Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan has urged voters not to treat the upcoming Senedd elections as a referendum on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warning that protest votes could allow pro-independence parties to take power at a critical time for the economy and public services.
In an interview with the Guardian, Morgan acknowledged that Labour faces a tough contest, with polls suggesting the party could slip to third place behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK after 26 years in power. She stressed that now is not the time for a protest vote against Starmer, as the risk of a coalition of Plaid Cymru and the Greens would distract from governance and harm Wales’s interests.
Morgan declined to say whether Starmer should lead Labour into the next general election, noting that it is a matter for MPs. She expressed confidence that Starmer would “get a grip” on running the country after a turbulent first 18 months, but warned that a poor Labour performance in Wales would increase pressure on him.
She defended Labour’s record in Wales, arguing that 14 of the 26 years in power were under Tory austerity, and that Wales is now emerging from that period with better budgets. On the NHS, she said waiting lists have fallen by 90% from their peak and criticised comparisons with England as “comparing apples with pears” due to different counting methods.
Morgan also called for a closer EU trading relationship, noting that 59% of Welsh exports are goods-based, making the country disproportionately affected by Brexit. She said EU re-entry should not be off the table in the long term. On US tariffs, she welcomed Starmer’s tough tone but urged a cool head.
