First Minister Eluned Morgan has promised to challenge the UK Labour government when necessary, stating she will “not stay silent” if Westminster makes decisions that could harm Welsh communities. 🏴
In a bold speech delivered in Cardiff Bay, Morgan declared: “It’s nation and the people of Wales before party, for me” and promised to “call out” Labour when it “gets it wrong for Wales.”
The Welsh leader specifically criticised recent Westminster policies, urging a rethink on winter fuel cuts and questioning whether plans to reduce disability benefits would effectively get people into work.
Morgan also made a firm stand on Wales benefiting from wind power through the Crown Estate, stating: “We saw them take out coal, we saw them take our water. We will not let them take our wind, not this time, not on my watch.”
While emphasising her willingness to “challenge from within,” Morgan rejected the notion of a split with UK Labour, describing her approach as “grown up modern government” that puts Welsh interests first.
She likened the relationship between Welsh and UK Labour to characters from the BBC TV series Gavin and Stacey: “There will be times when what’s right for Essex is not right for Barry. Like Nessa and Smithy, there will be a bond, but there will also be issues.”
The Welsh Conservatives criticised Morgan’s speech as a “last ditch, desperate attempt to save the Labour party’s bacon,” while Plaid Cymru dismissed it as a “desperate attempt by a floundering first minister to reset her premiership.”
Reform, hoping to win its first Senedd seats next year, claimed Labour was “more focused on slogans than solutions.”
