First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan has issued a warning to Sir Keir Starmer that if powers are not devolved to the Senedd, Wales will begin a path of nationalism which could threaten the future of the United Kingdom.
The Welsh Labour leader argues Wales has been treated differently from the other nations and there is an opportunity to “correct these historic problems”.
In her first significant address ahead of the Senedd elections in May, Ms Morgan called on Wales to be treated the same as Scotland.
The first minister said she is seeking devolution of policing, rail, youth justice and probation, along with the transfer of Crown Estate powers.
She also called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to make the Welsh government’s full access to its financial reserves permanent.
Ms Morgan also wants a Constitutional Reform Act to legally protect devolution.
Speaking at an event in London, the First Minister of Wales said: “In some areas, people and businesses in Wales have been denied the equivalent service or the same level of opportunity as the people in England. So for people who believe in the union, as I passionately do, you can’t explain that, let alone justify it.
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“Now I want to consider the case of heavy rail infrastructure. Wales receives 1% of rail infrastructure funding despite having 11% of rail tracks. Scotland receives its fair share. Why can’t Wales be a successful project?
“The next chapter on devolution has to correct these historic problems”.
Wales is at a crossroads in politics, as come May, Labour look to see an end to their century-old dominance in Wales.
It is also likely that Labour will no longer lead the government for the first time since the Senedd’s creation.
According to the latest polling from YouGov for ITV Wales, a Plaid Cymru-led government is the most likely outcome at the May elections, whereas Labour faces obliteration.
Plaid Cymru are ahead at 37%, followed by Reform 23%, Green Party 13%, Labour 10%, Conservatives 10% and the Liberal Democrats on 10%.
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The first minister senses the challenges the Labour Party faces from the threat of Plaid in May, warning “separatism is now very much on the agenda”.
She told the event in London: “The rise of nationalism in Wales, as evidenced in the most recent opinion polls, would give two pro-independence parties, Plaid and the Greens, a majority in Wales.
“Separatism is now very much on the agenda in our nation…and the UK government can play a leading role to resist separatism and the breakup of the union”.
Plaid Cymru described Ms Morgan’s speech as “disingenuous”.
Heledd Fychan MS told Sky News: “Plaid Cymru has always led the case for fair funding for Wales, devolving justice, securing powers over our natural resources and securing the billions owed to Wales in rail cash – yet Labour in both Westminster and Cardiff have blocked, and actively opposed, this from happening.
“It is disingenuous of them to claim that they now champion devolution or Welsh interests.
“This was a speech rooted in desperation by a party that’s trying to stay relevant when the people of Wales are challenging them on their failure to deliver in government.”
Ms Morgan offered no sign that the UK government is prepared to meet her demands for further devolution.
But the fight to secure more powers for Cardiff Bay is far from new for the first minister.
Ms Morgan has long demanded control of the Crown Estate, mirroring Scotland’s model, where revenues go straight to the Scottish government rather than the UK Treasury.
But Westminster has repeatedly rebuffed her, James Murray -then a treasury minister and now chief secretary to the Treasury – told MPs last year that devolving the crown estate would make “no commercial sense”.
In response to the first minister’s calls for more devolution a UK government spokesperson said: “The UK government is working with the Welsh government to deliver the priorities of the people of Wales.
“We recently provided Welsh government with its largest-ever budget settlement of more than £22bn a year, enabling greater investment in the NHS, schools and local services and helping to break down barriers to opportunity, while changes we have made to the fiscal framework mean that the Welsh government has an extra £425m in new spending power in the coming years.
“And this UK government has also delivered generational direct investment in Wales – including new nuclear at Wylfa on Anglesey and £445m to modernise Welsh rail.”
