Latest news with #Senedd
Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Labour's Welsh secretary thinks Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are no different to one another
Labour's Welsh secretary thinks Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are no different to one another Both are electoral threats to Labour, polling shows Welsh secretary Jo Stevens (Image: Welsh Labour TV/PA ) Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are "two sides of the same coin," Welsh secretary Jo Stevens has said. Speaking at Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, Ms Stevens criticised both parties who pose a serious electoral threat to her party at the upcoming Senedd election, if poll projects are correct. She said: "Our opponents are two sides of the same coin. Plaid and Reform are divisive nationalists determined to rip our country apart. One with no plan to pay for the NHS, another with plans to sell it off to the highest bidder. "They will destroy the work we have done to create thousands of jobs in renewable energy, in advanced manufacturing, in defence. They will stop our free prescriptions and halt the progress made on waiting lists," she said. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . Prime Minister Keir Starmer focused on national and international issues in his speech but also directly criticised Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The Senedd election in May 2026 is widely seen as being a huge test for both Eluned Morgan and Keir Starmer. Polling shows Labour could slip from the party in power, for the whole of the devolution period, to third with 18% of the vote. The next election will be fought under a new voting system, with new constituencies and will increase the number of Senedd members from 60 to 96 at a cost of billions. Article continues below In his speech, to open the event, Prime Minister attacked Nigel Farage saying he has "no plan" for Wales. He said the Reform UK leader 'isn't interested in Wales'. Referencing Mr Farage's visit to Port Talbot where he said his party wanted to look at reopening mines in Wales and said that the blast furnaces at the Tata plant in Port Talbot should be restarted. The Port Talbot proposal was widely criticised as being unrealistic. You can read about that here. Mr Farage himself admitted it would cost 'in the low billions' and industry experts and members said not only is the cost prohibitive but it is impossible to restart a closed blast furnace. He didn't directly criticise the reopening of coals mines suggestion by Mr Farage but did use the opportunity to highlight things his administration had done in terms of committing money to coal tip regeneration and miners' pensions. "Nigel Farage isn't interested in Wales, he's interested in Nigel Farage, he takes people for fools. "Just look what he said earlier this month, going to Port Talbot pretending he's got a plan to reopen the blast furnace, he's got no idea what he's talking about. He's got no plan at all. "Let's be clear. What Reform's plans would be mean in practice. Cancelling the electric arc furnace, cancelling the construction work that's on track to start in just a few weeks time, cancelling the 5,000 jobs it'll bring. "That's all you ever need to know about Reform," he said. Reform UK is polling to take seats in the Senedd and a recent UK Parliamentary poll by YouGov showed they would take 23 seats off Labour. Plaid Cymru would also do well at the expense of Labour. Less than a year ago, in the July general election, Labour took 27 of the 32 seats available. You can read that story here. The Senedd election in May 2026 is widely seen as being a huge test for both Eluned Morgan and Keir Starmer. Polling shows Labour could slip from the party in power, for the whole of the devolution period, to third with 18% of the vote. The most recent polling for Wales by YouGov is here. The next election will be fought under a new voting system, with new constituencies and will increase the number of Senedd members from 60 to 96 at a cost of billions. Article continues below
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Keir Starmer accuses Nigel Farage of ‘taking people for fools' in Wales
Keir Starmer has used his keynote speech at the Welsh Labour conference to launch an attack on Nigel Farage, as the prime minister turned from fighting off a rebellion of his own MPs, to fighting off the threat of Reform. Starmer said Farage was 'taking people for fools' in Wales, and criticised the Reform leader's recent visit to Port Talbot, during which he demanded the reopening of Welsh coalmines to provide fuel for the town's now shuttered steelmaking blast furnaces. 'Just look what he said … pretending he has a plan to reopen a blast furnace. Nigel Farage isn't interested in Wales. He is interested in Nigel Farage,' Starmer said. The prime minister also warned of a 'backroom stitch-up' between Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives and Reform UK before the Senedd elections next May that he said would mark a 'return to the chaos and division of the last decade'. Starmer's appearance came amid an escalating crisis for the government over it's unpopular welfare bill. Number 10 is still battling to win support for the changes among its own MPs with claims that hastily announced concessions will create a 'two-tier' system where existing and new claimants of disability benefits are treated differently. Acknowledging the row in his speech, Starmer said 'everyone agrees' the welfare system needed to be fixed. He said: 'We cannot take away the safety net that vulnerable people rely on, and we won't, but we also can't let it become a snare for those who can and want to work. 'Everyone agrees that our welfare system is broken: failing people every day, a generation of young people written off for good and the cost spiralling out of control. 'Fixing it is a moral imperative, but we need to do it in a Labour way.' In Wales, polls suggest Labour, which has led every Welsh government since devolution, will come in third place, and Reform UK could be the biggest party. Plaid Cymru has repeatedly ruled out working with either the Conservatives or Reform UK in next year's Senedd. 'Labour has had decades to deliver for Wales,' a Plaid Cymru spokesperson said in response to Starmer's comments. 'If this is Labour's big pitch to the people of Wales, then frankly, they're scraping the barrel. Instead of offering hope, they're peddling fiction about imaginary coalitions.' The prime minister also sought to downplay signs of infighting between the Westminster and Cardiff Bay governments, telling delegates that the two Labour administrations are 'working together for the people of Wales', and praising the first minister, Eluned Morgan, as a 'fierce champion' and the 'the best person' to lead the country into the future. Last month Morgan made a public attempt to distance her leadership from her Westminster counterpart's, using a speech to criticise the UK government's plans to cut winter fuel payments and disability benefits, which she said would 'harm Welsh communities'. Westminster has since rowed back on both policies, the latter after more than 120 Labour MPs threatened a rebellion. Labour Senedd members have privately said they are shocked that only five Welsh Labour MPs had said they would vote against the bill, despite research showing it will disproportionately affect people in Wales. Morgan is expected to call the next Senedd election a 'moment of reckoning' later on Saturday. Starmer made the case that the Westminster and Cardiff Labour governments were delivering for Wales, pointing to the largest ever devolution settlement for Wales, new investment zones in Wrexham and Cardiff, freeports in Anglesey and Port Talbot, and record funding for Wales's railways and clearing coal tips in this month's spending review. 'This first year was about clearing up the mess the Tories left. Now our focus is firmly on the future,' he said. Also on Saturday, the secretary of state for Wales, Jo Stevens, announced at the conference a new £11m fund for businesses in the Port Talbot area.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Nigel Farage ‘not interested in Wales', Starmer claims
Sir Keir Starmer has said Reform leader Nigel Farage 'isn't interested in Wales' and has no viable plan for Port Talbot's blast furnaces. Speaking at the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, the Prime Minister described the Reform UK leader as a 'wolf in Wall Street clothing'. 'When you ask him about Clacton, he thinks he's running in the 2.10 at Ascot,' Sir Keir joked. Mr Farage has said his party wants to restart Port Talbot's blast furnaces but Sir Keir said the Reform leader has 'no idea what he's talking about', when it comes to the furnaces, and has 'no plan at all'. Port Talbot's remaining blast furnaces were shut down in September, with a new electric arc furnace being built in their place. Reform is looking to end Labour's 26 years of domination at the Senedd elections in May next year. Labour performed poorly in this year's local elections in England, which saw Nigel Farage's party win a swathe of council seats. Taking aim at Mr Farage, Sir Keir said the Clacton MP is 'a wolf in Wall Street clothing'. 'Reform claimed to be the party of patriotism while sucking up to Putin and abusing our armed forces online. 'They say they're the party of workers while they vote against workers' rights, intending to charge people to use the NHS and plan unfunded tax cuts for billionaires.' Sir Keir also said any deal between the Tories, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru at next year's key elections in Wales would amount to a 'backroom stitch-up'. The elections to the Senedd will use a proportional system for the first time, meaning coalitions are likely. The Prime Minister said it would risk a 'return to the chaos and division of the last decade' and risk rolling back the progress his party is starting to make. It would be 'working families left to pick up the bill', he added. 'Whether that's with Reform or with Plaid's determination to cut Wales off from the rest of the country, with no plan to put Wales back together,' he said. 'I know that these are the parties that talk a big game, but who is actually delivering?' Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out making deals with Plaid Cymru or Reform at the next Senedd election. Farmers gathered outside the conference to protest ahead of Sir Keir's speech, with about 20 tractors parked on the promenade in the north Wales resort town by late morning.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nigel Farage ‘not interested in Wales', Starmer claims
Sir Keir Starmer has said Reform leader Nigel Farage 'isn't interested in Wales' and has no viable plan for Port Talbot's blast furnaces. Speaking at the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, the Prime Minister described the Reform UK leader as a 'wolf in Wall Street clothing'. 'When you ask him about Clacton, he thinks he's running in the 2.10 at Ascot,' Sir Keir joked. Mr Farage has said his party wants to restart Port Talbot's blast furnaces but Sir Keir said the Reform leader has 'no idea what he's talking about', when it comes to the furnaces, and has 'no plan at all'. Port Talbot's remaining blast furnaces were shut down in September, with a new electric arc furnace being built in their place. Reform is looking to end Labour's 26 years of domination at the Senedd elections in May next year. Labour performed poorly in this year's local elections in England, which saw Nigel Farage's party win a swathe of council seats. Taking aim at Mr Farage, Sir Keir said the Clacton MP is 'a wolf in Wall Street clothing'. 'Reform claimed to be the party of patriotism while sucking up to Putin and abusing our armed forces online. 'They say they're the party of workers while they vote against workers' rights, intending to charge people to use the NHS and plan unfunded tax cuts for billionaires.' Sir Keir also said any deal between the Tories, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru at next year's key elections in Wales would amount to a 'backroom stitch-up'. The elections to the Senedd will use a proportional system for the first time, meaning coalitions are likely. The Prime Minister said it would risk a 'return to the chaos and division of the last decade' and risk rolling back the progress his party is starting to make. It would be 'working families left to pick up the bill', he added. 'Whether that's with Reform or with Plaid's determination to cut Wales off from the rest of the country, with no plan to put Wales back together,' he said. 'I know that these are the parties that talk a big game, but who is actually delivering?' Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out making deals with Plaid Cymru or Reform at the next Senedd election. Farmers gathered outside the conference to protest ahead of Sir Keir's speech, with about 20 tractors parked on the promenade in the north Wales resort town by late morning.
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Starmer: Farage takes people for fools
The Prime Minister has branded Nigel Farage 'a wolf in Wall Street clothing' and claimed 'he's got no idea what he's talking about'. In a fresh attack on the Reform UK leader Sir Keir Starmer, speaking at Welsh Labour's annual conference on Saturday morning, said: 'Nigel Farage isn't interested in Wales, he's interested in Nigel Farage.' Reform is currently polling in first place in Wales in the run up to Senedd elections next year. Mr Farage's party is expected to win a number of Labour seats in the principality thanks to a new proportional-voting system that will be introduced in the 2026 Welsh elections. Labour, which has led every Welsh government since devolution was introduced in 1999, now polls in third place in Wales behind Reform and Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party. In his speech to Welsh Labour MPs and party delegates, Sir Keir said: 'Nigel Farage isn't interested in Wales, he's interested in Nigel Farage. And he takes people for fools. Just look what he said earlier this month. Going to Port Talbot pretending he's got a plan to reopen a blast furnace when he's got no idea what he's talking about and he's got no plan at all.' Sir Keir also accused Mr Farage of 'intending to charge people to use the NHS' and planning 'unfunded tax cuts for billionaires'. 'While we're planning the future, there are those who are firmly stuck in the past. Take Farage. When you ask him about Clacton, he thinks it's running in the 2:10 at Ascot. A wolf in Wall Street clothing.' The Prime Minister repeated allegations that 'Reform claims to be the party of patriotism while sucking up to Putin' and said party figures had been 'abusing our armed forces online'. The latter claim follows Richard Tice, Reform's deputy leader, voicing criticism of the head of an RAF base for having insufficient security measures after it was sabotaged by the activist group Palestine Action. The speech marks the latest in a series of attacks by the Prime Minister on the leader of Reform, which has five seats in the House of Commons but is leading in the polls. Sir Keir has said he considers Mr Farage's party to be the main challenger to Labour now, describing the Conservative opposition as a 'dead-party walking' under Kemi Badenoch's leadership. The Prime Minister has described his tussling with the Reform leader as part of a 'a battle for the heart and soul of the country'. 'If we're to win that battle, we have to be the progressives fighting against the populists of Reform – yes, Labour has to be a progressive political party,' he told The Observer in an interview this week.
