'Labour won't give up on Wales' - Phillipson

Deputy Labour leadership candidate Bridget Phillipson has been in Wales campaigning. She speaks to Political editor Ruth Mosalski

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LABOUR’s deputy leader hopeful Bridget Phillipson says a number of times when we speak that she will bring “hope and optimism” to Labour if she becomes its deputy leader - something she may need in abundance as she arrives in Wales to meet Labour members and activists.

A poll earlier in the week showing the party has slumped to a 14% vote share in Wales ahead of May's Senedd election has been a blow to party members who have always been part of the winning team.

‘The party's record here is undefeated in the Senedd, and runs to more than 100 years in Westminster.

‘The poll put the party not just a distant third, but behind Nigel Farage’s Reform UK who were in second, just 1% behind Rhun ap Jorwerth's Plaid Cymru. It doesn’t bode well for her party.

There have been some in Welsh Labour hoping for the UK party to realise just how bad things are here, and this may be the wake-up call needed. There are other questions about whether there is time to turn things around.

“Wales is on the front line of Labour's fight against Reform. We can’t despair and as deputy leader I'll never write Wales off,’ the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South said, speaking to the Western Mail. The UK Government's education secretary says May’s election is “crucial”.

“I know it’s tough, but the path to victory to Labour does run through Wales, and we cannot afford to hand Nigel Farage and Reform a crucial advantage,” she sai

When she says: “Having a Labour government in Wales and a Labour government in Westminster working together is how we'll get things done to working people across the UK,’ I ask whether she thinks there has been any advantage to people in Wales, of electing a UK Labour government.