Eluned Morgan to ask Keir Starmer to 'start coughing up' to make up for Wales shortchanges

ITV News

22-05-2025

First Minister Eluned Morgan says she will ask Prime Minister Keir Starmer to 'start coughing up' to make up for areas where Wales has been shortchanged when the two leaders meet on Friday.
Baroness Morgan is in London ahead of a meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions being hosted by Sir Keir.
It will be the first time she has formally met her fellow Labour leader since setting out a list of concerns in her 'Red Welsh Way' speech earlier this month.
In that speech, she said she would 'call out' what she thought were mistakes by the Labour UK Government, saying: 'When Westminster makes decisions that we think will harm the Welsh communities, we will not stay silent."
She had also called for her UK colleagues to reconsider cuts to winter fuel payments for pensioners. On Wednesday this week, the PM announced a U-turn which will see more pensioners become eligible for the payment.
The FM's speech came on the same day as the latest Barn Cymru poll for ITV Cymru Wales which suggested that Labour could fall to third place at next year's Senedd election.
The poll showed Labour gaining 18% share of the vote, with Plaid Cymru coming first and winning 30% while Reform UK would come second with 25%.
All that will be in the background when Eluned Morgan and Keir Starmer meet on Friday, 23 May.
In an interview ahead of that meeting, she told ITV: 'I'll obviously be taking that opportunity to really push the case for those things that I outlined in my Red Welsh Way speech, making sure that we get a fairer deal on things like the railways and coal tips and other issues that are absolutely top of my agenda, where we think we've been hard done by in the past and we want them to make up for it."
When asked if that would make the meeting a difficult one, she said: 'Let's see how it goes. But the spending review is coming up.
"That's the opportunity for them to make a difference. I'll be pushing that case. I know lots of people pushing the case at the moment, but my job is to stand up for Wales and that's what I'm doing.'
She repeated her claim that Wales has been shortchanged under 14 years of Conservative-led UK Government but added that now it falls to her party in power to change things.
'They've had a bit of time to bed in now, so we want some action and that's what I'll be pushing for. They've had a year, more or less. Now's the time for them to start coughing up for us.'
The FM met Welsh Labour MPs at a dinner in Soho on Wednesday, with some signs of tension between them.
We understand that some MPs had been upset by her Red Welsh Way speech and wanted to reassure her that they were doing their part.
The meeting was described as a "bit fraught", although another source insisted that though differences were aired, the night ended with hugs and kisses.
Eluned Morgan insisted that it was a happy get-together, saying: 'I spoke to lots last night and they understand and they reassured me that they're making the case as well.'
But with a year to go to a difficult election, is now the time to ruffle feathers?
'Look, we were fine last night," she said. "I spoke to lots of MPs last night. They understand that we're under pressure. They understand that there is a need for the UK Labour government to deliver for Wales as well.'