Streeting’s intellectually flawed attack on Plaid Cymru reveals a misunderstanding of Wales

Brenig Davies

Wes Streeting, in his resignation speech, claimed Britain was now “in the fight of our lives against nationalism” and warned Labour risked “handing the keys of No 10 to Reform” unless it changed direction.

He linked Welsh nationalism to Plaid Cymru, Scottish nationalism to the Scottish National Party, and what he described as “English nationalism” to Reform UK.

The problem with the speech was not simply the argument itself, but the way in which entirely different political traditions were folded together and treated as though they shared a common origin.

Plaid Cymru grew out of concerns about the survival of the Welsh language and Welsh cultural identity, and the belief that Wales should exercise greater democratic control over its own affairs.

Even as the party modernised politically and broadened its appeal, that core argument remained largely intact. Like Wales, Scottish nationalism has always been closely tied to its distinct civic traditions and institutions, and, unlike Wales, to its own legal system.

In contrast, Reform UK belongs to a different political tradition altogether. Its support does not emerge from the defence of a marginalised national culture or from arguments surrounding democratic decentralisation in the Welsh or Scottish sense.

Reform’s rise has been shaped far more by anti-establishment populism, distrust of institutions, hostility towards the political class and anxieties surrounding immigration, sovereignty and social change.

As with the SNP, support for Plaid Cymru has strengthened, as growing numbers of people in Wales increasingly feel that the British state no longer adequately responds to Welsh priorities or economic interests.

The creation of the Senedd altered the UK’s constitutional structure. However, many voters in Wales still feel major economic decisions, infrastructure priorities and financial power remain concentrated in Westminster.

That frustration has created political space for Plaid Cymru, not because Wales has suddenly become overwhelmingly separatist, but because more people increasingly question whether the present arrangements work particularly well for Wales.

In that sense, support for greater autonomy is often less ideological than issues that affect all aspects of life in Wales.

Streeting largely ignored those differences. By treating Welsh, Scottish and English nationalism as variations of the same political problem, he created a false equivalence between movements shaped by entirely different political traditions and grievances.

That is where the comparison with Reform UK breaks down. Plaid Cymru’s politics are rooted in democratic autonomy. Reform UK channels dissatisfaction through institutional distrust and political grievance.

Although both challenge aspects of the British political system, they do so from entirely different starting points.

Threat

By framing nationalism primarily as a threat, rather than asking why national movements continue to attract support, Streeting’s speech was defensive.

For many voters in Wales and Scotland, support for greater autonomy increasingly reflects dissatisfaction not with the UK per se, but with the way Britain is governed.

Lamentably, Streeting is not alone in viewing Britain from Westminster.

Brenig Davies is a retired college manager, a writer, with lifelong interest in Welsh politics and civic life.