Wales Covid-19 review: Plaid minister said no rolling back on pledge

At the time, the campaigners were pushing for a probe with the powers of a full public inquiry.

The same day during an exchange on X, Smith-Higgins asked if Plaid was going to “do the dirty” on the campaigners, to which ap Gwynfor said he “wouldn’t”.

Ap Gwynfor said in the exchange: “The common understanding of a ‘public inquiry’ leads people to think of a decades long process for hundreds of millions of pounds

“We’re proposing a focused inquiry with a clear, concise terms of reference.”

At the time, the bereaved families group said it saw “no reason” to think Plaid would “backtrack” on its commitment to hold one.

After Tuesday’s announcement of a review, Smith-Higgins told BBC Wales: “They have lied to us consistently from after the election, before the election.

“I basically gave all those assurances to our families. I feel personally responsible for misleading them as well, and that’s a lot to carry for one person – I’m angry.”

The Welsh government declined to comment on the texts and Smith-Higgins’ comments.

Co-lead of the bereaved families group, Catherine Griffiths, also told Radio Wales Breakfast that Fychan had “privately reassured us that it was a matter of semantics”.

“She’d just used the wrong word,” Griffiths said. “So, earlier this year, they were still promising an inquiry.”