‘Wales must be treated as equal part of UK’ Labour MSs warn Prime Minister
Emily Price
Labour Senedd Members have written to the Prime Minister raising significant concerns about the UK Government’s interference with devolved responsibilities and its failure to move forward with plans to devolve further powers to Wales.
The strongly worded letter – signed by over a third of Labour politicians in the Senedd – accused Sir Keir Starmer of being “deeply insensitive” towards Wales with his government behaving in a similar way to that of the previous Conservative administration.
Since Labour’s general election win in 2024, the party’s MSs have expected the UK Government to press ahead with reforming the outdated Barnett Formula and for rail infrastructure, policing and justice powers to be devolved to Wales.
Welsh Government ministers have also been pushing for the devolution of the Crown Estate, as is the case in Scotland.
However, the letter sent to the Prime Minister on Wednesday (December 3), explained how Westminister had not only failed to move ahead with those plans, but had also been interfering with Wales’ current devolved powers.
The letter detailed how the UK Government’s ‘Pride in Place Programme’ had caused “considerable unhappiness” amongst Labour politicians in the Senedd.
This is due to the flagship communities scheme operating in a “wholly devolved area” that is being “designed and delivered” from Whitehall.
Signatories of the letter asked the Prime Minister: “Why is the UK Government directly funding Welsh Councils to fix bus shelters, reopen park toilets, and provide bins?
“As well as top-slicing funding from the Local Growth Fund – which we would have expected to have been passed to the Welsh Government as an EU successor fund – Pride in Place is being imposed using powers in the UK Internal Market Act 2020.
“Regeneration is a devolved matter. Yet UKIMA is being used to give the UK Government authority to provide financial assistance without requiring consent from the Senedd or Welsh Ministers.
“You will remember the Welsh Government brought a Judicial Review against the last UK Government because, in its view, the Internal Market Act represented an unwarranted attack on devolution.
“The Conservative legislation repealed parts of the Government of Wales Act 2006, reduced the Senedd’s legislative competence, and gave UK Ministers broad ‘Henry VIII powers’ to amend primary legislation, which could undermine devolution.
“For our own Government to then come in and use the very same powers to act in devolved areas is at best deeply insensitive, at worst a constitutional outrage.”
‘Wasteful’
They added: “Not only is it wrong in principle to use the Internal Market Act in this way, the design of the Pride in Place programme by the Wales Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, has cut out the democratically elected Welsh Government in a policy area that is fully within its remit.
“Whilst there is a genuflection in the neighbourhood selection criteria to the Welsh Government policies, the UK Government is, nonetheless, requiring Welsh local authorities to seek Whitehall approval for spending that cuts across existing programmes.
“This is ineffective and wasteful, and no way to spend public money.
“If this was being done by a Tory Government, we would be calling for a judicial review. This must never happen again.
“Wales needs and deserves to be treated as an equal part of the UK and the UK Government has a responsibility to act to deliver this equality.
“Not only is it wrong in principle to use the Internal Market Act in this way, the design of the Pride in Place programme by the Wales Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, has cut out the democratically elected Welsh Government in a policy area that is fully within its remit.
“Whilst there is a genuflection in the neighbourhood selection criteria to the Welsh Government policies, the UK Government is, nonetheless, requiring Welsh local authorities to seek Whitehall approval for spending that cuts across existing programmes. This is ineffective and wasteful, and no way to spend public money.
“If this was being done by a Tory Government, we would be calling for a judicial review. This must never happen again.
“Wales needs and deserves to be treated as an equal part of the UK and the UK Government has a responsibility to act to deliver this equality. The signs are clear that the public understands this, we must demonstrate that we do too.”
Concerns
The letter was signed by Mick Antoniw, Hannah Blythyn, Alun Davies, John Griffiths, Lesley Griffiths, Julie Morgan, Jenny Rathbone, Rhianon Passmore, Carolyn Thomas, Mike Hedges and Lee Waters.
It’s understood that the concerns were also raised by First Minister Eluned Morgan when she met with the Prime Minister at his official country residence, Chequers, last week.
A Welsh Labour source told Nation.Cymru the matter is expected to be raised by Baroness Morgan again this week with the considerable feeling amongst Welsh Labour and Welsh Government ministers that they must “push back strongly” on the issue.
Mabon ap Gwynfor, a Plaid Cymru MS, described the letter as “extraordinary”.
He said: “Labour in Wales falling apart just months before a crucial election.
“It tells you everything you need to know about a party in complete disarray, with no influence whatsoever over their London colleagues.
“Time and again, when Starmer imposes damaging policies on Wales, Eluned Morgan has chosen to defend him rather than stand up for Wales.
“The cracks inside Labour are now clear for all to see. This is a party split and lacking confidence in its own leadership, while communities in Wales are left paying the price.
“While Labour fight amongst themselves, Plaid Cymru is focused entirely on Wales – on protecting public services, fighting for fairness, and providing the new leadership the people of Wales deserve.”
Chaos
Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds said the signatories of this letter were “correct”.
She said: “You cannot claim to respect Wales while designing Welsh programmes from Whitehall. It shows a deep lack of understanding and a worrying disregard for the Senedd.
“If Labour’s representatives in Wales have lost faith in Labour’s MPs in London, it tells you everything about how little grip the party has on devolution.”
A Conservative spokesman said: “Labour are in chaos. Just a week after their Budget for Benefits Street designed to appease Labour members across the country, Welsh Senedd Members have broken ranks to criticise Starmer.
“Only the Conservatives have the team, plan and leader with a backbone to deliver for every corner of the United Kingdom.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We’re working hand in hand with the Welsh Government to deliver real change for communities across Wales in partnership.
“Providing well-targeted funding will help achieve this – with Pride in Place putting local people in the driving seat to decide their priorities, whether that’s their high street, local businesses, or community spaces.
“And it provides extra investment on top of the record funding we’ve already given to Wales, as we make sure communities get the support they deserve.”
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Labour in Wales is a sinking ship with all the Labour MSs in the ship. They can write all the letters, but I think they will be wiped out of government at the next election.
labour has sunk across the UK
The last two paragraphs can be disregarded.
So 2 thirds of labour Senedd MS’s including the first minister didn’t sign the letter. Nor are there any supporting signatories from Wales Westminster labour MPs
Pretty much sums it up and tells you all you need to know about where labour MS ‘s and MPs loyalty lie.
Party, Westminster and is dysfunctional discredited and broken as it is the UK.
Labour need to be kicked into touch in Wales at next years elections. We need a party empower that will stand up for Wales.
Starmer will probably wake up on the day of the count. Be too late then.
Yes, but will they have the guts to do anything about it if Starmer sticks the finger up at them by way of reply? Somehow, I suspect not.
“The change we need” has rapidly turned into “The continuity you definitely didn’t ask for” on every front. A party of no principle or purpose morphs into its opposite… “vote for us or you’ll get them!”.. Reader we already have.
The reason there’s little difference between the blue and the red team in Westminster matters like this isn’t down to the ideologies of the parties and their leaders but a sign if one were needed that the politicians aren’t really in charge. It’s the unelected bureaucrats in Whitehall that run the show. We call them civil servants today but the change is in name only for jobs once known as imperial administrators in departments set up to run an empire. As their jurisdiction diminished they simply reduced headcount and carried on administering the runt of empire that’s the UK’s regions… Read more »
Wales needs to be freed from the UK
If our so-called Welsh Labour First Minister Eluned Morgan feels Wales isn’t treated as an equal part of the UK. Why then is it only now she’s realised this? After all Labour-run Whitehall have continually ignored Welsh Government calls for fair funding, HS2 consequential, the devolution of our Crown Estate and Criminal & Youth Justice system. It’s simply not good enough. Wales needs a real Welsh party with a strong leader able and willing to fight our corner against the likes of authoritarian UK Labour and the far-right English extremist parties like Reform UK & Conservative. That leader is Rhun… Read more »
Labour in Westminster continue to destroy any chance they may have left to win next year’s election.
But I had to laugh at this bit – “Only the Conservatives have the team, plan and leader with a backbone to deliver for every corner of the United Kingdom.” This shows the Conservatives are utterly delusional.
Since they were rightly booted out of power, whenever any of the chancers try to put forward this sort of ludicrous opinion I just fast forward. They’ve got nothing worth saying.
Come on Plaid.
How utterly tragic that it is left to the rank and file to try and speak up. The leaders of the Welsh Government are a disgrace.
Does this show that Labour doesn’t give a fig about Wales or does it show that they’re out of touch? Either way I think it shows that they’re not worth voting for.
Labour’s Cardiff Bay branch appears to be revolting against the Westminster party. Not worried about losing heavily to Plaid Cymru next year by any chance?
Labour are British Welsh and the British Welsh are meek.
Whilst these Labour MS’s should be applauded for taking a stance, would they mind if Starmer continued to undermine devolution if say Plaid Cymru or Reform UK were elected into government next year?
No, they would be egging them on.
The Labour Party in Wales (All members within the British Labour Party) should have listened to the motorists , the farmers , the families of children in poverty , the homeless people , the small businesses and the hospitality industry . Instead of insisting on telling us how to drive , narrowing the road systems , insisting we need to get on bikes and buses what to eat and taxing the population with their petty obsessions ,then maybe they would not be in the bronze medal position.
Vote Plaid!
The UK has made itself an international embarrassment. Why would we want to be attatched to this absolute joke?
Time to be freed from this abusive relationship.
Does the totally naive Ian Parry agree with the letter? He should and he should resign his place as Labour candidate (see his diatribe in NC).
Oh look, another “strongly worded letter”