Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivered an impassioned speech to the Welsh Labour Party's first conference since the party's defeat in May, telling members they will "come back stronger, and we will come back together with a vision for a stronger Wales within a fairer United Kingdom".
The assembled members had reason to remain downcast following their worst electoral battering in history. The most recent verdict from the Welsh electorate at Senedd elections proved epochally damning - by far their poorest showing in an Assembly or Senedd contest since devolution, tumbling to their lowest vote share in Wales since universal suffrage was established.
A Summer of Upheaval
Under normal circumstances, this would cast a lengthy shadow over a party conference. Yet in some respects Labour has already experienced its rebellion - a summer upheaval that witnessed leader Sir Keir Starmer ousted merely two years following a landslide election triumph.
It feels as though that has proved a cathartic moment for the entire party, though this shouldn't diminish Welsh Labour's own self-inflicted damage. There's little question that the unpopularity of the Keir Starmer administration contributed to the party's decline this side of Offa's Dyke.
Optimism on the Conference Floor
The favourable influence of his successor Andy Burnham cannot help but permeate across the border into this nation. This so-called 'Burnham bounce' has propelled Labour back to the top of UK opinion polls, and was clearly evident as members assembled at Llandudno's Venue Cymru on a beautiful autumn morning, with the conference packed to capacity for the Prime Minister's address.
Speaking at the conference on Saturday morning, the Prime Minister took on that air of positivity, addressing the May elections: "So, for the first time in its history, Labour is not leading the Welsh government, and that's a hard thing for us all to have to accept. But, accept it we will, and come back stronger, and we will come back together with a vision for a stronger Wales within a fairer United Kingdom, and that's what I'm trying to leave with you as your Prime Minister."
A Vision for Reindustrialisation
Andy Burnham said his mission would be to help bring about a "reindustrialised nation" of Wales with "revitalised high streets and empowered communities, good jobs, evenly spread all over". He told the party's Welsh conference: "Welsh coal powered the industrial revolution. Welsh steel helped build the infrastructure of the modern world. A generation of Welsh workers created wealth that reached far beyond the places that they called home. But those industries declined, when there was money to be made elsewhere. They were forgotten and that is something that has never left me. And that's what I'm determined to change as Prime Minister."
He said too often "decisions are taken elsewhere without Wales in mind, and that doesn't enable us then to unlock the potential of the people and places of Wales". He added: "You can feel that there is potential, but it's not fully realised, and it brings me to how we make this happen. This is what I want to talk about today: UK Labour working with Welsh Labour to bring a vision forward that the people of Wales deserve, because reindustrialisation is the goal, and empowering Wales people and places to get there is what we'll do, because that then means taking devolution further."
Party members expressed optimism on the conference floor. Former MS Ann Jones said: "We are all behind Ken and there is a positivity now amongst people. It is now about being united, we unite around Ken as Welsh leader and unite around Senedd members and push forward on the local elections on the back of Andy Burnham now being in Number 10. I'm excited by his devolution agenda, we can push that agenda."
Crispin Jones described feeling "excited" upon arriving at the conference, saying: "The combination of Andy in the UK and Ken in Wales, they are natural leaders who can galvanise the party, it is great, I am really enthusiastic. This is rebuilding, we listened to people, members and electorate." Tina Claydon, from Mold, said: "There is a new surge going on which feels really positive, it is getting to the point where we are ready to go again. You can feel it on the door as well and that is why we are getting people who now want to come to help."
Party member Brian Woosnam, who joined in 2014, commented: "I've been a member since 2014. I feel more positive since Andy Burnham has come in. Andy Burnham has lifted the mood by his vision of change and hope. I feel like he is a people person who is down to earth and works from the ground, that's the impression I get. He is doing a great job when you have people like Farage and Trump putting negativity into politics." Seren Alagul attended her first Labour conference after finishing university, remarking: "Andy Burnham has brought new positivity, having Andy Burnham nationally has affected Wales too."
The Challenge Ahead
However, voters are becoming increasingly conscious of the powers held in Cardiff Bay - recognising that the challenges they witness in the health service and education, as well as on our high streets, cannot be attributed to Westminster alone. While the Burnham boost may deliver a honeymoon period, Welsh Labour will not reclaim power in this nation simply on the strength of London's influence.
They must understand what went awry in places such as Holyhead, the Valleys, and north east Wales - areas that were once Labour heartlands. Then they must present solutions that people not only support but, crucially, believe they can actually deliver - a difficult proposition after 27 years in government during which many have witnessed services and their own purchasing power decline. The next significant challenge will arrive with the local elections next spring, and Welsh Labour resembles a vast vessel that is difficult to steer, and that early test may well arrive before the so-called Burnham bounce can take full effect.
