Latest news with #Wales-specific
South Wales Argus
10-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Welsh and UK Government tensions to come to head says reader
Eluned Morgan's comments were made during a meeting with MPs earlier this week. There has been growing unease amongst Welsh Labour Senedd politicians about a number of decisions made by the UK government, including cuts to welfare and tax increases. Plaid Cymru said Labour was 'once again riven by infighting'. The spat and rising tension between Eluned Morgan and her overseer Jo Stevens will soon come to a head, so much for the working together spin. Wales has some of the highest rates of claims for benefits in the whole of the UK. The UK government has not produced a Wales-specific impact assessment, despite the Welsh government asking for one. The Bevan Foundation estimates that 275,000 people in Wales could be impacted by changes to personal independence payments (PIP) and 110,000 by changes to universal credit. The same problem will arise in all unionist parties, where their English paymaster has full control. If you are a socialist and care about economic growth, getting people into well-paid jobs, reducing poverty and child poverty, then voting Plaid Cymru will give Wales the real change needed. Andrew Nutt, Bargoed
Pembrokeshire Herald
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Plaid Cymru surges as Labour slumps to historic low in Senedd poll
Reform UK also gains ground as Welsh politics enters period of upheaval A NEW poll suggests Welsh politics could be heading for a dramatic shake-up in the run-up to the 2026 Senedd election, with Plaid Cymru pulling ahead and Labour hitting its lowest level of support since devolution began. The YouGov survey, commissioned by ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University, puts Plaid Cymru in the lead with 30% of the vote, followed closely by Reform UK on 25%. Labour trails in third place with just 18%—a record low for the party that has dominated Welsh politics for over a century. Seat projections based on the poll suggest a possible minority government led by Plaid Cymru, which could win around 35 seats in the 60-member Senedd. Reform UK is projected to take 30, Labour 19, the Conservatives 9, and the Liberal Democrats 3. However, with around 10 seats falling within the poll's margin of error, the balance of power could still shift depending on voter sentiment. ITV Cymru Wales' Political Editor, Adrian Masters, compared the situation to Scotland's political turning point in 2007, when the SNP formed a minority government that went on to secure a majority. A breakdown of support by age shows Plaid Cymru performing strongest among younger voters, with 46% of 16 to 24-year-olds backing the party. Reform UK's support grows with age, peaking at 34% among voters aged 50 to 64. Labour's support is more evenly spread across age groups but remains lower than that of its rivals. First Minister Eluned Morgan responded to the poll by warning of the 'real danger' that Labour could lose power in Wales. She called for a clearer 'red Welsh way' that speaks directly to Wales-specific concerns, setting the party apart from UK Labour policy. With Plaid Cymru and Reform UK now posing serious challenges to Labour's long-held dominance, the stage is set for a transformative election in 2026—potentially reshaping the future of Welsh governance.
The National
02-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Welsh First Minister says Labour MPs 'not standing up' for nation
Labour's Eluned Morgan made the comments during a virtual meeting with MPs earlier this week, according to the BBC. When she spoke to the BBC, she did not deny the remarks adding: "There will be times when we perhaps see things in a different light. That's devolution. "Everyone needs to relax." Welsh Labour Senedd politicians have been becoming frustrated with some decisions at UK level including cuts to welfare and tax hikes. READ MORE: John Curtice gives verdict as Reform UK win Runcorn by-election Sources have told the broadcaster Morgan told the Welsh Labour MPs they were not doing enough to stand up for the country. In an interview on Thursday, Morgan said: "I have regular meetings with Welsh MPs. Obviously, we work together really closely. We'll continue to do so. "What happens in those meetings obviously will remain private, but we have a good relationship and we'll continue to work together." There is just over a year to go until the Senedd election and Morgan is set to give a speech next week in which she will clarify her position on UK Government welfare reforms. Morgan has "reserved" her position on the cuts to welfare so far, and has not overtly criticised the plans. READ MORE: Labour mayor rips into Keir Starmer after narrow victory over Reform Wales has some of the highest rates of benefits claims in the whole of the UK. The Bevan Foundation estimates that 275,000 people in Wales could be impacted by changes to personal independence payments (PIP). The UK Government has not produced a Wales-specific impact assessment, despite the Welsh Government asking for one. The Welsh Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford has raised concerns that Wales will be left £65m short because of the way compensation is calculated for public sector bodies' NICs. At the end of last year, Plaid Cymru topped polling, overtaking Labour for the first time since 2010. The poll by Barn Cymru showed that Plaid would win 24% of the vote, with Welsh Labour falling behind at 23%. Last month another poll showed support for Welsh independence hit 41%. The National has approached Scottish Labour for comment, asking if leader Anas Sarwar if he is satisfied party MPs at Westminster are standing up for Scotland.
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Labour first minister says party's MPs not standing up for Wales
The first minister has accused Welsh Labour MPs in Westminster of not standing up for Wales, BBC Wales has Morgan's comments were made during a meeting with MPs earlier this has been growing unease amongst Welsh Labour Senedd politicians about a number of decisions made by the UK government including cuts to welfare and tax Labour was asked to comment. BBC Wales understands that the meeting took place on Monday night. Sources said the comments of the first minister were not well Labour row comes with just over a year to go until the 2026 Senedd election and as the first minister prepares to give a speech next week in which she will clarify her position on UK government welfare is not certain how far she will go, or what else the speech will has "reserved" her position on the cuts to welfare so far, and has not overtly criticised the has made a previous veiled criticism of Labour's Welsh secretary at Westminster, Jo Stevens, for suggesting that she welcomed the that backdrop, opposition parties are sceptical whether Morgan can successfully reposition herself and Welsh Labour - if she were so minded. They suggest Labour in Wales is in a panic and that any move would be too little too late. Despite calling it a "partnership in power" since Labour won the general election last year, the relationship between UK Labour and Welsh Labour politicians has not always been reforms, the cuts to winter fuel payments and increases to employers' National Insurance contributions (NICs) - brought in at Westminster - have caused concern in Cardiff has some of the highest rates of benefits claims in the whole of the UK government has not produced a Wales-specific impact assessment, despite the Welsh government asking for Bevan Foundation estimates that 275,000 people in Wales could be impacted by changes to personal independence payments (PIP) and 110,000 by changes to universal only Welsh Labour MP to speak out publicly against the welfare plans is Steve Witherden, who represents Montgomeryshire and Labour MSs have criticised the plans and a Labour minister - Jane Hutt - said she had "strongly" raised concerns over the two-child limit for certain benefits, which the UK government has decided not to Welsh Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford has also raised concerns that Wales will be left £65m short because of the way compensation is calculated for public sector bodies' first minister has been pushing for Wales - as yet unsuccessfully - to get more rail infrastructure spending, including consequential funding for HS2 high speed rail being built in Labour also wants control of the Crown Estate, which is responsible for the seabed around Wales, and is vital for the development of floating offshore wind. It has already been devolved to UK government has acknowledged that Wales has been underfunded on rail and says it would like to make improvements along the south Wales mainline and in north east Wales, but nothing has been are no plans to devolve the Crown Estate. Just this week the first minister has come under pressure from opposition parties over the UK government's plans for the steel industry, with accusations that the steelworks in Port Talbot had been treated differently to the plant at published a letter to the UK government's business secretary on Wednesday in which she calls for a "significant ringfence" of a £2.5bn UK government steel fund to be earmarked for are concerns that the bulk of the money could be earmarked for Stevens has previously spoken of resetting the relationship between the two governments to "one of trust, co-operation and mutual respect".Speaking in the recent St David's Day debate in the Commons, she said the UK government had already overseen £6bn of investment committed to Wales, including £25m as part of a plan to make coal tips are also thought to be tensions between Labour in Wales and Labour in Westminster over where the main threat to the party lies at next year's Senedd speaking MPs think that the biggest challenge comes from Reform. They believe their colleagues in the Senedd are too focused on Plaid polling suggests the three parties are pretty much neck and neck.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Welsh ministers refuse to release benefits cuts letter
The Welsh government says it will not publish a letter to the first minister from the UK government's work and pensions secretary about the impact of welfare reform in Wales, a day after confirming they had received it. Eluned Morgan had written to Liz Kendall on 11 March requesting a Wales-specific assessment, but it is not known whether any such work has been done. On Friday, the first minister refused to back the reforms until she knew more. Last week the chancellor confirmed a tightening of eligibility for personal independence payments and a freeze on some universal credit payments. Plaid Cymru wrote to the FM on Sunday, with its leader Rhun ap Iorwerth demanding that Kendall's response "be published in full, without delay." People 'terrified' by benefit reforms - Labour politician Cycling plans in Wales at risk, warn campaigners Tories vow to end Welsh government working from home Morgan has previously said that the changes would have a greater impact in Wales because of the relatively high level of claimant rates. The welfare reforms come as the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, looks to boost defence funding and tries to meet her own self-imposed fiscal rules, including not borrowing to pay for day-to-day spending. In her Spring Statement on Wednesday she announced a number of benefit changes, including tightening qualification rules for Personal Independence Payments (Pips) - the main disability benefit - claimed by more than 250,000 working aged people in Wales. In her address to MPs, Reeves said "it can't be right" to "write off" an entire generation who are out of work and improperly using Pips. Reeves also confirmed health-related universal credit for new claimants, which was already due to be halved from April 2026 under a package announced last week, would be frozen at its new lower level of £50 per week until 2030. Health-related payments will be frozen for existing claimants. A DWP assessment found 3.2m families across England and Wales would be worse off as a result of the changes, with 250,000 more people pushed into relative poverty. The issue has become politically-charged in Wales, because of the country's relatively high level of benefits claims and after Morgan revealed a fortnight ago that she "personally spoke to number ten" about her concerns. A copy of Morgan's letter to Kendall, dated 11 March, was then released to the media. But in a session of the Senedd's Scrutiny of the First Minister Committee last Friday the first minister confirmed that she had not spoken to the Prime Minister Keir Starmer and could not remember who she had spoken to. In the same session Morgan said she was reserving her position until she had more information. Other Labour politicians have been openly critical of the planned reforms. The Blaenau Gwent MS Alun Davies warned that some of his constituents were "terrified". The Labour MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, Steve Witherden, repeated his calls for a wealth tax, and in a post on X warned that "lives would be shortened" by the changes. The Welsh government said it would be up to the sender to release the letter. BBC Wales has asked the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if it intends to.
