DWYFOR and Meirionnydd’s MP has suggested she may stand against her former colleague in the next Assembly elections.

Plaid Cymru’s parliamentary leader Liz Saville Roberts indicated she may stand for a seat in the national assembly on a recent radio show.

The MP, first elected in 2015, said she was “disappointed” with Lord Elis-Thomas’ decision to leave the party to become an independent AM in October. She represents the same Dwyfor Meirionnydd seat in Westminster.

However, Ms Saville Roberts would not be drawn on where she might stand, only saying the Senedd “is the place” where she could most make a difference.

In May 2016, Lord Elis-Thomas won the Dwyfor Meirionnydd seat in the assembly, with a sizeable majority of 6,406, as a Plaid Cymru candidate, amassing almost half of the votes collected. However, he left the party in October last year following a series of disputes with Leanne Wood, and had been voting with the Welsh Government.

In a Cabinet reshuffle last month, he was appointed minister for culture, tourism and sport.

Ms Saville Roberts told BBC Radio Cymru’s Dewi Llwyd programme it would have been fairer if he had stood down to force a by-election.

While the next assembly election is not due until 2021, she said there would be a selection process for a Plaid candidate and names would be put forward.

“Being inquisitive is one of my main faults. Let’s see if the opportunity arises,” said the 52-year-old.

“There’s a lot of work still to do here in Parliament, here in London. And I’m not getting younger so I have to ask myself what is practical?

“But it is true to say in practical terms I would like to make a difference to the life of Welsh people and Cardiff is the place to do this.”