Starmer open to discussions about further powers for Wales
Mark Mansfield
Keir Starmer has indicated he is open to discussions about further powers for Wales during his first official conversation with new First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth following Plaid Cymru’s historic Senedd election victory.
During the phone call, ap Iorwerth pressed the Prime Minister on a series of longstanding constitutional and funding issues, including rail infrastructure powers, fair funding, borrowing powers and further devolution for Wales.
According to the Welsh Government, the First Minister also stressed that a majority in the Senedd, including Labour members, now supported enhanced powers for Wales.
Sir Keir, who has faced mounting pressure following Labour’s heavy losses in Wales and poor results elsewhere in Britain, reportedly confirmed he would be open to discussions relating to devolution.
The Prime Minister also proposed a meeting in June involving the leaders of the devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The conversation came just days after ap Iorwerth was formally confirmed as First Minister following an election that ended Labour’s 27-year hold on power in Cardiff Bay.
Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party in last week’s election with 43 seats in the expanded 96-member Senedd, six short of an overall majority. Labour fell to just nine seats in its worst result since devolution began, while Reform UK became the official opposition with 34 members.
Ap Iorwerth is the first non-Labour politician to lead the Welsh Government since the Senedd was established in 1999 and also the first First Minister to represent a north Wales constituency.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said the Prime Minister had congratulated ap Iorwerth on his appointment and said he wanted to establish “ways of working based on shared interests”.
The First Minister said he wanted to develop a “constructive relationship” with the UK Government while making clear Wales expected a different settlement from Westminster.
Plaid Cymru has long campaigned for the devolution of rail infrastructure funding following disputes over the classification of the HS2 project, which the party argues deprived Wales of billions of pounds in consequential funding.
Middle East conflict
The two leaders also discussed the impact of the growing conflict in the Middle East on energy prices and the wider cost of living crisis, agreeing to continue dialogue on the issue.
Ap Iorwerth also held calls with John Swinney and Northern Ireland’s First Minister and deputy First Minister earlier in the day, with all sides agreeing to work together on areas of shared interest.
Speaking earlier this week about cooperation between the devolved nations, ap Iorwerth said: “My loyalty will always be to the people of Wales, but together there is strength too.”
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So basically Rhun has done more for Walea on his second day in the job than Welsh Labour have done in 27 years?
Pretty much, Labour is dead weight and never intended to expand on devolution it was just all talk, we are now in the exact same place as the SNP in 2007.
‘The Prime Minister has indicated he is open to discussions about further powers for Wales during his first official conversation with new First Minister’
This within 24hrs of appointment of new FM. Opening gambits of course, but it appears to promise more powers than was offered to previous FMs.
As minimum it would really help the poor confused mandarins in Whitehall if all three devolved nations simply standardised on devomax. Only in the interests of taxpayer value for money, operational efficiency and giving them winetime Fridays back of course.
I can’t help but feel it’s probably a little late for that now with Josh Simons having resigned from his Makerfield seat and asking his people who voted for him to vote for Andy Burnham, and him now saying that he’d be willing to stand for the leadership. Even without that, I’m cautious of the promises made by a party under pressure just before and just after an election. It makes me wonder where all of Labour’s positivity for Cymru had been for the two years that they’d been in power, as many of their choices have been very clearly… Read more »
hmmmmm, don’t trust Kier on that one. He has come across as someone who doesn’t want devolution. Plaid have them worried!
Plaid Cymru doing well has always unnerved Labour in Wales. The election of Gwynfor Evans largely influenced George Thomas’s spectacular of the Caernarfon investiture in 1969 as a propaganda stunt, and the election of Dafydd Wigley and Dafydd Elis Thomas along with Gwynfor Evans in the 1970s along with surges in support for Plaid in the south east was a major influence in getting the 1979 referendum over devolution. So maybe it’s not so suprising that Starmer is ready to at least listen to Rhun’s proposals – Starmer doesn’t really have a lot of choice as a negative response would… Read more »
Discussing is one thing; delivering is another Mr Starmer. How many commissions has Wales endured, only for UK Labour to kick their findings into the long grass? The 2004 Ivor Richard Commission. The 2014 Silk Commission. Actions speak louder than words.
Pushing at an open door, if only Welsh Labour had known. Helps Clark being on the ropes eh! Rhun…keep pushing…
Kick the damn door in. Break the hinges
The far right English Nationalist Party would have handed money back to Starmer saying Wales doesn’t need it. Thank God the Welsh people rejected them last week
Great. Let him crawl and beg. Cymru has spoken
Thank goodness that the racist Cymru hating party didn’t get in last week.
Traitors to Cymru need to pay attention.