Plaid Cymru challenges loyalty of Labour Senedd Members to Wales in wake of devolution ‘power grab’

Martin Shipton

A Plaid Cymru Senedd motion aims to establish whether Welsh Labour loyalties lay with their party or with the people of Wales following a scathing backbench letter criticising Keir Starmer for rolling back devolution.

The letter to the Prime Minister from 11 Labour Senedd backbenchers berated him for undermining the devolution settlement in a way they described as “deeply insensitive” and a “constitutional outrage”.

A programme of contention which has sparked the current row is Pride in Place. This programme, argues Plaid, allows the UK Government to invest in devolved policy fields through the controversial UK Internal Market Act, thus undermining the democratic mandate of the Senedd and the Welsh Government.

During a recent Welsh Affairs Select Committee meeting, Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, confirmed that part of Wales’ expected Local Growth Fund allocation had been redirected by the UK Government to finance its Pride in Place scheme – a programme designed and delivered entirely from Whitehall, with no Welsh Government involvement.

In addition, Plaid Cymru MP Llinos Medi established that the UK Government had given funding directly to the Northern Ireland Executive instead of via the Pride in Place scheme.

Ms Medi, who represents Ynys Mon, asked Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn why he had adopted a different approach to Pride in Place Programme Phase 2 funding in Northern Ireland than in Wales and Scotland.

He responded: “Although phase two of the Pride in Place programme will not be delivered in Northern Ireland, corresponding funding will be made available in Northern Ireland through the Local Growth Fund, with a total UK Government investment of £45.5m per annum over the Spending Review period. This decision was made in consultation with the Northern Ireland Executive.”

Plaid Cymru says that if Labour fails to support its motion, they will prove once and for all that they prioritise Keir Starmer and party unity before the needs of the people of Wales, showing that they have officially given up on Wales.

Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “When Labour MSs themselves are protesting at ministers in London making decisions over Wales’ head, it’s clear something is going very wrong.

“It’s time for Labour in Wales to decide what is more important to them – defending Keir Starmer to satisfy their own party, or standing up for Wales.

“After 26 years of Labour leading Government in Wales, we now have a UK Labour Government holding Wales back, from the HS2 missing billions, to the Crown Estate, and powers over policing and justice.

“This is about making sure that Wales has a voice and that decisions for Wales are being made in Wales, not in Westminster.

“Labour have clearly given up on Wales. On 7 May 2026, people across Wales will have a chance to vote for new leadership that will stand up for Wales with Plaid Cymru.”

Motion

Plaid’s motion will be debated at the Senedd on Wednesday December 17. It states:”The Senedd:

1. Notes the letter sent to the UK Prime Minister by over a third of the Senedd’s Labour Members on 3 December 2025.

2. Believes that the Labour UK Government is rolling back on the existing devolution settlement, as stated in the letter.”

Labour has proposed an amendment which states: “Delete point 2 and replace with:

“Reaffirms this Senedd’s commitment to strengthening the devolution settlement, in line with the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales.”

The Welsh Conservatives will move an amendment which states: “Delete point 2 and replace with:

“Believes that rows about the devolution settlement are a distraction from getting to grips with the everyday challenges facing Wales.”