Labour MSs accuse Keir Starmer of ‘undermining devolution’

Over a third of Labour’s Senedd members have written to the Prime Minister accusing him of undermining devolution.

The letter, signed by 11 backbench MSs, criticised Keir Starmer for not making progress on reforming the Barnett formula and granting further powers to the Senedd over rail infrastructure, policing and the Crown Estate – and hit out at Westminster’s direct funding of Welsh councils through the Pride in Place Programme.

They said: “Regeneration is a devolved matter. Yet the UK Internal Market Act 2020 is being used to give the UK government authority to provide financial assistance without requiring consent from the Senedd or Welsh ministers.”

“The Conservative legislation repealed parts of the Government of Wales Act 2006, reduced the Senedd’s legislative competence, and gave UK ministers broad ‘Henry VIII powers’ to amend primary legislation, which could undermine devolution.

“For our own government to then come in and use the very same powers to act in devolved areas is at best deeply insensitive, at worst a constitutional outrage.”

The group also said: “If this was being done by a Tory government, we would be calling for a judicial review.

“Wales needs and deserves to be treated as an equal part of the UK and the UK government has a responsibility to act to deliver this equality.”

Signatories to the letter include several former Welsh ministers, including Mick Antoniw, Hannah Blythyn, Lesley Griffiths and Julie Morgan.

READ MORE: Who are Welsh Labour’s candidates for 2026 Senedd elections?

It comes six months before Welsh voters elect new members to the Senedd, with Labour facing the prospect of coming third behind Reform UK and Plaid Cymru.

A Welsh Labour source criticised the letter and told LabourList: “Labour members in Wales would have been much more impressed if our MSs wrote an open letter to Richard Burgon and other Labour MPs who keep suggesting the election in Wales is a proxy referendum on Starmer’s leadership.

“The devolved elections are about public services and the nation’s future, not fuel for narrow Westminster intrigue, as this letter unfortunately also appears to be driving.”

Full list of signatories

• Mick Antoniw
• Hannah Blythyn
• Alun Davies
• John Griffiths
• Lesley Griffiths
• Julie Morgan
• Jenny Rathbone
• Rhianon Passmore
• Carolyn Thomas
• Mike Hedges
• Lee Waters

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