Welsh Secretary declines to say if she’d quit if Labour lost power in Wales
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens has refused to be drawn on whether she would consider her position if Labour lost power in next year’s Senedd election.
Speaking to ITV Cymru Wales’ Political Editor Adrian Masters on Sharp End on Tuesday, Stevens insisted she was focused solely on winning the election rather than on her own future.
‘Confident’
“We will go into this election and fight for every single vote. I am confident that we can win this election. That’s what my focus is on,” she said.
“You know, I’m not thinking about beyond May at all. I want us to win. I want us to have stability in Wales. I want us to have a government that will lead us into the future on that decade of national renewal – two Labour governments working together for the good of everybody across Wales.”
When pressed by Masters, who asked: “So, next May, Labour will still be the Welsh government, you’ll still be Welsh Secretary, Keir Starmer will still be prime minister?”
Jo Stevens replied: “I don’t make predictions. We will fight to win that election like we will fight every day for the people of this country to win the general election in 2029.”
‘Don’t write us off’
Poll
The comments come as a recent ITV Cymru Wales poll suggested Labour could slump to just 14% of the vote in the 2026 Senedd election – trailing far behind Plaid Cymru on 30% and Reform UK on 29%.
Asked if she and her party recognised the scale of the challenge, she replied: “Absolutely, I’m not for a moment pretending that there isn’t a challenge. But we have been in this situation before.
“I can remember at least two Senedd elections where we were behind in the polls. Polls are very volatile. We were behind in the polls and Welsh Labour won those elections, got the biggest number of Senedd members, formed the government and led the government.
“So don’t write us off. We will be fighting for every vote.”
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She should quit now.
I AGREE
She’s done nothing about the money owed to Wales from HS2 she’s against independence and thinks that the Crown Estate money should stay firmly in England, I really don’t understand these “Welsh” MP’s they don’t appear to represent Wales in London, Labour are finished in Wales.
I challenge her to write a list of the positive things she has done for Cymru. GO NOW!!!
I think her pen just ran out of ink !
She’s the same as the Prince of Wales. Never done anything for the country she supposedly represents. Maybe downloaded Welsh on the Duolingo?
Can you imagine in years to come when she is asked what she did for a living she will say: “I was Secretary of State for Wales.” Then, the interviewer will ask what she achieved in that post. Her reply would have to be: “Absolutely sod all. I blocked everything Wales wanted.”
She won’t go although Starmer might fire her in a fit of pique. Not a likely candidate for any other position in government, is she?
I’m not at all surprised. Stevens isn’t capable of making a decision anyway.
This woman is worse than John Redwood.
To be fair, she didn’t cancel the relief road back when it was actually affordable, sending the money back to London just to brag about it at conference.
And that is saying something the only thing he done was allowing the Redundent miners of Tower pit to buy the coal mine it went on for a few more years making a PROFIT
Labour must go Plaid must.take the helmet in our Wales.Please please please do not.vote for.the fascism of reform, it is ugly beyond imagination.
It’s a thankless job, being a de facto colonial governor tasked by unelected Etonian mandarins in Whitehall with stopping any wealth and opportunity leaving London. There’s really no other explanation for blocking devolution of APD.
Its a redundant position post-devolution. They are appointed by the Prime Minister rather than elected therefore they have no democratic mandate to represent the interests of Wales.
I’m starting to think it’s not about Wales but rather about someone from the government focusing on how they can use Wales. In much the same way that OFWAT is not about securing water supplies but ensuring tax receipts.
Let us face facts she does not fight for Wales share of the financial cake like the Tory ones before her none of the Welsh M P,s that is Tory and Liebour what is the answer i hear you ask one word INDEPENDENCE
Leave Labour. Highly unlikely. The only place this champagne socialist has quit, is Wales. Jo Stevens is an abysmal Welsh Secretary. Time we ended our Labour pains. We have that golden opportunity next May Senedd election.