Plaid’s Rhun ap Iorwerth attacks Labour over manifesto ‘disregard’ for Wales
The Plaid Cymru leader said the manifesto showed a lack of influence for Welsh Labour in forming the party’s UK-wide policy platform.
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Your support makes all the difference.Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth has accused Labour of showing a “complete disregard” for Wales in its General Election manifesto.
The Plaid leader said the document failed to back policies championed by Labour’s First Minister Vaughan Gething.
Mr ap Iorwerth said it demonstrated a “lack of influence” from Welsh Labour on the party’s UK-wide policy platform.
“Labour’s manifesto proves that the party in Wales is powerless under Keir Starmer,” the Plaid leader said.
“The complete disregard towards Wales shown in Labour’s programme for government exposes both Welsh Labour’s lack of influence and the UK leader’s lack of ambition.
“There is nothing on devolving the Crown Estate, nothing on HS2 consequentials for Wales, and nothing on the devolution of justice and policing – all policies supported by Labour in Wales.
“To add insult to injury, Keir Starmer’s representative in Wales has confirmed that Wales’ post-Brexit cash will still be controlled by Westminster.”
Shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens told the BBC the Welsh government will not have full control over the replacement for European Union funds, should the party win the general election.
Mr ap Iorwerth claimed the Labour policy platform posed a threat “to devolution itself”.
“Keir Starmer must understand that ignoring his Welsh colleagues is tantamount to undermining the principle that Wales has its own parliament and its own voice,” he said.
Labour’s manifesto promises to consider devolution of youth justice and commits to devolve employment support funding to the Welsh Government.
The document pledges to “strengthen the relationship between the governments in Westminster and Cardiff Bay”.