PM accused of 'humiliating' senior Welsh politicians as anger rises in Senedd

A PROMINENT Labour back-bencher accused the party leader Keir Starmer of humiliating leading Welsh politicians amid rising anger at the Prime Minister in the Senedd.

- RUTH MOSALSKI

Blaenau Gwent MS Alun Davies was speaking as Senedd members debated the attitude of Mr Starmer's government to devolution after the Prime Minister was accused of rolling back devolution by directly funding local authorities in Wales in devolved areas.

During the debate, Wales' deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said the Welsh Government disagrees with UK government policy on funding for communities but said the sum of money involved was very small.

Mr Davies said: "It is not fair that Wales is treated the way it is, and it is not fair that Welsh ministers are humiliated - and we saw it this afternoon - having to run to catch up because they don't know what's being said from London.

"It's not fair that Welsh ministers need to try to explain that rail funding is fair when it's self-evidently not, that Barnett is fair when it is self-evidently not.

"That is not fair. It is not fair for this Government, it is not fair for this Parliament, but more importantly it is not fair for our people. So, we will campaign for equality over the coming months. We will campaign for the equality of people, as we've done in the Labour movement through our history."

Eleven backbench Labour MSs, more than a third of MSs representing Labour in the Senedd, said the UK Government is not only failing to deliver on promises to hand more powers to Wales but is "rolling back" on what is already devolved through its policy on post-EU funding for communities.

The letter reads: "In opposition we raised expectations of reform of the Barnett formula, devolution of rail infrastructure, policing and justice, and of the Crown Estate. Not only is the government not progressing these but it is rolling back the existing devolution settlement."

Their letter says the recent announcement of a Pride in Place programme has "caused considerable unhappiness".