May elections not a time for protest votes, says First Minister
The First Minister has urged voters not to treat the May elections as a protest against Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
Baroness Eluned Morgan said the Prime Minister is “not on the ballot paper” in Wales, where Labour has led the devolved government since it was established.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Lady Morgan refused to say whether she thinks Sir Keir is a “good” prime minister.
She said: “What I’m saying to the people of Wales is that he’s not on the ballot paper, that is not what people will be voting for in May.
“This is not an election, this is not an opportunity for a free hit against the UK Government.
“This is not a time for protest votes.
“The things that matter here is who is going to deliver those services that people rely on in Wales, and the fact is that people will have a choice.
“They’ll have a choice between the chaos that Reform will offer, the pipe dreams that Plaid (Cymru) will offer, which will be a road to independence.”
Labour has been in power in Wales in some form for more than 25 years, since the Senedd was established in 1999.
But May’s elections are also likely to bring an end to this period of Welsh electoral dominance, should opinion polling be believed.
The First Minister previously said there are “a number of reasons” why her party is performing poorly in the polls.
“We know that there’s a challenge ahead,” she added.
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Sorry, the damage is done. There’s little chance of turning this around now. It’s the only way to send a message to head office. We want Westminster out of Welsh politics and right now Westminster is the WORST Labour Government EVER. In many ways, Llafur has carried the banner for Labour when English Labour colndt get elected for 15 years. And Labour cr@pped on Llafur when it got elected and continues to cr@p on Wales constantly. There are many great members of Llafur. But English Labour have cooked then party. My advice, take the hit this year, separate from English… Read more »
She is right. This May election should is not be just a protest vote.
It should be a vote for the future of Wales as a nation of Europe.
For our autonomy as a free nation in Europe.
For Wales to decide on its own priorities.
A Plaid Cymru government will ensure the future is our autonomy as a free liberal democracy.
She had better swing in behind the pipe dream to head off the nightmare. That is what is important now.
On the Today programme, the First Minister made much of the fact that NHS waiting lists in Wales have fallen by 90% since Covid. I suspect this is a dubious statistic, given the virtual cessation of routine services at that time had led to all time high waiting times. How about comparing waiting lists with pre-COVID figures, or even (perish the thought) with England? Being an English programme, the interviewer did not mention the real elephant in the Welsh Government management of the NHS, the ongoing situation of the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, in Special Measures for most of the… Read more »
WG own press release the 90% refers to 2 year waits, again dressing up a pig as a derby winner with selective use of stats the real issue it is still 5300 waiting in Wales with only 177 in England.
https://www.gov.wales/nhs-wales-waiting-list-and-longest-waits-down
This is a clear sign of how desperate Labour have become. No doubt, in the unlikely event the public took notice of her advice, Morgan would claim that Labour had been given a huge vote of confidence by the electorate if they somehow managed to win the election in May. Does she really think that voters are that gullible.?
No Eluned, a Welsh General Election is a time to protest. To protest not only at UK Labour insulting Wales with their “Welsh Not” campaign, but at an ineffectual First Minister who’s deluded to think that their tenure as First Minister has achieved anything significant in the way of fulfilling your manifesto promise to the Welsh people not only to secure fair funding for Wales but powers over policing and criminal justice from Westminster. Sorry but you have failed miserably. And no amount of avoiding scrutiny in radio & TV interviews will make you electable in May. You and Welsh… Read more »
Not even China has had a single party as long as Wales has. Labour is finished, it is just a matter of when.
To assume people will be voting on Keir Starmers record as a protest vote is an assumption, surely it’s on Welsh Labours appauling record on many issues in Wales.
I genuinely think Llafur have done great in certain matters. Womens issues and mental hrealth for example.
I’m voting Plaid, to move our nation towards independence, to stop Deform and as a rejection of English Labour’s supreme arrogance