Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan is making it crystal clear she’s not about to sit back quietly while Labour’s proposed benefit cuts threaten some of the most vulnerable people in Wales. In a speech set for Tuesday, she’s expected to draw a firm line between Welsh Labour values and the direction the UK Government seems to be taking, particularly around plans to slash disability benefits.
The cuts have already sparked backlash across the UK, but in Wales, they’re expected to hit particularly hard. Recent figures from Policy in Practice revealed that four of the ten areas set to be worst affected by these benefit cuts are in Wales. So it’s no surprise Eluned is stepping up to say enough’s enough, reported the Mirror.
She’s also expected to take a cheeky but pointed swipe by referencing Gavin and Stacey, saying that what might work in Essex certainly doesn’t always suit Barry. It’s a nod to cultural and political differences that she believes the wider Labour movement should be paying a lot more attention to.
And it’s not just policy differences. Eluned’s gearing up for what looks like a pretty intense political fight. With Senedd elections looming next year, Labour is facing pressure from all sides—Plaid Cymru pulling from the left, and Reform gaining worrying traction on the right, especially after their shock win in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election last week.
In her speech, Eluned won’t be mincing her words: “Where we disagree, we’ll say it. Where we see unfairness, we’ll stand up to it. And when Westminster makes decisions we think will harm Welsh communities, we will not stay silent.” She’s also pledging not to shy away from calling things out inside her own party if needed: “I will not hesitate to challenge from within [Labour], even when it means shaking things up and disrupting the comfortable.”
Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock is backing her all the way. He’s praised her for standing up for what really matters to people in Wales, warning that the fight is only going to get tougher, and that Labour has to show it still represents everyday concerns.
Meanwhile, senior figures in Westminster are sounding a bit more cautious. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has urged voters to give the Government some breathing room, admitting the scale of the mess they inherited is huge, but still defending tough decisions. And former Cabinet Minister Louise Haigh has gone further, calling for an outright U-turn on welfare cuts and warning that Reform poses a real threat if Labour doesn’t course-correct soon.
All eyes now turn to Cardiff—and to whether Eluned Morgan’s bold stance will resonate with a public growing increasingly weary of political compromises that cost them the most.
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