First Minister pledges to stand up for Wales

Emily Price
First Minister Eluned Morgan has pledged to call out the UK Labour Government if she thinks Westminster is getting it wrong for Wales.
In a keynote speech delivered at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay on Tuesday (May 6) – which Nation.Cymru was not invited to – Baroness Morgan said: “We will do things our way, shaped by our Welsh values, our people and our priorities.”
In a Gavin And Stacey reference, she said: “There will be times when what’s right for Essex is not right for Barry.”
The First Minister added: “We know that splits and spats make for easy news, but this isn’t drama. This is honesty, this is responsibility. This is what leadership looks like.
“So when we disagree, we will say it. When we see unfairness, we’ll stand up for it.
“When Westminster makes decisions that we think will harm the Welsh communities, we will not stay silent.
“This is not a split. This is grown up, modern government. This is not disloyalty. This is patriotic responsibility.”
Rethink
The First Minister also called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to rethink the means-testing of winter fuel payments as ministers acknowledged the cuts contributed to Labour’s hammering at the ballot box during the local elections in England last week.
Setting out a “red Welsh way” she said there were “two Labour Governments working together” in Cardiff Bay and Westminster but insisted she would challenge Starmer where they disagreed.
The FM said Sir Keir was a “serious person” who has “reset the relationship with the Welsh Government”.
“This is our chance to rebuild Wales, invest in our public services and secure a fairer economy for working people,” she said.
But she added: “To be honest, though, it hasn’t all been popular. The cut in winter fuel allowance is something that comes up time and again, and I hope the UK Government will rethink this policy.”
Baroness Morgan also voiced fears that Reform UK could make significant gains in Wales at next year’s Senedd election.
Reforms
On the UK Government’s controversial welfare reforms, Baroness Morgans said the proposals “are causing serious concern here, where we have a higher number of people dependent on disability benefits than elsewhere”.
She said: “In some of our former coalfield communities, over 40% of working-age adults are in receipt of disability benefits.
“We know that disability cuts are likely to hit Wales more than six times more, proportionally, in some areas in Wales compared to England.”
The FM called on the UK Government to look at the approach being adopted in Wales to get people into work.
She said: “In Wales, we believe in an opportunity welfare state, one that supports people to move forward when they can and stands beside them when they can’t. But partnership in power should work both ways.
“We ask the UK Government, come and take a look at our alternative approach to supporting people into work in Wales, where the system has already proven its worth because our young person’s guarantee scheme ensures that every young person has the offer of education, training or employment.”
The leader of the Senedd Conservatives – Darren Millar – described the speech as “a last ditch, desperate attempt to save the Labour Party’s bacon in Wales” before the 2026 Senedd election.
He said: “It’s too late; she and her colleagues have been rumbled. The people of Wales have been taken for granted by them for far too long and are crying out for change.”
‘Cruel’
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said the speech was “a desperate attempt by a floundering first minister to reset her premiership 9 months into the job.”
He said: “It won’t wash with the people of Wales.
“From the betrayal of steelworkers and pensioners to the cruel welfare reforms, Eluned Morgan has been cheering Keir Starmer on. She even gave a name to their relationship ‘the partnership in power’.
“This is nothing more than a cynical branding exercise, more jargon and empty rhetoric from a First Minister and a Labour party unable and unwilling to stand up for Wales’ interests.
“Whilst never complacent, I’m confident that Plaid Cymru’s positive vision for our nation and our can do attitude is proving more and more popular with Welsh voters.
“Support for Labour is on the wane, the latest sloppy slogan ‘the red welsh way’ will only lead to a dead end.
“Progressive voters can secure positive change by electing a Plaid Cymru government. It really is now a battle between Plaid and Reform.”
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I should (expletive deleted) think so. That was implicit when she was elected.
So sorry, but no applause for doing your job.
Interesting she dares assert independence given the way the bunch of goons, fixers and control-freaks in Labour’s apparat have muzzled all opposition. Of course, as Plaid say, it could be just words.
They are desperate and running scared of you know who.
It’s going to be tough because London Labour isn’t prepared to stand up to the imperial blob who really run the show.
The FM does of course have a problem, mainly with the truth.
She says that working with Starmer provides…” chance to rebuild Wales, invest in our public services and secure a fairer economy…”
Er…these have been the responsibility of the Senedd for its entire existence, and in all that time, under a Labour government.
Does she know this?
We live in a time where politics is even more fudge rich that usual. “Truth” is a matter of opinion and personal convenience.
There must be an election coming up from now untill election day these politicians (all of them) will promise the humbe voters everything their hearts desire garenteed untill the end if time and they will put sugar coated sprinkles on top, how nice will that be.
My first thought too, when I read that Lady Morgan had said: “So when we disagree, we will say it. When we see unfairness, we’ll stand up for it. When Westminster makes decisions that we think will harm the Welsh communities, we will not stay silent.”
Slightly less than a year until the election!
This does unfortunately remind me of the Bernard Shaw line that a million women stood up and refused to be dictated too and then took jobs as stenographers.
The Baroness puffs for public consumption, an attempt to reclaim a now alienated and hostile voting base. Starmer will recognise that performance for what it is, political theatre on the pier. After all, that’s his sole commodity too.
The evidence says different.
Labour have kicked Wales in the teeth with the devolving of the crown estate issue, and they shall never recover from that.
The union has never worked, and never will. Time to kick all unionist parties into touch. Labour, you’re done, go and join the other irrelevant politicians with reform and tory.
It’s called. Shutting the Senedd door after the HS2 consequential has bolted. Bit too late Eluned. The damage to Wales is done. And no amount of face-saving will change Welsh Labour’s electoral fortune.
Everyone says Starmer is a “serious person”. Even many of his opponents seem prepared to concede this. This confuses me since, as far as I can make out, his only quality is a willingness to say anything if he thinks the arbiters of seriousness will approve of it. Is seriousness something you get given in a goodie bag when you accept a knighthood?
Me thinks she will lose her seat.
How suspicious that “Welsh” Labour find their backbone when they start slumping in the polls and are staring election defeat in the face.