude to him and his legacy to Wales, frankly… it became necessary, if we were to move ahead, that we needed to move ahead,” Ms Saville Roberts told BBC Radio Wales.

First minister Mark Drakeford said: “I want to thank Adam Price for the constructive way the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru have worked together to develop and implement the cooperation agreement. These shared priorities are making a real difference to people across Wales.

“The cooperation agreement is an agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru – not between individuals. There will be discussions about the agreement in light of recent developments.”

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies MS wished Mr Price well for the future but said his departure had become “inevitable”.

Plaid’s party chairman Marc Jones said: “As we begin the process of electing a new leader our unwavering focus will be on implementing the recommendations of Project Pawb in order to foster a new culture within the party, making it a safe and inclusive member-led movement for all.”