Labour's Welsh secretary thinks Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are no different to one another
Labour's Welsh secretary thinks Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are no different to one another
Both are electoral threats to Labour, polling shows
Welsh secretary Jo Stevens
(Image: Welsh Labour TV/PA )
Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are "two sides of the same coin," Welsh secretary Jo Stevens has said. Speaking at Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, Ms Stevens criticised both parties who pose a serious electoral threat to her party at the upcoming Senedd election, if poll projects are correct.
She said: "Our opponents are two sides of the same coin. Plaid and Reform are divisive nationalists determined to rip our country apart. One with no plan to pay for the NHS, another with plans to sell it off to the highest bidder.
"They will destroy the work we have done to create thousands of jobs in renewable energy, in advanced manufacturing, in defence. They will stop our free prescriptions and halt the progress made on waiting lists," she said. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
Prime Minister Keir Starmer focused on national and international issues in his speech but also directly criticised Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
The Senedd election in May 2026 is widely seen as being a huge test for both Eluned Morgan and Keir Starmer. Polling shows Labour could slip from the party in power, for the whole of the devolution period, to third with 18% of the vote.
The next election will be fought under a new voting system, with new constituencies and will increase the number of Senedd members from 60 to 96 at a cost of billions.
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In his speech, to open the event, Prime Minister attacked Nigel Farage saying he has "no plan" for Wales. He said the Reform UK leader 'isn't interested in Wales'.
Referencing Mr Farage's visit to Port Talbot where he said his party wanted to look at reopening mines in Wales and said that the blast furnaces at the Tata plant in Port Talbot should be restarted.
The Port Talbot proposal was widely criticised as being unrealistic. You can read about that here. Mr Farage himself admitted it would cost 'in the low billions' and industry experts and members said not only is the cost prohibitive but it is impossible to restart a closed blast furnace.
He didn't directly criticise the reopening of coals mines suggestion by Mr Farage but did use the opportunity to highlight things his administration had done in terms of committing money to coal tip regeneration and miners' pensions.
"Nigel Farage isn't interested in Wales, he's interested in Nigel Farage, he takes people for fools.
"Just look what he said earlier this month, going to Port Talbot pretending he's got a plan to reopen the blast furnace, he's got no idea what he's talking about. He's got no plan at all.
"Let's be clear. What Reform's plans would be mean in practice. Cancelling the electric arc furnace, cancelling the construction work that's on track to start in just a few weeks time, cancelling the 5,000 jobs it'll bring.
"That's all you ever need to know about Reform," he said.
Reform UK is polling to take seats in the Senedd and a recent UK Parliamentary poll by YouGov showed they would take 23 seats off Labour. Plaid Cymru would also do well at the expense of Labour.
Less than a year ago, in the July general election, Labour took 27 of the 32 seats available. You can read that story here.
The Senedd election in May 2026 is widely seen as being a huge test for both Eluned Morgan and Keir Starmer. Polling shows Labour could slip from the party in power, for the whole of the devolution period, to third with 18% of the vote. The most recent polling for Wales by YouGov is here.
The next election will be fought under a new voting system, with new constituencies and will increase the number of Senedd members from 60 to 96 at a cost of billions.
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