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Wales’ First Minister, Eluned Morgan, recently made it clear that she is withholding her endorsement of the Labour Party leader, Sir Keir Starmer, ahead of the upcoming Senedd elections in May. Speaking to the BBC, Morgan emphasized that Starmer “is not on the ballot” in Wales’s election, signaling that voters should focus on local issues rather than the UK-wide leadership of the Labour Party. She urged the Welsh public not to treat the election as an opportunity to register dissatisfaction with the UK government.
Morgan stressed that the Senedd vote should prioritize practical governance over political protest. On Radio 4’s Today programme, she said, “This is not an… opportunity for a free hit against the UK government. This is not a time for protest votes.” Instead, she framed the election as a choice between different visions for the future of Welsh public services, contrasting what she called the “chaos” predicted under the Reform party with the independence ambitions promoted by Plaid Cymru.
In recent comments, Morgan also addressed the issue of policing devolution, a subject of particular interest in Welsh governance debates. Although she reiterated the Welsh government’s call for the Senedd to gain control over policing, she acknowledged that the UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, had firmly rejected this request. Morgan pointed out that the matter should not overshadow voters’ primary concerns, saying, “I think what people in Wales are concerned with are the bread and butter issues in their daily lives.” She maintained that the focus of upcoming elections should be on economic growth and delivering essential public services.
Opposition voices have been quick to criticize Morgan’s approach. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, Darren Millar, accused her of laying the groundwork for Welsh independence while attempting to outmaneuver nationalist parties. Likewise, Plaid Cymru described Morgan as “powerless,” and Reform UK Wales dismissed the focus on constitutional matters as a distraction from pressing issues such as the NHS and education. Despite these critiques, Morgan remains committed to advocating for devolution changes, although she has so far been unable to secure support from Westminster
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