Plaid Cymru leader calls on Starmer to ‘pledge greater powers to Wales’
Plaid Cymru’s acting leader Llyr Gruffydd has urged UK Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer to pledge his support for granting “greater powers” to Wales.
In a letter to the UK Labour Leader – sent on the eve of the march for Welsh independence in Swansea on Saturday, Mr Gruffydd said the Labour party had “historically failed” to keep pace with the growing desire for “more powers” for Wales.
The Member of the Senedd for the North Wales region called on the Labour leader to “join Plaid Cymru” in backing greater powers over the “economy, broadcasting, energy, welfare, justice, and transport” to the Senedd to ensure Wales had the tools to “strengthen its economy and protect its public services”.
Self-determination
“As the debate surrounding Wales’s constitutional future gathers pace, thousands of people will meet in Swansea to show their support for self-determination, many of them members of your party,” Mr Gruffydd said.
“Despite more powers being the settled will of the Welsh electorate, and independence having moved from the margins to the mainstream, it is a matter of deep frustration that the UK Labour Party has historically failed to keep pace with this growing desire for the Senedd to have powers over key areas of responsibility.
“These wishes are clearly being heard by some of your Labour colleagues in Wales who have recently spoken out in support of HS2 Barnett consequentials, the devolution of justice, and the devolution of the Crown Estate.
“Over the coming months, all parties will be developing their programme for government ahead of the Westminster Election next year.
“My plea to you is to remember Wales.
“By joining Plaid Cymru in pledging to grant the Welsh Parliament greater powers over the economy, broadcasting, energy, welfare, justice, and transport, you would be ensuring that our nation has the tools it needs to strengthen its economy and protect its public services.
“It is my firm belief that saying nothing now and inaction later opens the door to those who wish to entrench Wales’s marginal status within the Westminster system.”
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English Labour leader Keir Starmer cannot wrap himself in the Union Flag like the Tories have by denying only Wales the devolution of powers enjoyed by all the home nations of the UK. He has no moral right to prevent powers requested by the Welsh Government when Wales won the hard fought right to become legislative Assembly in 2011 then Senedd Cymru when each Welsh election promised by pro-devolution parties in their manifestos are powers over Policing, Criminal & Youth Justice System, Saint David’s Day Bank Holiday, Crown Estate , powers already devolved and enjoyed by England, Scotland & Northern… Read more »
Has Sir stamer even heard of Wales???
Calling on greater power, is pointless. To achieve greater equality and prosperity in Wales the only way is independence. Any Labour government will prioritise England first – that is no benefit to us. Let’s move on and gain self determination as soon as possible
This is ridiculous. The very fact that they go begging to an unelected English politician who has no say in Wales shows exactly why Wales is a laughing stock to most. The British, it seems they will be subservient to the English forever.
Yes, but we need to be realistic here. Starmer may end up as the new PM if the Tory gerrymandering machine and dark funding fails to swing the election in their way. He needs to have a clear list of what the other nations of the Union are seeking as these points are going to be negotiating chips. He may not like it but if he needs to get votes to get his own agenda through (assuming that he has one) then he will end up negotiating with the Welsh MPs in Welsh Labour and Plaid.
I would very much like to hear UK Labour’s response.
My vote for them depends upon it.
Even the Manchester mayor Andy Burnham had once made election promises to grant the devolved administrations more devolved powers should Labour win a GE but I think this is more a policy of appeasement. I think they know that Brexit was more a dagger in the heart of the UK union than the EU union which has shown more solidarity with each other since we left and weakened the UK considerably.
Remainers keep asking for the benefits of Brexit. The spiteful person in me that detests Westminster so much will answer: the possibility of the breakup of the UK.