Minister defends UK Labour government record in Wales

A senior UK government minister has defended its record in Wales after strong criticism from Labour Senedd members.

Several backbench Labour MSs wrote to Keir Starmer accusing him of rolling back devolution by bypassing ministers in Cardiff Bay to make decisions in Wales.

But Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, said Wales had enjoyed a "record breaking" funding deal and insisted the UK and Welsh Labour governments had a "very clear record of success" over the past 18 months "delivering for Wales".

Plaid Cymru said Welsh Labour was in "complete disarray".

Jones was answering reporters' questions at a news conference after a British-Irish Council summit, hosted by the Welsh government in Cardiff.

The letter was signed by senior Labour Senedd members and former Welsh government ministers but not any current ministers.

It called the use of the Pride in Place scheme to give cash to councils for town centre improvements a "constitutional outrage" for bypassing the Welsh government, which normally governs and funds local government in Wales.

The letter has been strongly criticised by some in Labour's Senedd group and some of the party's Welsh MPs.

Jones said the last 18 months had shown the "power of two Labour governments working together for the people of Wales".

He cited the announcement of new AI growth zones, the building of new small modular nuclear reactors at Wylfa, in Anglesey and additional rail investment as examples of what could be achieved.

Jones said the UK government was "very proud of our Pride in Place support for local communities".

"I know that that funding will be working in partnership with the great work that Eluned and the team are doing here in Wales to make sure that we're not just renewing the economy and renewing the state, but renewing communities across the country in line with our promise of change," he added.

Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan, seated alongside Jones at the news conference, said "our position as a government has always been very clear on this".

"I raised the issue with the prime minister last week - we work together on these issues," she said.

"We have a very good relationship and we continue to discuss.

"I think a demonstration of that relationship will be shown this afternoon in the fact that the UK government have chosen to launch their new child benefit poverty strategy here in Wales, something that is absolutely critical to the children of our country."

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said Welsh Labour was in "complete disarray, with Eluned Morgan's own backbenchers calling out the so-called 'partnership in power' for failing to deliver for Wales".

"The people of Wales are fed up of being taken for granted by these two Labour governments, who continuously put party before country," he said.

The British-Irish Council was created in 1999, under the Good Friday Agreement, and is made up of the governments of the UK, Northern Ireland and Ireland, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.