In a stark warning, Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan has called on UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to take action to stop pro-independence parties from winning the next Senedd (Welsh Parliament) election. Morgan says that the “threat to the United Kingdom will become real” if parties wanting to leave the union are leading in both Scotland and Wales.
Speaking at the Institute for Government, Morgan pointed to a recent opinion poll that suggested Plaid Cymru and the Green Party could win a combined 50% of the vote, saying it shows “separatism is now on the agenda” in Wales. Both parties support Welsh independence.
Morgan said the UK government needs to “support us by giving us the tools to help improve life for the people in Wales” in order to resist separatism and the break-up of the union. She called for more powers to be devolved to the Welsh government, including over natural resources, the Crown Estate, and policing and justice.
The Welsh Labour leader also said there should be a “fair share formula” to ensure Wales “automatically receives its rightful share of UK resources in critical areas like rail, justice, and research and development”.
Morgan warned that Welsh voters could use the upcoming Senedd election on 5 May to “send a message” to Starmer and reject Labour, saying he would only be welcome to campaign in Wales if he brought “goodies” like investment project announcements.
Plaid Cymru and the Green Party have dismissed Labour’s claims to champion Welsh interests, with Plaid’s Heledd Fychan calling it “disingenuous”. A Reform UK Wales spokesperson said “the Labour Party has run out of steam here in Wales and is finally on its way out”.
The UK government said it is working with the Welsh government to “deliver the priorities of the people of Wales”, pointing to the largest-ever budget settlement and investment in areas like nuclear power and rail.
